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Man Asks Girlfriend Not To Stay The Night With Her Ex, Her Response Makes Him Rethink The Relationship

Monika Pašukonytė — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:21:36 +0000

Trust is the bedrock to any stable relationship, which really sounds so simple and common sense that it suggests what happened in the story below involved a pretty strong breach of it. How each couple acts when that happens often determines their future.

A man turned to the internet for advice after his girlfriend took her parents to the zoo about two hours away. Instead of coming home, she then announced that she’d actually be crashing at her best friend’s place, but the man knew that this “best friend” was just her ex. Later, he shared an update on what happened next.

Sometimes your partner’s actions can be hurtful even if they don’t involve you

Dragana_Gordic / Magnific (not the actual photo)

After his GF stayed the night with her ex, a man turned to the internet

magnific / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Juan Pablo Olaya Celis / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Fremen_Dave

amixstudio / Magnific (not the actual photo)

There is a fine line between boundaries and demands

Feeling controlled and being controlled are not the same thing, and the difference usually comes down to what’s actually being requested. Asking to be consulted before an overnight stay somewhere unexpected is a limit on what one person can tolerate, not a demand dictating who the other person gets to be friends with.

As SimplyPsychology explains, boundaries are fundamentally about self control rather than control over someone else, communicating how you wish to be treated without forcing anyone to change, while control is about expecting a partner to conform to your needs regardless of what they want. Once that distinction is clear, a lot of the “you’re making me feel controlled” pushback starts to look less like a diagnosis and more like a deflection.

That deflection shows up constantly in situations like this one, and CNBC’s reporting on the topicpoints out something useful here, that accusing someone of violating your boundaries the moment they voice discomfort can shut a conversation down before it even starts, turning a request for honesty into an accusation of controlling behavior. When someone responds to a stated discomfort by making the other person’s feelings the problem instead of addressing the actual request, the conversation stops being about the original issue and becomes about who gets to play the victim. It’s worth asking, in the moment, whether you were actually told what you couldn’t do, or whether you simply asked a question and got handed guilt in return.

Sometimes there can be nuances

lookstudio / Magnific (not the actual photo)

None of this means every close friendship outside a relationship is a threat. Outside friendships add real value to people’s lives, and research summarized by Utah State University shows that healthy relational boundaries and open communication are what let those friendships coexist with a committed partnership. That same research is clear that couples do best when they actually discuss expectations around opposite gender friendships rather than assuming a partner will be fine with however things unfold. A friendship doesn’t need to be secret to still be under communicated, and the gap between mentioning a dinner with a friend and mentioning a solo overnight stay, packed bag included, is exactly the kind of gap that turns an otherwise ordinary evening into a fight nobody wanted.

This is also where the idea of an emotional affair becomes relevant, even when nothing physical has happened and probably never will. Therapists drawing on John Gottman’s research note that a strong friendship is one of the most important traits behind a lasting marriage, and that outside relationships matter too, but that once those relationships cross boundaries and become inappropriate, they can turn a relationship upside down. The line isn’t drawn by intent alone. Prioritizing someone else’s comfort over a partner’s clearly stated limit, and quietly planning around an objection you expect but don’t want to hear, counts for something even if nobody involved would ever call it cheating.

What makes moments like this genuinely hard is that trust isn’t rebuilt by proving nothing happened. It’s rebuilt by how a person responds once a limit has actually been named out loud. Getting defensive, minimizing someone’s history, or calling a simple question control tells you more about what to expect going forward than the original decision ever could. A relationship can survive very different comfort levels around outside friendships. What it struggles to survive is one partner deciding, alone and in advance, that the other person’s stated limit simply wasn’t worth honoring.

Many thought his reaction was reasonable

DC Studio / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Later, he shared an update

magnific / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Fremen_Dave

selena_pan / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Readers did their best to make sense of the situation

New Disturbing Details Emerge After Dad Of 3 Jumped Off Cruise Ship During Anniversary Trip

Gabija Saveiskyte — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:16:38 +0000

56-year-old Thomas Gigler was sailing aboard the Carnival Panorama with his wife, Michelle, and their three sons when he disappeared during the ship’s journey back to California from Mexico.

The family had been marking their 15th wedding anniversary, making the tragedy especially difficult to understand for those who knew him.

Now, new details have raised another unanswered question in a case that has already left his loved ones searching for an explanation, as his body has still not been recovered nearly a week after his disappearance.

Thomas Gigler was on an anniversary cruise with his wife and three sons when he suddenly disappeared

Michelle Gigler

Thomas Gigler was a computer programmer from Redlands, California, who had spent 24 years working for software development company Esri.

He was traveling with 48-year-old Michelle and their three sons, who are 13, 11, and 9, aboard the Carnival Panorama.

The trip was supposed to be a family celebration marking their anniversary on September 23, just days before the ship was due to return to Long Beach.

Instead, the vacation took a devastating turn when Michelle reportedly realized that her husband was missing and contacted the ship’s staff.

Michelle Gigler

Crew members began making announcements asking Gigler to come forward, but repeated attempts to locate him were unsuccessful.

As the search intensified, passengers were eventually asked to remain in their cabins while the crew carried out a ship-wide search.

Staff also reviewed the vessel’s surveillance footage, which provided the first clear indication of what happened to Gigler.

The CCTV footage reportedly showed that Gigler had gone overboard from the ship’s 11th deck.

Security footage confirmed Gigler went overboard from the 11th deck, but questions remain about what happened beforehand

ABC7

That allowed the crew to establish that he had not simply disappeared somewhere inside the vessel and prompted authorities in both the U.S. and Mexico to assist with the search.

The location of his cabin has now become another significant detail in the case.

According to the Daily Mail, the Gigler family was staying on the second deck, while the area where Thomas went overboard was on the 11th.

It appears he may have traveled roughly nine decks before reaching the location where he went overboard.

Michelle Gigler

The detail does not, by itself, explain why he went there or what he was thinking at the time.

However, it has added another piece to the puzzle surrounding Gigler’s final known movements.

Authorities have not publicly established a motive, leaving his family to grapple with what could have prompted the father of three to leave his cabin and eventually go overboard.

His sister reportedly rejected claims of marital problems and offered the family’s theory about what may have happened

Michelle Gigler

One of the more sensitive aspects of the case has been speculation about his marriage.

A fellow passenger allegedly claimed to have spoken with him at the ship’s Alchemy Bar the night before he disappeared and said he had mentioned problems in his marriage.

However, Gigler’s family has firmly disputed that account.

His sister, Wendy Dowden, told the Daily Mail that Thomas and Michelle “were getting along quite well,” pushing back against the idea that an apparent marital dispute explained his actions.

Michelle Gigler

The family has instead been trying to understand whether Gigler may have experienced a sudden mental health crisis.

Dowden said there was no known history of mental illness, which has made his final actions particularly difficult for those close to him to comprehend.

She explained the theory the family has been left with: “We think something must have happened in his head. He wasn’t in his right mind to have done this.”

However, investigators have not concluded that a mental health episode caused the incident, and the reported passenger account about marital problems has likewise not been substantiated.

The search for the missing father has now been suspended after more than 1,700 square miles were searched

Sergii/Pexels

Shortly after the ship reported Gigler overboard, a large search effort was launched across the Pacific.

The operation involved U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, a Mexican naval vessel, and six other vessels searching the waters around the area where he was believed to have gone overboard.

The search continued for more than 41 hours and covered more than 1,707 square miles of ocean.

Despite the scale of the operation, crews could not locate Gigler.

The Coast Guard has since suspended the active search, and with his body still not recovered, Gigler is presumed deceased.

The tragedy has also affected other people aboard the Carnival Panorama.

Passengers reportedly created a makeshift memorial with handwritten messages, prayers, and tributes for Gigler and his family.

Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding his final moments remain unclear, with his loved ones still searching for an explanation for an event they say was completely out of character.

“You never know what people are going through… Poor wife and boys!! To be on a lovely holiday and then this happens,” wrote one netizen

90 Unbelievably Well-Camouflaged Things That Take Forever To Spot (New Pics)

Ilona Baliūnaitė — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:53:07 +0000

If you enjoyed the thrill of finding a specific character in a large illustration as a kid, this challenge is just for you! It’s time to test how sharp your vision and seeking skills really are. This time, you’ll look for objects hidden in plain sight in real pictures and funny illustrations.

We’ve chosen some of the best contenders from the r/FindTheSniper subreddit. This community loves sharing and squinting at confusing images of dropped belongings, beloved pets, or other objects that blend perfectly into the background. Grab a cup of coffee and see how many submissions you can complete without help from the commenters!

#1 Can You Find A Cat That Looks Like Wood

#2 Find The Wall Outlet

#3 Almost Closed The Fridge With My Cat In It LOL

#4 I Dropped My Glasses, I Can’t See Without My Glasses

#5 Find The Leopard

#6 Find Both Crocs

#7 F - Find The Pooch!

#8 Find The Cat

#9 Find The Grain Of Sugar

#10 Find The Fox

#11 Find The Star Magnet

#12 Find The Impasta

#13 Find The Word Cow

#14 Find The Real Dog Hiding With My Felt Dogs!

#15 Find The Hidden Face In The Painting

#16 My Daughter Dropped A Toy Snail On The Counter

#17 Find The Oak Moth

#18 There's An Owl Here

#19 Find The Snake

#20 Spot The Dog

#21 Find The Deer!

#22 Find The Apple

#23 Find The Number 8

#24 Find The Alligator (His Name Is Rupert)

#25 Find The Desert Bighorn Sheep

#26 Find The Snow Leopard

#27 Find The Pup

#28 Can You Find The Goat

#29 Find The Dragonfly

#30 Find The Clothes Hanger

#31 Find The Key I Dropped On The Shop Floor

#32 Find The Scorpion

#33 Help Find My Sunglasses I Dropped 4 Stories Down

#34 Find The Cruise Ship

#35 Find My Wife's Silver Bracelet

#36 Find My Mouse Cursor Against My Wallpaper!!

#37 Find The Thorn

#38 Wife Got Spooked. Find The Face That Peeps In My Bathroom

#39 Find The Three Foxes Having Leisurely Naps In My Neighbour's Garden

#40 Find The Bunny

#41 Find The Raccoon

#42 Secret Snoot (Pup)

#43 Find The Snake!

#44 Mom Couldn't Find Her Reading Glasses For A Few Days

#45 Only 1% With Shark Eyes Can Spot The Starfish In 5 Seconds!

#46 Find The Lizard

#47 Find The Little Copperhead!

#48 Find My Cat

#49 Find The 3 Cats

#50 Find The Cat

#51 Find The Sneaky Bobcat

#52 Find The Second Cat

#53 Find The Cat

#54 Find The Moon

#55 Find The Earring I Stepped On

#56 Find The Second Cat

#57 Find My Neighbour's Cat

#58 Find The 3rd Cat

#59 2 Copperheads

#60 Find The Chameleon

#61 Find The Toast

#62 There Is A Deer Visible In This Picture

#63 Find The Lollipop

#64 Find The Koala

#65 Find The Ghost

#66 Spot The Snake In This Sneaky

#67 Find The Giraffe ( Not A Rubber Duck Giraffe! )

#68 Find The Imposter And The Amphibian Among The Silly Cats

#69 Find The Void!

#70 Find The Nerds Cluster!

#71 Find The Salamander

#72 Find The Cat

#73 One Of My Psychedelic Illustrations Called 'Dreampark'. Can You Spot The Badger With The Bucket?

#74 Find The Stick Of LED For My Pencil

#75 Find The Spiral Push Pin

#76 Find The Butter

#77 Find The Baby Grasshopper!

#78 Find The Owl

#79 Find The Square With 5 Dots

#80 Can You Guys Find 20? It Took Me A While. Had To Flip These Just For It To Be One Of The Last Ones LOL

#81 Find The Airpod

#82 Find The Rubber Astronaut

#83 Find The Last Jigsaw Piece!

#84 Find Dr. Hercules, Master Of Void (Cat )

#85 “Dad! Post That Banana For Your Sniper Friends!!” -My Kid

#86 Couldnt Find The TV Remote (Target) For An Entire Week

#87 Find The 2 Minecraft Cobble Stone Cubes

#88 Find The Copperhead

#89 Find The Orange Wheelie Bin

#90 Find The Dog

Son Takes A Loan From Parents, Throws Massive Tantrums And Makes Accusations After Being Asked To Repay It

Justinas Keturka — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:50:15 +0000

With the economy acting up and the cost of living skyrocketing everywhere, it’s no surprise that adult kids are turning to the bank of mum and dad to get a leg up. But what happens when the same kids try to take advantage of their parents’ generosity?

After lending her son and his wife $50,000 to buy a home, one mom expected them to follow through on their simple repayment contract. Instead, she was met with endless excuses about how broke they were — all while watching them buy a brand-new truck and take off on vacations to Mexico and Las Vegas.

She shared her story online, hoping for an objective solution to her dilemma. Should she write off the massive debt to keep the peace, or is there a better way to hold her son accountable?

A couple lent their son and daughter-in-law $50,000 to help them buy a house

msvyatkovska (not the actual photo)

Now, the son is refusing to repay the loan even though the parents keep insisting

ckstockphoto (not the actual photo)

Character-Acadia-221

Today’s young adults are leaning heavily on family safety nets

Standard milestones like landing a good job and buying a house have gotten much harder to reach in today’s economy. It makes total sense, then, that parents want to step in and soften the blow.

Studies show that nearly half of all parents in the US provide some form of financial support to their grown children.

A 2025 survey found that 75% of American parents pitch in somehow — paying cell phone bills, helping with rent, or even groceries. On average, parents are shelling out around $7,000 a year to keep their adult kids afloat.

Since buying a house or renting on your own has also gotten so crazy expensive, more young people are moving back in with their family. Roughly one in five young adults aged 25 to 34 now live with their parents in the US, which is almost double what it was two decades ago.

“The reasons aren’t necessarily surprising: the jump comes as students graduate college with high education debt into a weak entry-level job market, and Americans of all ages are struggling with the cost of housing,” says Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher, a professor at Boston College.

Younger generations also carry far more student debt than their parents ever did. And those who do manage to get a mortgage take on much larger loans.

All the data we scoured through points to the same clear fact: the economic system is definitely stacked against young people, and parental support is often a total lifesaver. But there is a huge difference between helping a child survive a tough economy and being taken for a ride.

Research shows that this constant financial aid puts a massive strain on parents, especially as they get closer to retirement age.

“When people have to divert what little resources they have to help their children, and they can’t put it toward retirement, that jeopardizes their own financial futures,” says Richard Johnson, who leads a financial security policy team at the American Association of Retired Persons.

In a recent survey, 17% of middle-aged Americans with more than $150,000 in investable assets admitted that they supported children aged 26 or older, even when they knew it actively jeopardized their own financial security. More than half of respondents said doing so directly cut into their retirement savings.

Jasper (not the actual photo)

Experts feel that parents are not a piggy bank for adult children

Most financial advisors will tell you the same golden rule: your own emergency fund and retirement savings always come first. Think of it like the oxygen mask on an airplane — you have to secure your own financial health before you can safely help anyone else.

Experts like Carolyn McClanahan, a certified financial planner and member of CNBC’s Advisor Council, stress that parents need to set firm boundaries. “We are careful to make sure parents don’t gift so much to put themselves in peril,” she notes.

If your adult child comes to you with a reasonable need, you can still support them, but you have to act like a real bank. That means setting ground rules, drawing up formal terms, and making it clear that the money is a loan to be repaid, not a free gift

Many families also use a clever legal tool in estate planning called a “Hotchpot Clause.” This clause lets a parent deduct an unpaid loan from that specific child’s future inheritance. The money owed is notionally added back to the total estate before everything is divided equally among all the siblings.

Loaning your relatives money and not getting it back is a tough spot to be in.

Adult kids need to know that accepting financial help from your parents is not a free pass to spend carelessly. For parents, the lesson is equally crucial: protecting your own future is not selfish… it is necessary.

Ben Iwara (not the actual photo)

The woman gave some more info in response to the comments

People in the comments supported the woman and shared some advice

40 Sharp And Unexpected Blob Life Comics That Make The Mundane Surprisingly Funny

Hidrėlėy — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:43:16 +0000

Some of the sharpest jokes begin with something perfectly ordinary and then take one step too far. Cartoonist Chip White has turned that step into an art form in Blob Life, a webcomic he describes simply as a series about life's everyday absurdities. Familiar scenes, well-worn expressions, and daily frustrations are nudged just past the point of normal until they tip into delightful nonsense, while bold lines and bright, flat colors give each panel a friendly, classic-funnies look that makes the twist land even harder.

White's punchlines are short and deceptively simple, yet always sharply witty. His subjects range freely from animals and fairy tales to AI and our endless scrolling, and that unpredictability keeps every panel fresh. Below, we've gathered some of our favorite Blob Life comics, proof that a clever idea doesn't need much room to land.

More info: Instagram

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Couple’s Dream Home Turns Into A Nightmare Before They Even Move In, Thanks To Some Very Entitled In-Laws

Eligijus Sinkunas — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:41:12 +0000

Helping family members can get complicated fast. Very fast. A casual offer made with the best intentions can mean something very different to the person on the other end, especially if there is some sense of entitlement involved in the people you’re trying to help.

The woman behind this story was about to close on her first home with her husband when their plans took an unexpected turn. A few months earlier, she had offered her brother-in-law and his family a place to stay for two weeks if they needed somewhere to go between rentals.

After discovering they had already broken their lease and assigned themselves rooms in the new house, she turned to Reddit for urgent advice and to find out if she was wrong to change her mind.

Finding affordable housing has become harder for many people, creating new challenges around family support

kues1 / Magnific (not the actual photo)

A young couple looked forward to their first home, as their relatives faced a dangerous rental and an uncertain place to stay

The couple offered their relatives a two-week stay between leases, but delays with the renovations made the arrangement seem open-ended

magnific / Magnific (not the actual photo)

The relatives broke their lease and planned to move into the couple’s new home, even assigning themselves bedrooms and bathrooms

LegReasonable4668

The woman questioned if backing out made her wrong and wondered how to firmly decline her relatives

lookstudio / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Netizens supported the woman’s decision and agreed that she had every right to set boundaries around her new home

Troubling New Details Emerge In Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ Arrest Just Months After Tim Allen’s Confession

Rocio Corsi — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:38:12 +0000

Jonathan Taylor Thomas has found himself back in the spotlight for a very different reason than the one that made him famous decades ago.

The former Home Improvement star was reportedly arrested after a late-night traffic stop in California, with authorities alleging that the situation escalated quickly.

The news comes just months after his former TV dad, Tim Allen, spoke about the “personality problems” that were making a potential reboot of the series difficult.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas became a household name as Tim Allen’s TV son before stepping away from Hollywood

GT/Star Max/Getty Images

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, now 45, rose to fame in the 1990s as Randy Taylor, the middle son of Tim Allen’s character on the hit sitcom.

The actor was one of the biggest child stars of his generation and also famously voiced young Simba in Disney’s The Lion King.

He later starred in movies including Man of the House, Wild America, and several others.

But Thomas eventually stepped away from the spotlight, choosing to focus on his education and travel after years of working in Hollywood.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

He attended Harvard University, the University of St Andrews in Scotland, and Columbia University.

He has maintained a notably private life ever since, making his latest appearance in the headlines particularly unexpected.

TMZ was the first to break the news of Thomas’ arrest, reporting that he was detained early Monday morning, September 21, following a traffic stop in Westlake Village, California.

The former child star was reportedly arrested after allegedly interfering with a DUI investigation

Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images

According to law enforcement, deputies encountered a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection and blocking traffic.

The driver appeared to be intoxicated, prompting deputies to begin a DUI investigation.

Thomas was reportedly a passenger in the vehicle, not the driver.

Authorities said deputies instructed him to remain inside while they dealt with the driver, but he allegedly repeatedly stepped out and approached them, interfering with the investigation.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

The situation reportedly escalated when deputies attempted to detain Thomas.

According to TMZ, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department alleged that the former actor became uncooperative and allegedly kicked a deputy in the stomach.

Thomas was subsequently booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of public intoxication and obstructing or resisting an executive officer.

Allen had previously said “personality problems” among his TV sons were making a Home Improvement reboot difficult

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

He remained in custody before being released on Tuesday, September 22, roughly 34 hours after his detention.

As of this writing, no formal criminal charges have been filed against him, and the allegations have not resulted in a conviction.

The arrest marks a rare and turbulent public appearance for the former teen star, who has spent much of the past two decades largely out of the spotlight.

Just months earlier, Allen opened up about the stalled plans for a Home Improvement continuation.

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A post shared by ThriftStationATX (@thriftstation.atx)

In June, Allen told Us Weekly that the proposed reboot had become difficult to put together because of issues involving the actors who played his three sons, Zachery Ty Bryan, Taran Noah Smith, and Thomas.

“There are some personality problems right now with the boys. They’ve got their own issues.” Allen told the outlet.

“I always thought it would be cool if it was a story about them. That’s a little challenging right now, to put it mildly.”

Thomas had reunited with two of his former Home Improvement castmates just weeks before his arrest

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patricia Richardson (@prichardsonla)

The veteran star did not specifically identify Thomas as the source of those “personality problems,” instead speaking about the former child actors collectively.

Still, his comments have taken on renewed interest following Thomas’ arrest.

The other actors who played the Taylor brothers have also followed very different paths since the sitcom ended.

Zachery has faced serious legal troubles of his own in recent years, while Taran left acting altogether after the show wrapped in 1999.

@1m.flashback #homeimprovement #johnathantaylorthomas #timallen #1mflashback #tvshow #sitcom #patriciarichardson #richardkarn #tarannoahsmith #zacherytybryan ♬ original sound – 1M Flashback

Notably, in a rare public appearance on July 29 this year, Patricia Richardson, who played the iconic on-screen mother Jill Taylor, shared a nostalgic selfie featuring Thomas and Taran.

Richardson captioned the unexpected reunion, “My other boys,” sending ’90s fans into a frenzy.

The reunion was missing two familiar Taylor family faces, Tim and Zachery.

As for the arrest, Thomas has not issued a formal statement addressing the allegations.

“What a busy cast! I heard there’s a Home Improvement reboot in the works called Home Confinement,” joked one netizen

www.facebook.com

Entitled Friend Backs Out Of Trip, Starts Blaming Everyone And Making Demands

Eligijus Sinkunas — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:35:18 +0000

Trips with friends can be a bit like group projects: one person does all the work while others barely pitch in. In fact, group trips have ended friendships before, as 19% of Milennials and 14% of Gen Z say that they have ended a relationship or a friendship over someone not paying them back.

This friend group faced drama because one friend pulled out of a trip. Since most things were already paid for and non-refundable, her friends told her she’d just have to eat the cost. She refused and demanded that they all pitch in and pay her back, but when they told her “No,” she threw such a tantrum that others started questioning the friendship.

Drama stirred in a friend group trip chat after one woman pulled out and demanded the others pay her back her half

user25451090 / Magnific (not the actual photo)

She tried to apologize afterward, but her words fell flat

jcomp / Magnific (not the actual photo)

jet-po / Magnific (not the actual photo)

total_blondy2004

tawatchai07 / Magnific (not the actual photo)

“If roles were reversed and she had to pay extra, she would not,” the OP added in the comments

Most people sided with the group, saying it’s not fair to put that on them

Others called out OP and the entire friend group

58 Lawyers Share The Most Ridiculous Arguments They’ve Heard In Court

Rūta Zumbrickaitė — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:00:38 +0000

A court of law is a serious place. We think of courtrooms as places that serve justice, where people act with composure and focus on logical decision-making. Yet sometimes, judges face cases and arguments so ridiculous that it can feel like a hidden camera is watching.

Plenty of ridiculous lawsuits have plagued the U.S. court system. For example, PETA tried to prove, albeit unsuccessfully, that a monkey can own a copyright to its own selfie. Michael Jordan and the Nike CEO have been sued by a self-proclaimed look-alike, citing damages for emotional pain and suffering.

Absurd reasoning is a staple in court hearings too, it seems, as many lawyers have shared plenty of funny stories when one netizen asked, “Lawyers of Reddit, what’s the most ridiculous argument you've heard in court?” From trying to justify running a red light because the sun was in their eyes to claiming responsibility simply because they drive a Prius, these folks really should’ve used a better defense in court, because theirs was pretty laughable.

#1

I'm a lawyer. The most ridiculous argument I've seen was one I actually made!

One of my clients got busted cooking m**h. This was a *very* clear cut case, they actually caught him in the middle of a cook. No way he was getting out of this one. The DA loaded him up with felonies, there was no bail and he was being held in the county jail.

My client knew he was f****d. He had been planning to get married a few weeks after he got busted.

My client asks me if he can get released for 24 hours so he can still get married. I tell him that I'll ask, but that there's no way in f*****g hell they'll let him out.

First, I ask the DA if they will allow it. Nope. They laugh.

So I file a motion with the court. Now, I knew the judge was a crusty old conservative family values kind of guy. Who also has a raging e**ction for d**g crime. There was no law involved, but I put together an argument about the sanctity of marriage and how the state should encourage marriage at all times, and that sort of thing.

We have a hearing and I make the argument. The DA is totally opposed and calls it ridiculous.

And the judge grants it. The judge actually decided to allow my client out for 24 hours to get married. He had to surrender at the county jail at 8AM the next day and some other conditions, but, still, he was allowed out.

Everyone is stunned. Nobody can believe it.

The day of the wedding comes, my client gets out, gets married, then goes back to the jail. Everything went exactly like how it was supposed to, which is also pretty shocking.

#2

This never made it to court.

I asked my divorce lawyer what was the worst thing a client had asked him to argue. I was expecting a "I want the salad spinner!" sort of story.

He had a client, a professor in his 70s who was divorcing from his wife, also a professor in her 70s. They were both Jewish.

His wife had a tattoo on her arm. It was a number, put there by the N*zis when they put her in a concentration camp in WW2 as a child. Husband was born in the US, was not German.

The German government was in the process of settling a case with the survivors. She had some amount of money, a six figure sum, due to her. The husband wanted his lawyer to argue that he should get half the settlement money.

Lawyer told him that there was a special circle in hell for lawyers who ask for stuff like that and that he was not planning on ending up there.

#3

Former assistant state attorney/prosecutor here.

This defendant is called up for arraignment and the judge is telling him that he's been charged with theft for stealing a roll of scratch off tickets from a gas station. The judge informs the defendant that since the value of the tickets was over $300 therefore it's a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

The defendant says to the judge "but your honor, to be fair the tickets were all losers" implying it's not theft at all.

I was amazed at the ingeniusness yet futility of the argument.

#4

Ha! I'm a lawyer. I should win right there.

Anyway, we were in trial, and opposing counsel was objecting to a document I was trying to enter into evidence through one of their witnesses. The witness had identified it as one of their business records, but opposing counsel objects.

Jury is in the courtroom, so the Judge has us approach. We do, and opposing counsel argues the authenticity of the document. I was a little surprised. So my response was "Your Honor this is their exhibit. Is Counsel stating they submitted in-authentic documents to this Court?" Judge turns to counsel, "Are you submitting non-authentic documents?" Opposing counsel stammers out a no and the document goes in.

I was a little surprised they wanted to argue their own document wasn't authentic just to keep me from getting it to the jury.

#5

Made a left turn on a green turn arrow, a city bus ran a red and T-Boned me. My car was a little VW rabbit so it just scooted me and I was perfectly fine. Driver pulls over, comes out and says "the sun was in my eyes." I say "I'm not hurt, thanks for asking".

Police arrive, and guess what? There was a literal bus load full of witnesses. Every one had the same story... She ran a red.

City paid for my car, etc. She denied wrongdoing and went to court, which I had to attend along with a witness or two and the officer. Her defense? She had a migraine.

Judge: so I should let you off the hook because you had a bad headache and was driving into the sun?

Driver: Yes, your honor I'm glad you understand.

She got her commercial vehicle license revoked. Should have just taken the points.

#6

Laywer who is not practicing in court, but when I was in college doing my bachelor's degree, criminal law was part of the curriculum and this included spending a couple of days observing criminal trials. The things you witness.

Anyway; at the start of one of these trials a guy with the greasiest mullet enters the room. Thin, tall, disproportionately sized limbs, tattoos all over; I swear the way he sat before the judge, the only thing that was missing was a beer in his hand and a chicken under his arm. Now, this guy chose not to have a lawyer represent him, as he's a regular and spends short periods of time in jail or doing community service pretty much every month, anyway. Real problem case; d***s, alcoholism etc., but still he comes across as a really sympathetic dude and has a really entertaining way of telling a story while keeping a straight face and not realizing how funny he is.

He knows he's getting fined and a couple of hours of cutting weeds as community service to keep our Dutch streets nice and tidy, but tries to win the sympathies of the judge to decrease his sentence. This man's dog was sent to a dog shelter when they found it malnourished a couple of weeks before when they brought him in for dealing--real sad, but also the reason he's standing trial. The guy got high as a kite and drunk as an Irishman on St. Patrick's and while completely d*****d out of his mind decided to get his dog back from the shelter, because he really missed 'his girl'.

The judge asks him if it's correct that he broke the lock and some of the camera equipment on site of the dog shelter and he confirms. You could really tell from his passionate account of the progression of the evening that he did all this out of pure love as his dog according to him was the only thing that pulled him through all of his rough patches with his girlfriend and his d**g problem. So the judge orders camera footage to be shown to confirm that it is the suspect and he confirms. On it he is seen stumbling about and wrenching one of the dog enclosures open and hugging a German shepherd.

At this point everyone is touched by seeing this guy be so emotional on the camera footage with the dog, hugging it, petting it and playing with it and you can see the judge really get into it, as well. Anyway, so this guy continues with his story and tells about how he took the dog to his car and went home never feeling happier in his life and ends his account with the driest delivery of "needless to say I was f*****g surprised when I woke up the next day and there was a German Shepherd in my room instead of a Staffordshire terrier." Everyone just broke out in laughter. He didn't get what was funny. Turns out the dude stole the wrong dog. Judge sentenced him to 50 hours of community service and €3000 or so repairs for the broken doors and camera equipment.

TL:DR Guy tries to win sympathies of judge with passionate account of how he broke into a dog shelter and steal his dog back from animal services; steals the wrong dog.

#7

I am a lawyer. This was a petition, rather than an in-court appearance, when I was a *pro se* clerk. *Pro se* clerks handle petitions from prisoners.

This was a state case and the petitioner claimed that because our state awards good-time credits (for every 30 days you serve without problems you get 10 days off of your sentence) for all sentences, even sentences of life, he had accumulated X years of credit against his sentence. Further, according to the actuarial tables, he would be d**d in X years, therefore he was eligible for release.

So far this is a clever argument, even if it is bound to failure. What made it ridiculous was that he was not serving one life sentence but two consecutive life sentences plus 20 years. Therefore, under his own analysis, he needed to serve more than his own lifespan before becoming eligible for release.

As an added bonus, I dismissed his petition as lacking standing until he actually d***d and we could properly calculate his sentence.

#8

Hah I have a story for this one. I'm not a lawyer nor could I talk at the time. During a custody battle between my grandparents and my mom and dad who were a***cts. The judge asks why my parents should have custody:

"Well, we are his parents"

The judge says well you guys have substance a***e issues"

"No, we don't"

"So you're not using anything?"

"No, we're both clean"

"When is the last time you've used?"

"A few days ago and we're done now"

My grandparents won that day in court. This story has been told to me a few times by my grandfather.

#9

I have a brief encounter (personal injury prospect):

Old lady slipped & fell on an icy driveway which was not salted or maintained, so she wanted to sue for damages.

After hearing the story, turns out the lady fell on her own driveway which she did not salt / maintain. She was wanting to sue herself.

#10

Not a lawyer but was the child in a custody case between my parents. My mother's lawyer argued for and had put in the final agreement that I had to add my mother as a Facebook friend.

Edit: This was 7 years ago, we are still not friends on Facebook, and she's blocked on everything I have an account for.

#11

Also a lawyer. Had opposing counsel try to argue that because a landlady had written on her eviction notice "it has been a pleasure getting to know you but...[please leave]" but had testified they were awful tenants that she hated, that she was dishonest and nothing she said could be trusted

Opened the question of dishonesty wide open. Although landlady wasn't an angel, tenants had an enormous string of fraud priors we could tell the court about as a result.

Edit because of confusion around impeachability doors: this is UK law and relates to gateways for admissibility of bad character evidence.

#12

I'm a prosecutor now, but I used to have a private practice where I did a lot of evictions. My usual landlord clients wouldn't even come into my office until their tenants had been behind for months, and most of the time the tenants were defiant in their non-payment, so it wasn't difficult to not take pity on them.

Anyway, one tenant was a particularly dumb guy. He usually came to court dressed in a wife-beater and cutoff jeans. We had a trial date set and my client and I showed up. Tenant did not. At the last second before the judge entered a default, some woman comes bursting into the courtroom and yells, "Darryl's on the phone!" The judge allows her to bring the phone up and we put Tenant on speaker. He proceeds to ask the judge to delay the trial for one week because, "My brother got his head knocked inside out and is prolly gon' d*e."

I didn't buy it, but my client knew Darryl well enough to sense the stress and fear in his voice. I told the judge that we would allow the continuance, but only until the next available court day. The judge set it for one week out. I still didn't believe Darryl until that night my grandfather was in an accident and we had to rush to the hospital. As we're walking up the hallway, I see Darryl in a room with a bunch of people who dressed like him enough to obviously be family. When we get to my grandpa's room (he ended up being not as seriously injured as we originally feared), the first thing he says is, "You'll never guess what happened to the guy down the hall. Nurse told me his idiot brother dropped a tractor bucket on his head and opened it like a cracked egg. He's in a coma now."

I relayed the news to my client and she felt sorry enough for Darryl that we signed an agreement stating that he would clear out within 15 days and we would forgive all back rent owed.

#13

As with everyone else in this thread, I am not a lawyer but did work in court.

Had multiple mothers in separate cases claim that they couldn't be sent to prison because it breached their "European Union right to a family life". I can only assume they got it from something like the Daily Mail because they all used that same phrasing.

Edit: Yes, this was at least in the UK.

#14

Had a pro se litigant argue that she didn't owe the credit card company because Jesus.

The basic argument was that debt is a sin (or maybe not paying the debt was a sin). And Jesus died for all of our sins. Therefore Jesus died to pay off her debt. Brilliant.

#15

Actual lawyer. What I dub the "Surprise Party Defense:"

In a hearing for an order of protection in which ex wife is trying to get an order of protection against ex husband who had been stalking her. They have a high-school aged child together. Ex husband tries to argue against the order of protection by saying they may need to be able to communicate about the child. The judge points out that they can communicate THROUGH the child, and also that other family members have been put in place by the juvenile court to be intermediaries re pickup, drop-off, etc.

Then ex husband has a brilliant light-bulb idea:

"Judge, what if I need to throw my son a surprise party, and I need to keep it secret from everyone, but his mom still needs to know so she doesn't throw a party the same day?"

In other-words, while I admit have been stalking my ex wife and that there are grounds to grant an order of protection, you should not grant that order just in case I need to throw a surprise party one day.

What made it was how clever he thought the argument was. Thus was born, the Surprise Party Defense.

EDIT: A lot of you are upset about the comment of communicating through the child. That was probably a poor way to phrase it. In this situation the father would be barred from passing messages to the mother through the child. He can't say, "Tell your mom X" But, of course, some indirect communication is going to occur, and that is what the judge was referring to. In other words, the father cannot argue that he needs to be able to have direct communication with the mother for purposes of coordinating child care, things like that (which is often the issue). Because the child in this case is old enough to tell both parents for example, about school, friends, trips, grades, etc. It is not as if the judge ordered the child to be the intermediary, that is ridiculous.

Also, I sort of simplified the complexities of it because these people's parental arrangement was not the point. The dumbness of the argument was the point. But this is a criminal judge determining an order of protection. There is a whole separate juvenile/family court judge that actually determines the custody arrangement and things of that nature.

The bottom line is, the guy was trying to use the kid as an excuse to avoid an order of protection so he could continue to stalk and harrass his ex wife.

#16

Longtime lurker but I couldn't resist this one. Not a lawyer, but I was called as a witness to testify for the State regarding an accident that I was involved in.

I was hit from behind by a large construction dump truck while sitting at a red light behind another vehicle. It was a four lane roadway that merged into two after the light and I was in the right lane heading north. The light turned green and I hadn't moved yet because I felt the vehicle tap mine. Next thing I know I'm moving forward and I begin to panic that something's wrong with my car.

Well, apparently the driver of the dump truck didn't realize he'd hit me and pushed me straight through the intersection and my car ended up doing a 180 and I was facing south heading towards a very deep ditch. I was blaring my horn and hitting my brakes and trying to avoid going in the ditch because my son was not even 1-month old at the time and in the backseat along with my dog. I manage to pull the parking brake and we slide to a stop just at the edge of the road before the ditch.

Husband turns and asks "Do I need to call 911?". I tell him no because I see the dump truck pull over to the side a bit north of me and I figure he'll come out to exchange insurance. Lo and behold, the driver took off after about 15 seconds of sitting there! I was stunned but immediately told hubby to then call 911, that we'd be in a hit a run.

Sheriff comes, people from the company that hit us come, witnesses who saw the whole thing tell the sheriff what happened and company apologizes, they start looking for the driver through the GPS on the vehicle. Company ended up paying 2 grand in damage to my car and paid for a brand new car seat. Pictures were taken by all parties as well of the damage present to my car.

So imagine my surprise when I got subpoenaed to appear in court to testify against this guy. I can't believe the nerve of this a*****e that hit me, ran, and had the balls to testify not guilty to the charge.

The day comes and I show up in court. Give my testimony, witness gives hers, sheriff gives his. A bit of banter back and forth about a surveillance video from a gas station that the driver obtained but his d*****t lawyer didn't bother to enter into evidence before the trial. Judge won't allow her to show video because State hasn't had time to review it. We finally get to hear the drivers testimony and he gave the best excuse that could be summed up like this: "I didn't see her car as I was pulling up to the light. I was giving enough distance to stop to the car in front of her but I didn't see her. I didn't hear the horn blaring because I was in a diesel vehicle and didn't realize that I'd hit her or that I was even involved in an accident and that's why I didn't stop. I'd been having break issues and thought it was just my brakes acting up."

He apparently thought he could win his case by testifying that because he didn't see me and didn't realize he was in an accident, he shouldn't be charged with the accident and failure to remain at the scene of the accident. Sorry, a*****e, ignorance of events doesn't make you any less liable in the eyes of the law. Judge pronounced him guilty and the guy rolled his eyes like he couldn't believe it. I'm still waiting to find out if he tries to appeal it.

#17

My uncle did malpractice defense. Well one year he had to defend a surgeon, the patient said after his elbow surgery he couldn't play tennis anymore.

They went through weeks of work trying to figure out what went wrong and why all the sudden this guy couldn't play tennis, because according to all the evidence the surgery went fine and he should be good.

Then, right before a recess, my uncle stopped and asked "sir...have you ever played tennis before?" The guy said "well...no but I've always wanted to"

The case got dismissed.

#18

Oh geez where do I start. I mean I could tell plenty of these about my own clients but I like this one:

A lady has an injury/Comp case. It's for her upper back and of course complex regional pain syndrome.

She decides she needs the insurance company to pay for a special mattress for her. Like a $6000 memory foam, with heat and massage and a thousand other features. And not just a twin, she needs a California King because of course her layabout unemployed boyfriend needs to sleep there too.

We spend months litigating this d**n thing. Finally, she buys it herself and my client agrees to give her $1500 just to be done with it. The judge takes myself and opposing counsel aside and says he's gonna m********k us if we ever say the word mattress in his court again after wasting all this time. It was that ridiculous.

Not three months go by and the case comes on for another hearing. After exhausting all the chiropractic care allowed under the law, her doctor was seeking a variance to get some additional chiropractic.

We get to court and I'm arguing it should be denied, etc. Judge turns to her and says, "ma'am, why do you feel you need more chiropractic care?"

She pauses for a minute then says, "I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping on my mattress."

I think I saw smoke coming out of his ears.

#19

I was a juror, but this was a hell of a defense.

Defendant ran through a red light and crossed against traffic in front of an officer. She was over twice the limit.

It wasn't her fault. She had a cut on her arm that her dog licked. The yeast from the dogs saliva entered her blood stream and converted her blood sugar into alcohol.

#20

Not in court but a conversation in my office:

It doesn't matter if you were sober or not. You jumped out of a third story window with a beer bottle and threw it at a cop. The jury is going to think you were drunk. Also, I think you were drunk.

#21

I am a lawyer. Colleague argued that it wasn't animal cruelty to sh**t a dog because the dog didn't suffer. This wasn't like a euthanasia situation, rather a robbery gone bad. The judge entertained it for a second and then came to her senses.

#22

As a corporate lawyer, the most ridiculous argument I come across almost monthly is as follows: fortune 500 company signs a garbage contract and is going to lose a lot of money due to the plain language of that contract; fortune 500 company argues unconscionability -- specifically that said company was not sophisticated enough to read the contract and no reasonable person would ever agree to the term or terms in dispute.

In sum, multi-billion dollar firms claiming they're incapable of reading contracts.

#23

This came in a deposition, but it's still one of my funniest stories from this old job.

I worked part-time as a paralegal when I was in college. We had this massive case with a lot of people involved that had spun out into a bunch of little side cases. In one of those side cases, this guy was claiming our client had left him threatening voicemails related to the main case, and him and his wife sued for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium, and I swear to you this is a real thing, basically means something happened that is stopping a married couple from having s*x, and they want to sue you over it. The guy was claiming that he was so scared from these voicemails that he couldn't sleep with his wife anymore.

Deposition time rolls around, and I'm sitting in the other room, but it's a small office and I can hear everything. My boss starts asking the wife how we're supposed to know that it was our client's fault they stopped having s*x. Maybe she's just not as attracted to him anymore. Maybe he's not attracted to her. Maybe they didn't have that much of a s*x life to begin with, etc. So this woman starts yelling "I love s*x!" and banging her fists on the table. Her lawyers try to calm her down and tell her to stop talking, but she keeps on shouting "I love s*x! We used to have s*x 2, 3 times a day! We'd be thrown out of hotels because of the noise we'd make!" And to the protestation of everyone in the room, her counsel and ours, she proceeded to describe their s****l history in graphic detail, all of which was recorded in the deposition and filed with the court.

#24

My parents are both lawyers.

Was in court with my dad when I was younger. Dad is throwing out objection after objection at the opposing counsel during cross examination. Judge is sustaining all of them. Several hours into this, the judge is getting restless and asks the opposing counsel to hurry it up.

Opposing counsel responds: "Well if Mr. Surname would stop objecting perhaps I could get through my examination."

Judge did not like this. She lays into the guy: "If you would stop asking objectable questions Mr. Surname wouldn't have to object! Hurry this I am not going to sit here all day."

Was pretty cool to watch as a kid. Dude got roasted. Dad won that trial.

#25

An opposing attorney the other day said I should not cross-examine his witness at a preliminary hearing because it would only hone the witness's testifying skills to be cross-examined at trial. I laughed out loud.

#26

Not a lawyer, did work experience with one back in highschool.

He had to go speak to someone in the court cells, where I wasn't allowed, so I went and sat in one of the courtrooms while he did that. There were a few cases, but the one that stood out were the 2 guys who both had some injuries and claimed the other one had attacked them unprovoked. Neither wanted any representation, there was no evidence apart from them blaming each other, and when the lawyer I was with came to find me, they were literally just stood in front on the judge screaming "He did it"/"No he did it" over and over again.

Edit: Just thought of another story from a close friend who's a defence barrister:
Her client was a building firm that had done shoddy work on an OAP's roof that had lead to it collapsing, causing the OAP a head injury and fractured hip, so were being sued. She said the damages were wildly inflated in value by the prosecution, but her client was even more ridiculous with their offer. Her research had shown her that the minimum they should have been offering for the collapse of the roof alone, without the additional injuries, should have been ~£4000. They refused to offer more than £1600 on the grounds that they expected her to d*e before anything happened as a result of their work. She said she'd never felt more embarrassed than when she had to tell the judge this in front of the prosecution and their client.

#27

My dad told me a story in which his opponent claimed that the surgeon general's 1964 warning was never released in the New York Times. He did this through use of a book and he claimed the headline was not in there and did not exist. My father spent the entirety of the next night looking for the book, found it, bought it, found the headline for which he was looking, and absolutely demolished the argument the next day by showing the headline to everyone.

#28

In family court hearing a motion for entry of a restraining order for an a*****e husband. Husband's lawyer argues that in a marriage, there is implied consent for a certain amount of a***e/violence.

#29

Not a lawyer, but I was a part of a court case with an odd defense. I was an assistant manager at a record and tape store. I busted a girl for shop lifting. She filled out part of a form saying she wouldn't come back to the store and then made a run for it. I saw her driver's license as filled out the paperwork, so the info on the paper was hers.

I followed her out and stood behind her car to try to stall her until the police arrived. Not a smart move as she floored it, clipping me and running over the side of my foot. She drives away but the police have her info from the paper so they go get her. Store prosecutes all shop lifters and I am pretty pissed that she was willing to run me over to get away.

Anyway, her lawyer's defense in court was that I had framed an innocent teenager for shoplifting in hopes that I would get a monetary reward from my store. When she realized what I was trying to do, she ran from the scene to escape my nefarious plot. Needless to say, this defense did not fly and she got like 25 hours community service. The court didn't seem to care that she was willing to run me over.

#30

Longtime lurker, and maybe I'm only posting bc this happened like a week ago, but whatever. First time for everything :)

The criminal defense attorney representing a guy who st**bed his wife several times and then beat her with a frying pan and then st**bed her again tried to argue that it is an affirmative defense to attempted m****r if you take your victim to the hospital after. He claimed its impossible to attempt to m****r somebody if you "save her life" after.

He got benchslapped pretty hard (1) for the horrible legal argument and (2) for continuously saying this guy saved her life after he tried to k**l her.

#31

There is famous case before the Danish High Court where a woman was r***d by 8 bikers on a beach.

The defense argued that she had wanted it because she willingly put her self into a situation where she was alone with 8 men.

The female prosecutor then casually looked around, counted there was 11 men and she was the only female and asked "So you are saying I am asking for it now?"

The story says that was the only time all the judges have burst into laughter in any case.

Safe to say the defense argument didnt go over very well with the judges.

#32

Dammit, this thread is five hours old and this comment will never see the light of day, but f**k it.

This wasn't so much a bad argument, but an example of terrible questioning.

This was a CERCLA case (clean up of polluted ground water and soil). A witness (a former manager of the polluted property) was asked the following at a deposition:

Q: Did you ever see anything strange?

[At that point, a number of objections to the question were made by the attorneys present]

A: What? Did I ever see anything strange is your question?

Q: Yes sir. Did you ever see anything strange?

A: Yes. I saw a man with b***s.

Q: You saw a man with b***s at the site?

A: No. I saw a man with b***s in New Orleans once.

#33

I am a lawyer. The state tried to argue that probable cause exists simply because there is a police report alleging the crime. "From the fact that a police officer filed this report it is a reasonable inference that the crime took place as described."

Good, allegations are self-proving now. Well, wrap up court then, I guess no need to hear any more motions to dismiss ever. I wonder why no other prosecutor in 240 years of jurisprudence ever thought of that before, 25 year old assistant district attorney who went to the worst law school in this state.

#34

Traffic court, speeding ticket. "Your honor, I didn't speed, and I can prove it with logic."

Judge: "Okayyy..."

Lady: "I drive a Prius."

Judge: "....?"

Lady: "That proves I'm responsible. Specifically in the realm of cars. So I obviously wouldn't speed."

She had to pay the ticket.

#35

Not a lawyer but when my mom was k****d by a drunk driver, we were filing a wrongful d***h suit. And the lawyer for the defense used my mom's cancer to say that she was going to d*e anyways so a wrongful d***h dispensation was not owed.

#36

Several years ago I was doing a civil trial (personal injury), defending a woman who (allegedly) hit a bus matron with her car.

We had offered to concede liability and just try damages (in other words, the jury wouldn't hear the circumstances of how the injury happened, just that we agreed my client caused the injury, and they would only decide the amount of damages - we had evidence that the plaintiff was significantly exaggerating her injuries). The plaintiff's attorney refused to agree to our concession, thinking that if they jury heard the circumstances they'd want to give even more money to punish my client.

So we went to trial on liability. The plaintiff called one witness, her client, who testified that an older woman in a green car hit her. They rested and I moved for a dismissal for failure to prove a case. There was literally no evidence connecting my client to this incident, just an older woman in a green car. The plaintiff never bothered to call my client to the stand.

The attorney told the judge that the bus driver had written down my client's license plate and gave it to the police. They never bothered trying to find the bus driver. The attorney asked if she could just put the police report in and I objected that it was hearsay.

The attorney then actually said "please just let me put this in, I haven't had work in a while and I got retained by a firm to try this case, I really need to win this." Of course I didn't agree, and the judge dismissed the case. I felt a little bad for her but that was maybe the worse presentation of a case I ever saw.

I spoke with the jury afterwards and they all said they hated the plaintiff, didn't believe a word she said, and likely would have found in my favor anyway.

Moral of the story, BE PREPARED IN COURT.

#37

Not a lawyer, but I was in traffic court and a cab driver had got a ticket for running a red. He argued that it was really difficult to see because the sun was rising (morning) right where the light was. He was traveling west.

#38

Not a lawyer cause they don't exist. I got a ticket for expired parking meter. Went in and contested it. The guy says "the parking authority took some pictures for evidence, how do you explain these?" The pictures included my car, my license plate, and the parking meter which clearly showed 13 minutes left on it.

#39

Wasn't the other lawyer, but his client. Took the stand in a retail theft trial. Claimed he didn't steal a couple salmon filets on purpose, he was just so flustered by a phone conversation with his girlfriend that he accidentally slipped them into the pockets of his jacket (in a part of the store the loss prevention officer called "shoplifter alley" because it's a blind spot for the cameras) and walked out without realizing it.

It's not like it was a candy bar or something small, it was two salmon filets! I asked him, "have you ever done that before?" Him: "No." Me: "Have you ever seen anyone, anywhere, ever put fish like that in their pocket in your entire life?" Him: ".....No."

Mercifully, the jury did not buy his ludicrous story and found him guilty.

#40

I wasn't a lawyer, but a law clerk working with the prosecutor's office. This guy was caught on the highest quality security cam video I've ever seen st**bing a store clerk like 15 times (she survived), and then was tackled a block away from the scene not 5 minutes later by a man who had see him flee and followed him, 25 feet from the knife and the jacket he'd been wearing that was covered in blood with a receipt with his name on it in the pocket.

It was the literal definition of a slam dunk case. The guy chose to proceed to trial without his lawyer instead of having the case postponed after his attorneys house was broken into and all his files were stolen.

This guys's main argument was that it wasn't him because in the statement of probable cause written by the officers after the incident they misspelled his highly unique lastname by adding a T in the middle (e.g. Johnson became Johnston). He spelled his name out at every opportunity with much emphasis. He also argued it couldn't be him because the man on the video tied a t-shirt around his head so that the distinctive tattoos there would be hidden, but he would never cover over his tattoos like that because he was proud of them and they represented his heritage as a Korean man.

The jury took less than a half hour to return a guilty verdict.

#41

Hands down the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard was a Constitutionalist, *pro se* defendant trying to explain why the Court lacked jurisdiction over him.

I was prepared for the standard arguments about "freeman on the land," non-corporate natural person, admiralty court, etc... But this one was different. This particular defendant was part of a Jehovah's Witness compound and happened to be Marshallese-American (i.e. he was black).

After the Court patiently explained to him that it has jurisdiction over all persons in the county, the defendant promptly piped up that, under the *Dred Scott* decision, he wasn't a person and the Court had no jurisdiction.

#42

Of course I'm not a lawyer ~ was doing my journalism degree and was just watching cases all day for an assignment.

One guy was up on d**g charges for distribution. He was selling w**d. His lawyer tried to argue to the judge that w**d never hurt anyone, and it even made it easier for police during domestic disturbance calls, and that, in fact, the police should be using his client to get w**d to calm people down.

His client got something like 3 years in jail, and 5 years probation.

#43

Lawyer here. During an order of protection hearing the 6'3" muscular tattooed idiot told the judge that my 5'1" female client deserved the black eye he gave her because she wouldn't stop running her mouth. He actually expected the judge to be sympathetic or something. The second he admitted to hitting her the judge cut him off and said "Order of Protection granted. Next case.".

#44

Car accident case where the Plaintiff was clearly trying to ham it up. Brought friends and family for back up and the stories were all inconsistent. Cried on the stand. It was a small accident and the Plaintiff wanted a lot of money for sprains. The attorney said "Yeah there are inconsistencies and crazy stories. But you don't believe the person who tells you the same thing every time. That is the person pulling the wool over your eyes." Um, no. Honest people are consistent. The attorney also had his client testify that no interpreters were used when they were and that there was confusion about a question regarding a prior accident when that question was never asked.
Edit: Am a lawyer.

#45

Not a lawyer but my uncle is. He had to defend a man accused of b*********y with a horse.

Defence was that his d**k was too small to actually achieve climax in the horse's a**s, ergo he didn't actually have s*x with it. But I mean he was giving it enemas with washing-up liquid and even had a little stool to stand on when he was ready to go at it, so the defence didn't really work in his favour. Neither did the CCTV footage.

#46

Not an attorney, but my grandfather told me a story about how he was in to court in the early 1950s to defend himself for a traffic violation. The police officer used evidence against him that he had been "rampaging all around town for the past few months," but the cop was such a nice guy he had been letting him go. My grandfather's response was, "Judge, I'm not sure about how much rampaging I've been doing, but it wasn't in your city. I've been helping to rebuild Germany for the past 18 months. I just got back in town on Friday.".

#47

Recovering Small Business/BK Attorney here.

Was in Bankruptcy court on a motion of my own, when a very young attorney gets up to argue his position (his request was denied in pre-hearing disposition).

Young Attorney ("YA") - Your Honor, I believe your reading of the three cases you have cited is incorrect.

Bankruptcy Court Judge ("BKJ") - You think that, do you?

YA - Yes, your honor. I don't think the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel believed these cases would be used in this fashion, and I think you are misreading the author's scope.

BKJ - Ok. Tell me, as those are BAP opinions - who wrote those opinions?

YA - I'm not sure, your honor. I didn't check.

BKJ - In the future you may want to check those sorts of things - all three cases were authored by the judge you just told didn't understand his own writing.

Court Audience (mostly attorneys) - *Collective gasp*

YA - *Blank stare*

BKJ - *facepalm* Jesus, son. I WROTE THOSE OPINIONS.

YA - Oh. Well I still think they're wrong.

BKJ - Request denied. Get the hell out of my courtroom.

It was, quite possibly, the most awkward type of walk of shame I've ever seen as he gathered his things and left.

#48

Waiting for my case to be called I heard a wild argument. It was a Domestic Violence case and the Petitioner (person seeking protection) was accusing Respondent (ex-boyfriend) of a***e, specifically he head butted her. Respondent argued back by saying "seriously, honestly judge, I couldn't have because look at my head, it's huge. A head this big would leave a mark. Honestly judge look at my head." To which the judge responded, "Son, I have a big head. Look at my head." This went on for a minute.

Now the story doesn't stop here. It just gets better. The Respondent then argues that Petitioner "is keeping him from seeing their daughter, and that she went as far as putting her uncle as the baby's father on the birth certificate."

At this point I look around with shock, the clerk's mind is slowly grasping what he said, and the judge nods his head with a "typical Tuesday" smirk.

#49

There was this defendant that was running a Ponzi scheme with a story about going into depleted mines in South America with new technology to recover previously unrecoverable gold. He was actually using half of the money to buy gold bullion to dazzle investors, and pocketing the other half. When they arrested him, they found a s**t-ton of gold under his bed.

At his sentencing hearing a few years later (around 2011), it was argued that his sentence should be significantly reduced because, in the intervening time, the gold that had been seized had greatly appreciated in market value such that the investor victims would be mostly paid back in full, showing that his "investment" was actually prudent.

#50

A taxi driver was charged with a*****t for pelting stone at a bus driver after a minor accident between both vehicles.

Defense lawyer: Your lordship the bus driver was injured on right side of his neck, it is not possible for my client to cause that injury. The bus is right hand drive and the door on left side of the bus was open and driver was in driver's seat...

State: Your lordship, is counsel unaware that buses have windows?

Defense: The window was closed.

Judge: Really? How many times in this ~very hot and humid Indian city~ have you seen a bus drive around with windows closed unless it was raining?

Defense: I request adjournment your lordship.

#51

Not a lawyer but I testify in criminal court regularly due to my job.

Anyway, one morning I was sitting in a misdemeanor courtroom and watched a well-dressed mid-30's Polish lady step up when her name was called. She was charged with the crime of...failure to pay bus fare (about $2). Instead of just paying the minimal fine, she went full r****d and decided to defend herself pro se against this clearly heinous charge. She then proceeeded to give a 45 minute oral argument that stretched my understanding of reality. At various points in this impassioned speech she dropped to her knees and prayed, invoked the Archangel Michael, and began flapping her arms like wings.

The judge was not amused and sat there listening with his head in his hands, but he couldn't stop her of course. Eventually she finished, and he immediately found her guilty and ordered her to pay something like $40 to the clerk. This only made her angrier, and she began the whole flapping of the arms thing again and arguing with the judge. At this point, the judge explicitly stated: "I want you to leave the court room now. If you make ONE SINGLE NOISE on your way out, the deputies will take arrest you for contempt." Two deputies started inching closer to her (they never get much action working courthouse duty, so they were excited). She looked defeated and began to exit, but just at the door she turned around and opened her stupid mouth once more to call the judge a "cursed demon." Everyone applauded as she was dragged out in cuffs.

#52

Not a lawyer but I once heard the worst argument of all time being made by this kid and his father to their attorney. It goes something like this:

*I only drive this car while I'm at home and I have a different one at school. When you drive this car it accelerates much faster than you realize and you easily lose track of your speed.*

No s**t Sherlock, some cars are fast and we have this magical gauge that tells you your exact speed! Jesus Christ.

#53

A guy on probation was arrested because he was late at night in a Park and seemed drunk. The judge asked him what he was doing there in the middle of the night and he answered "I was doing Yoga". He was obviously lying, the judge asked him to name a Yoga position and some lawyers behind him whispered a Position to him which caused the whole Court room to laugh. The judge then let him go.

#54

I was involved in a trespass case where the defense argued the security supervisor of casino didn't have the legal authority to make somebody leave. They didn't argue the facts of the case, just questioned the supervisor on his own understanding of the trespass law and his powers as a member of the security department.

#55

Currently studying law. One of my tutors told me about a case he had while working for the state, where the defendant tried to claim that being an orphan had given him severe PTSD and mental illness and he was unfit to stand trial.

Unfortunately, he was on trial for m***ering his parents, so it didn't really fly.

#56

Girlfriend is a reddit lurker. Posting on her behalf:
This is a story that my grandpa always tells, so some of the details are fuzzy but this is the gist of it. My grandpa was a public defender, and this was a defense he used for one of his clients, who was being accused of attempting to break into a car.

How it happened: Man #1 is sitting in his house, and he looks out the window and sees Man #2 next to a car parked in the street. Man #2 is out there fiddling with the car door for like 10 minutes, and so Man #1 realizes he's trying to break into the car and calls the cops. Man #2 runs, and eventually Man #3, my grandpa's client, is picked up nearby because he matched the description of Man #2.

So my grandpa is meeting with his client and telling him what he's accused of. Client asks, "Wait, what kind of car was it?" Grandpa tells him. Client says, "I can prove that it wasn't me." Grandpa: "How?" Client: "You said the guy was out there for 10 minutes – I can break into that car in less than 20 seconds." Grandpa: "Prove it."

So he finds one of whatever kind of car it was, and the client proceeds to pick the lock in 12 seconds. Grandpa gets the judge out there, and the client does it again for the judge, who makes him do it one more time and then dismisses the case.

#57

Not a lawyer, but I thought this was a very strange defence. Gary Heidnik had a history of mental illness, but none the less made a fortune in the stock market and had enough to retire indefinitely. In the late 80s, he decided to kidnap five women and chain them to the wall in the basement where he r***d them every day, as well as t****red them (he was fond of electrocuting them) for not getting pregnant. When one of the women starved to d***h, he forced the other women to eat her body mixed with dogfood.

Another women, when getting her routine electrocution t*****e, was accidentally electrocuted to d***h. One of the remaining three victims asked if she could visit family if she promised to come back. He agreed and she called the police. In court, he claimed that he had committed no crime because the women were already chained in the basement when he moved in.

#58

Not mine, but my old Mock Trial instructor:

"And how do we know that [witness]'s testimony is reliable? *(to [witness])* You wear need to wear glasses, correct?"

"Yes."

"So doesn't that mean that you are legally considered to have impaired vision?"

"Yes"

(Prosecution proceeds to build most of their cross examination on this leg, painting the witness as unreliable because of poor vision. Finally, defense gets a chance to question again)

"You wear glasses Mr. [witness], is that correct?"

"Yes"

"So whenever you're wearing glasses, you have 20/20 vision, correct?"

"Yes"

"Thank you. No further questions.".

65 Amazing And Interesting Maps You Probably Weren’t Shown In Geography Class

Greta Jaruševičiūtė — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:00:29 +0000

Data analysts are a true gem in society. They gather data that’s available for all of us to see and compare. After all, humans are naturally curious, and we all love learning more and more about the world around us.

Like, which social media app is the most used around the world? What would the Netherlands look like if they hadn’t built dikes? Or what did Manhattan look like in the 1900s? Well, if these are all questions you never thought about but would love to know the answers to, we’ve compiled a list of some of the coolest and most interesting data maps for your inner nerd to appreciate.

#1 Elevation Map Of Europe

#2 Countries That Are "Rabies Free"

#3 Where Wolves Live In Europe

#4 Blue Whale vs. Vatican City

#5 South America

#6 An Astronaut Captured This Image Of North And South Korea At Night, With The Border Visible From Space

#7 Daily Irish Speakers In The Republic Of Ireland

#8 How To Say "How" In European Languages

#9 Snow Cover In Europe (February 1, 2026)

#10 Countries That Won't Participate In Eurovision 2026 & Their Reasoning

#11 An Elderly Man Measured Distances On Foot To Create This Japanese Map, Completed In 1821

#12 What The Netherlands Would Naturally Look Like If They Hadn't Built Any Dikes To Prevent Flooding

#13 Map Of The Remaining German Forces By The 8th Of May In 1945

#14 NYC Mayoral Election Results

#15 The Colour Of Buses Across Great Britain

#16 Melbourne Is Closer To Antarctica Than To Darwin

#17 Map Showing Only Domestic Flights Within Countries

#18 Tesla’s Decline In Europe

#19 Police Without Firearms In Europe

#20 Japanese Electricity : Partition Between 50 Hertz And 60 Hertz

#21 Map Showing The Length Of The Great Wall Of China In Comparison To The Coastline Of Mainland Europe

#22 Most Popular Messenger In Europe Countries

#23 Leaving Home In Europe

#24 Median Age By Continent

#25 Pizza Consumption Per Person Per Year

#26 The Most Valuable Soil On Earth

#27 Map Of Europe If All The Glaciers Melted

#28 Free Universities

#29 16,591 Babies Were Born In The Last 1 Hour

#30 Road Map Of Canada

#31 West Siberian Plain. In An Area Of 2,600,000 Km2 There Are No Elevations Higher Than 200 Meters

#32 The World Most Walkable Cities

#33 The Blue Banana: Europe’s Most Densely Populated Corridor With Around 111 Million People

#34 Chances Of Being Born On Each Continent In 2026

#35 8 Us States Have Laws That Prohibit Atheists From Holding Public Office

#36 How Do You Call Istanbul?

#37 The Regions Where The Germans Have Lived Throughout History

#38 Leading Cause Of Death In Europe

#39 The True Size Of Australia

#40 Tennis Court Density In Europe

#41 Since 1630, Land Reclamation Has Made Boston Over 10 Times Larger

#42 Proximity To The Nearest National Park

#43 Half Of The Japanese Population Lives In The Red Line

#44 Muslims In Northwestern Europe

#45 South America's New Political Map

#46 Percentage Of People Who Believe That Having Children Is A Moral Duty

#47 Morning Wake Up Time Of Europeans Average Time

#48 Where War Elephants Were Once Used

#49 Manhattan Today Has 600k Fewer People Living On It Than It Did In 1910

#50 Percentage Of Population Proud Of Their Colonial History In Selected Countries In Europe