Physical Danger

Physical Danger

Apart from divine wrath to smite miscarriages of justice, criminal defendants and their fervent votaries pose the most immediate danger to a criminal justice lawyer. If a defendant is dissatisfied with a lawyer's defense strategy, he or she might punch the lawyer in open court (and incidentally scratch one thing off his or her bucket list). Granted, the defendant will likely spend the rest of the time watching the trial from his or her cell, but it still would make for an unpleasant experience.

Prosecutors have to worry about a former defendant adding their names to a revenge list conveniently tattooed onto his shoulder while doing time, and getting back at them with the help of some friends. For those reasons, prosecutor office entrances might be protected with bulletproof glass; but prosecutors are somewhat saddened that they don't also get a Popemobile and a parade.