Clichés come to life: lawyer’s pants catch fire during final argument

From the “clichés come to life” department: lawyer’s pants literally catch fire as he is making closing arguments to a jury [Miami Herald]:

A Miami defense lawyer’s pants burst into flames Wednesday afternoon as he began his closing arguments in front of a jury — in an arson case.

Stephen Gutierrez, who was arguing that his client’s car spontaneously combusted and was not intentionally set on fire, had been fiddling in his pocket as he was about to address jurors when smoke began billowing out his right pocket, witnesses told the Miami Herald. He rushed out of the Miami courtroom, leaving spectators stunned. After jurors were ushered out, Gutierrez returned unharmed, with a singed pocket, and insisted it wasn’t a staged defense demonstration gone wrong, observers said….

Officers seized several frayed e-cigarette batteries as evidence.

One Comment

  • Sounds like the sleazy John Edwards type lawyer on an episode of LA Law.