Shannon Smith, a prominent attorney after handling many high-profile cases, earned a nickname during her last highly televised trial: The Unhinged Lawyer. At first, Shannon was annoyed thinking the word “unhinged” was a negative….like she was crazy, off-the-rails, and simply nuts—certainly some people think so. And then she realized she is actually, in fact, absolutely unhinged. Unhinged about justice. Unhinged about fairness. Unhinged about her role as a criminal defense lawyer. While the trial resulted in an abundance of both accolades and criticisms thrown at Shannon, one thing was clear – she has passion and dedication like no other. And, she does not take shit from anyone or back down. Taking on the state in a very emotional, high-stakes matter, Shannon was able to show compassion and empathy for the victims in the case while still fighting vigorously against an extremely aggressive prosecution team.
Who is Shannon Smith?
Shannon Smith is a well-known defense attorney based in Detroit, Michigan. With years of experience in the legal field, she has handled numerous high-profile cases throughout her career. Most of her trial work has been in the area of sex crimes allegations. However, Shannon has also handled a number of unique cases considered to be first-impression issues.
What is an example of a “first-impression” case that Shannon took on?
In 2017 Shannon began representing the first doctor charged with “female genital mutilation” in the United States. Over the course of 5 years, Shannon and her team systemically dismantled the case, resulting in every charge being dismissed against all of the nine indicted defendants. Knowing that the people in that case were actually innocent, only strengthened Shannon’s belief in the justice system and why every accused person must be presumed innocent. In the end, the federal law was found to be unconstitutional and many states enacted legislation on the issue.
More recently, Shannon represented Jennifer Crumbley, the first mother in the United States to be accused of involuntary manslaughter based on the murders her son committed during a school shooting. That case is currently on appeal, as significant information has been discovered that was not disclosed to the defense prior to trial.