History Main / WrongfulAccusationInsurance

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': Ahsoka is framed for bombing the Jedi Temple and, in order to set about proving her innocence, she escapes jail, resists arrest, assaults several guards, causes property damage, conspires with a known enemy of the Republic and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking rides a public transport without paying first]]. There's an interesting subversion in that while all charges are dropped when the truth comes to light, Ahsoka quits the Jedi Order anyway, upset that no one believed she was innocent to begin with.

* In ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'', [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Cabanela stops Jowd from escaping from prison]] because, even though Jowd can be proven innocent, escaping prison is still a crime and would make it that much harder to prove Jowd innocent the right way. Also at the end, Yomiel accepts prison time as the consequences of everything he did while attempting to escape police custody, even though he was innocent of the initial accusation.]] This is the entire reason [[spoiler:arresting people who are likely innocent is Cabanela's favorite tactic. [[DefiedTrope He figures it's best to put them in jail so that he can legally get them off the hook, without worrying about them running off and getting themselves further in trouble by actually committing crimes]]. This is also why he arrests Lynne and put her in custody, even though he knows she isn't the murderer.]]

* Averted in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'', with [[spoiler:Yomiel]] time-travelling to change the past so he didn't die in a freak accident during a hostage situation, knowing that he was originally posthumously acquitted of treason six months later... except after he saved himself, he's still in prison ten years later, since the authorities learned he was violent enough to use a child as a hostage.

--> "In the course of proving [[TheHero Optimus]] innocent of breaking and entering, the criminal acts you commit include: resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene, removing evidence from a crime scene, assaulting a police officer, destruction of police equipment, unauthorised access of a police computer system, vandalism, industrial espionage, and [[BookEnds breaking and entering]]. [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop What lesson have we learned today, children?]]"

->''"In the course of proving Optimus innocent of breaking and entering, the criminal acts you commit include: resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene, removing evidence from a crime scene, assaulting a police officer, destruction of police equipment, unauthorized access of a police computer system, vandalism, industrial espionage, breaking and entering. What lesson have we learned today, children?"''

* Subverted in ''Manga/OutlawStar''. What's the first thing Gene does upon his return to Sentinel? Jail time. Turns out that [[spoiler: meeting [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien robot God]]]] doesn't excuse you from overdue parking tickets or leaving the planet without clearance. Even if intergalactic pirates are to blame, that just knocks it down from a criminal charge to a exorbitantly high fine. Fred paid that though, so it's alright (or, considering how much Gene already owes Fred, maybe not).

* Jamie Foxx's character in the end of ''Film/{{Collateral}}'' is forced to impersonate an assassin and ends up committing a few crimes over the course of the end of the movie trying to save the last victim of said assassin. Good thing the [[spoiler: last victim on the list was a prosecutor, because when this is over he's going to need all the legal help he can get]].

* ''Film/MinorityReport'' has John Anderton committing theft, assault and resisting arrest while trying to prove he won't murder someone. In the movie, he admittedly goes out of his way to not harm the [=PreCrime=] cops sent to get him. In the Game of the Movie, [[SelectiveCondemnation you're free to slaughter them by the hundreds while trying to prove you wouldn't commit]] ''[[SelectiveCondemnation one murder]]''. In the original short story, [[spoiler:Anderton kills the guy anyway, and, due to the circumstances, gets off with a relative slap on the wrist in the form of exile to another planet.]]

* The 2010 ''Film/TheATeam'' references this near the end, [[spoiler:when the team gets arrested for escaping federal custody, and Hannibal points out that the fact that it was an illegal imprisonment (kinda) is irrelevant.]] It's played straight at first when Agent Lynch promises their freedom in exchange for tracking down the man who framed them.
* ''Film/BeyondAReasonableDoubt'': Tom Garrett, an author and death-penalty opponent, agrees to a convoluted scheme to expose the death penalty as an injustice: he frames ''himself'' for a murder. The idea is for Tom to be convicted and sentenced to death, only for Tom to reveal the exculpatory evidence afterwards and expose the death penalty as a MiscarriageOfJustice. Plot complications ensue and Tom nearly fries, but the exculpatory evidence is discovered JustInTime. The governor writes up a pardon which will set Tom free. Nobody suggests prosecuting Tom for the crimes he committed as part of his scheme, like falsifying evidence, obstructing justice, and interfering with a police investigation.

* In ''Literature/TheOutsiders'', Ponyboy is on trial for running away from home. In a variation, he truly believes himself guilty of killing a Soc, but the Socs testifying say that Johnny did it. He resolves himself to set them straight, but to his surprise the judge never gives him the chance (read: doesn't ask him about the killing) when questioning him. He gets off with a "Not Guilty" verdict.

* {{Subverted|Trope}}, possibly [[DoubleSubversion twice]], by the sixth season ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Suspicions". Dr. Crusher performs an autopsy on a scientist she believes was murdered, in direct violation of his people's law,[[note]]The Ferengi sell the body parts of their dead for some level of profit. An autopsy "damages" the goods, making them unsellable.[[/note]] resulting in Picard removing her from her post as ship's doctor and stripping her of her rank pending a court martial. Although she eventually proves her case afterward, the end of the episode makes it clear that her career's hanging by a thread regardless... [[StatusQuoIsGod and yet she's right back on duty in the next episode like nothing ever happened]]. We can assume that [[SnapBack the court martial exonerated her off-screen]], but since the affair is never mentioned again, there's really no way to be sure. It may have helped that [[spoiler:she actually caught the killer, and proved the scientist's work is valid, ensuring the man's family can still sell the technology for the money they lost for what she did to his body, which of course is a very persuasive argument for the Ferengi.]]

* Averted in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Mary Margaret has been framed for killing Katherine, and is in holding. When someone slips her a key, she uses it to escape. Emma tracks her down and convinces her to return, pointing out that while they may be able to prove her innocence in Katherine's death, if anyone else learns that she escaped she will be guilty of that, and no-one will be able to help her. It's eventually revealed that Regina slipped her the key, for that very reason.

* In ''Series/{{Luther}}'' the main character escapes without punishment after it's revealed he was being framed, even though in the process of proving himself innocent he definitely did hold two officers at gunpoint, smash up a police car, and steal evidence. Given how embarrassing the whole affair was it seems likely that it was swept under the rug as best they could. Ironically his partner was punished more severely (demoted back to uniform) for obstructing the investigation despite his interference saving Luther's life, because while Luther naturally knew that he was innocent, his partner simply refused to believe he was guilty regardless of the evidence.
* Happens over and over again in ''Series/HawaiiFive0,'' starting with the time Steve gets accused of murdering Governor Jameson in the first season finale. It's getting to the point where the cops should probably just assume that if a Five-0 officer is a suspect in a crime, they're being somehow framed or coerced, because otherwise HPD will end up spending yet more taxpayer money on ridiculous car chases. Five-0 now has such a reputation for pulling out all the stops to fight wrongful accusations that a convicted murderer actually breaks out of federal custody just to get them to prove his innocence.

* In ''VideoGame/DejaVu'', you have to commit numerous crimes to prove you are innocent of kidnapping and murder. Throughout the game, you have to commit assault, breaking and entering, and burglary. The game doesn't imply those will ever have consequences. However, if you kill anyone with the syringe (which, unlike shooting them, won't get you arrested immediately), you will get arrested when you go the police station at the end to try to prove your innocence.

** In ''VideoGame/CondemnedCriminalOrigins'', the protagonist is an FBI agent who is accused of murdering two cops. During the course of proving his innocence, he also kills a small army of hobos, drug addicts, and lunatics. To be fair, it was self defense, but still...

* Subverted in the text based adventure ''Corruption'' where, in order to escape a charge of insider dealing, you may have escape from prison, break into your colleagues office to steal valuable evidence and assault a police officer. At the end of the game, you are tried for all these crimes [[spoiler: but are let off with a suspended sentence]]

* In ''VideoGame/GemsOfWar'''s Whitehelm quest-line, it's averted . Sapphira's resistance to being "arrested" by the Whitehelm authorities is proven legitimate (since they were [[spoiler:under demonic possession]]), but because [[HotBlooded she's not the type]] not to pull punches when hitting back, her resistance involved killing a lot of paladins and priestesses, plus burning down a temple just to piss them off. As such, she acknowledges that she's still going to be rather unpopular for a while, and she joins the player's army rather than stay in Whitehelm.

** Averting this trope is actually how the culprit is caught in case 3 of the fourth game. The defendant turns out to have been the killer's accomplice in smuggling illegal Borginian cocoons. Cocoon smuggling carries the death penalty in his home country, but not in [[ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange Japan/The US]], so as a last ditch effort, Apollo convinces him to confess to the smuggling and sell out his accomplice in exchange for a lighter sentence. Cue the culprit's VillainousBreakdown.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has Timmy escaping from the police station to prove he wasn't shoplifting. He isn't punished for this. Though, to be fair, he was only ten, they might be more forgiving at that age.
* The lack of this was used in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', when they were framed by people wearing very bad costumes and put in jail. The simply break out by flying through a hole they made in a wall and catch the real criminals. At the end of the episode the Mayor says they have to go back to jail for breaking out, and they all have a laugh before he says he was serious ([[SnapBack this was never mentioned again]]).

* Played straight with a little known, and less used, concept in American law called "Jury Nullification" where a jury may decide that either the circumstances surrounding the crime require the jury to ignore the law or in cases where the government's actions are so egregious that a jury simply refuses to convict. Related to this is the much more rare "outrageous government conduct" defense, which the defendant seeks outright dismissal of charges because the actions of the police and/or prosecutors are so far beyond acceptable that it denies fundamental fairness. The requirements for this defense are so high that only three successful uses of it were documented in an 18-month period.

* About 1/4 of the way through ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'', the police note that even though none of the treasure hunters have a criminal record, they now have resisted arrest, destroyed property, burglarized a hardware store, assaulted many people, etc. This is all met basically with a shrug ({{justified}} in that the cops are waiting for these people to lead them to the stolen money.)

-->-- Wiki/TFWikiDotNet on the ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' booklet ''Prime Suspect''.

* In the early '90s [[TheFilmOfTheSeries film remake]] of ''Film/TheFugitive'' with Creator/HarrisonFord, Dr. Kimble commits multiple burglaries (a clinic, a hospital, an apartment), thefts, auto theft (ambulance to be specific), unauthorized use of medical records, accessory after the fact in the murder of a transit cop (disposing of the gun, even though he didn't shoot the officer), and more in the course of proving that he didn't murder his wife. This is to say nothing of his original escape from custody, which is illegal whether or not you are innocent of the crime you are accused or convicted of (running away to avoid being hit by debris from a derailing train is justified, but continuing to run instead of turning himself in...). Notably, however, the film ends with him in the custody of the US Marshals who were pursuing him throughout the movie, and while he's cleared himself of the original murder, there's no indication that all the other stuff is going to be let slide... Although considering Kimble was sentenced to ''death'' for the crime he was wrongfully accused of, he's certainly better off than he was.

* ''Disney/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad'': In the process of escaping from jail after being wrongly accused of stealing a car, Toad steals a train right in front of the engineer and no one points out that even if he never stole the car, he still stole the train. However, since he jumped off the train while driving it, it might have been counted as "borrowing it without permission" because he only used it that one time.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' ChooseYourOwnAdventure book "Prime Suspect". [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Prime_Suspect As TFWiki summarizes it]]:

* In ''Film/TheMysteryOfTheHoodedHorsemen'', Tex suffers no consequences for breaking out of jail to prove his innocence. of course, as he just rounded up all of the gang that has been terrorizing the entire county, it probably behooves TheSheriff to cut him some slack.

* In the Creator/SylvesterStallone version of ''Film/JudgeDredd'', Dredd is wrongfully convicted of murder. Despite knowing he's innocent, he strictly adheres to the law and allows himself to be stripped of his rank as a Judge and sent to Aspen maximum security prison to serve a life sentence... But when the transport is shot down en-route and he finds out the real killer's identity and what his plans are, he sneaks back into MegaCity One, infiltrates the headquarters of the Judges, and directly or indirectly leads to the death of about a dozen of his former colleagues. And at the end of it all, he not only doesn't get called out on his tactics, he's offered the position of Chief Justice! This is likely {{justified|Trope}} by the fact that it's set in a BadFuture dictatorial city-state, and they could presumably let him off for it all.

* In order to clear his name of various accusations, ''Series/TwentyFour'''s Jack Bauer has done everything from resisting arrest to ''kidnapping the president'', and typically spends no more than 2 hours in detainment before being let free to pursue the terrorists.

** Sometimes used when it comes to the clients. In the episode, "Wanted Man" a wrongfully accused man hides out at Michael's while they try to [[FramingTheGuiltyParty Frame The Guilty Party]]. He's told that he'll be free by the end of the week, even though he's at least guilty of evading arrest at this point.
* Happens every couple of episodes on ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard''. (And if Boss Hogg really wants to arrest them, why doesn't he just get them for the car chase in last week's episode?) There's also the fact that the average lifespan of a Hazzard County police car is measured in days...
* ''Series/PrisonBreak'' ends with something like this for some of the characters who survive to that point. Notably, only Lincoln Burrows was innocent of his crime; Michael Scofield robbed a bank to get into prison to free Lincoln and the other escapees were legitimate felons but the MacGuffin was this for all of them [[spoiler: except T-Bag]].

* One episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'', "Mr. Monk Is On the Run," features the titular character escaping from jail to clear himself of a false murder. In the course of his time as a fugitive, Monk gets help from Natalie, who supplies him money and clothes, and Stottlemeyer, who helps him fake his death. Both of these people could have faced charges of aiding and abetting a state fugitive. Later on, when cornered by the corrupt sheriff who set Monk up at a Nevada car wash, Monk and Natalie attack him, with Natalie using a fire extinguisher on him, then escape by stealing his car, which could see them facing being charged with auto theft. On the other hand, given that Monk averted an assassination attempt on the state governor in the end, he could have gotten a pardon and hence the trope could be averted.

* ''Series/LoisAndClark'' when Lois was accused of murder and Superman helped break her out. Justified, as the lawyer prosecuting her helped frame her and the DA's office wanted to put the whole mess behind them.

* {{Subverted|Trope}}, possibly [[DoubleSubversion twice]], by the sixth season ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Suspicions". Dr. Crusher performs an autopsy on a scientist she believes was murdered, in direct violation of his people's law[[note]]The Ferengi sell the body parts of their dead for some level of profit. An autopsy "damages" the goods, making them unsellable.[[/note]], resulting in Picard removing her from her post as ship's doctor and stripping her of her rank pending a court martial. Although she eventually proves her case afterward, the end of the episode makes it clear that her career's hanging by a thread regardless... [[StatusQuoIsGod and yet she's right back on duty in the next episode like nothing ever happened]]. We can assume that [[SnapBack the court martial exonerated her off-screen]], but since the affair is never mentioned again, there's really no way to be sure. It may have helped that [[spoiler:she actually caught the killer. And proved the scientist's work is valid, ensuring the man's family can still sell the technology for the money they lost for what she did to his body, which of course is a very persuasive argument for the Ferengi.]]

* Subverted and then played straight in ''Series/HomeAndAway''. Kane Phillips is arrested when he is caught with the proceeds of an armed robbery and a shotgun in his car. The robbery was committed by his father Gus, who tricked Kane into picking him up and then abandoned him. The man who forced Gus into the robbery then identifes Kane as the perp, and Gus himself arranges for Scott, Kane's imprisoned brother, to stitch up Kane at his trial. In the middle of the trial, during the jury's deliberations, Kane and his wife skip town and he is found guilty in absentia. Three years later Kane is captured and is charged with a number of robberies that he committed while on the run. To protect Kirsty and their son, Kane pleads guilty to these and accepts jailtime. However, later in the year, Kane decides to appeal and is somehow released even though he was never exonerated for the original robbery, to say nothing of the ones he did commit.

* Averted in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Mary Margaret has been framed for killing Katherine, and is in holding. When someone slips her a key, she uses it to escape. Emma tracks her down and convinces her to return, pointing out while they may be able to prove her innocence in Katherine's death, if anyone else learns that she escaped she will be guilty of that, and no-one will be able to help her. It's eventually revealed that Regina slipped her the key, for that very reason.

* In ''Series/{{Luther}}'' the main character escapes without punishment after it's revealed he was being framed, even though in the process of proving himself innocent he definitely did hold two officers at gunpoint, smash up a police car, and steal evidence. Given how embarrassing the while affair was it seems likely that it was swept under the rug as best they could. Ironically his partner was punished more severely (demoted back to uniform) for obstructing the investigation despite his interference saving Luther's life, because while Luther naturally knew that he was innocent, his partner simply refused to believe he was guilty regardless of the evidence.

* Justified in ''Series/IronFist2017'': Danny is framed with drug smuggling and gets cleared of all the charges when he proves his innocence. However, the crimes he committed as a fugitive like assaulting DEA officers thinking they were [[BigBad Madame Gao]]'s men are cleared thanks to a [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney generous contribution to the DEA Widows and Children's Fund by Rand Industries]].
* In ''Series/TheDefenders2017'', the heroes are also implicated in two murders (one was actually a Hand leader and the other was an ally killed by a Hand operative) and taken to a precinct to wait charges. However, they don't have time to wait since New York is in danger and break out from prison, [[spoiler:steal a ''bomb'' from a evidence locker and use it to blow up the Hand headquarters, which as far as the authorities are concerned is a legitimate business office and that the Defenders just committed '''domestic terrorism''']]. After all this is done, they are cleared of their charges because they were never technically arrested, the police operation that accompanied them was off-the-record and as such their crimes "never happened".

* In Stieg Larsson's ''[[Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy Millennium]]'' series, the protagonist commits a long series of crimes (theft, forgery, computer hacking, illegal border crossing, unlawful use of a weapon, assault, attempted murder and so on) to get rid of the bad guys and the Swedish authorities end up by bringing her to a trial. The trope gets subverted by the fact her friends uncover such a grand network of crimes and conspiracies involving a great deal of people that the prosecutor simply drops all charges to get himself out of the mess before the judge reached a verdict.

* Lampshaded in John Buchan's ''Literature/TheThirtyNineSteps'', in which Richard Hannay at one reflects that while he's not the murderer everyone thinks he is, he has at that point among other things lied to almost everyone he's come across, impersonated a political candidate and a road-worker, and has hijacked at least two expensive cars.

* An even more glaring example of this is seen in the sequel, ''Film/USMarshals'', in which Mark Sheridan commits numerous felonies in the course of proving his innocence and attempting to flee the country-kidnapping, assault, and assault with a deadly weapon of a federal agent (when he shoots Gerard but deliberately aims for his bulletproof vest). His girlfriend counts as well, for aiding and abetting him. What's more, she might not yet be a US citizen and might even be in the country illegally, so her actions are enough to warrant her being deported. But at the end of the film, they're all seen walking out of a courthouse with a few throwaway lines about him being "cleared of all charges." However, it probably doesn't hurt his case that one of the people assigned to guard him, and later pursue him, was actually attempting to murder him to cover up his own crimes, making surrender something of a non-option. Given that Richard Kimble's crimes were so minor in comparison, one can HandWave that he received the same treatment.
* Similarly in ''Film/{{Firewall}}'', while not out to clear his name, Harrison Ford's character, in the course of trying to save his kidnapped family: (1) breaks into an apartment and arrives at a murder scene, (2) gets his hands on the murder weapon, clearly leaving prints, (3) takes a bank teller hostage at gunpoint, (4) breaks into his ex-secretary's apartment and apparently forces her to help him after firing her earlier, and (5) then hacks into the bad guys' account to erase their money.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'' featured a DoubleSubversion: the man who took Admiral Chegwidden hostage was sentenced to 8 years, then got time served for the time he spent in prison for treason.

->''In the course of proving Optimus innocent of breaking and entering, the criminal acts you commit include: resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene, removing evidence from a crime scene, assaulting a police officer, destruction of police equipment, unauthorized access of a police computer system, vandalism, industrial espionage, breaking and entering. What lesson have we learned today, children?"''

* In the early '90s [[TheFilmOfTheSeries film remake]] of ''Film/TheFugitive'' with Creator/HarrisonFord, Dr. Kimble commits multiple burglaries (a clinic, a hospital, an apartment), thefts, auto theft (ambulance to be specific), unauthorized use of medical records, accessory after the fact in the murder of a transit cop (disposing of the gun, even though he didn't shoot the officer), and more in the course of proving that he didn't murder his wife. This is to say nothing of his original escape from custody, which is illegal whether or not you are innocent of the crime you are accused or convicted of (running away to avoid being hit by debris from a derailing train is justified, but continuing to run instead of turning himself in...). Notably, however, the film ends with him in the custody of the US Marshals who were pursuing him throughout the movie, and while he's cleared himself of the original murder, there's no indication that all the other stuff is going to be let slide.

* Played very straight in ''VideoGame/HeavyRain''. [[spoiler: Ethan Mars is being chased by the entire police force, thinking him to be the Origami Killer (he's not)]]. He (depending on the player's actions) may wind up evading arrest and assaulting police officers and damaging property and driving recklessly and, though not directly related to the evasion, deliberately kills a largely innocent man (although the police probably doesn't know he did it). If he doesn't get caught, once the police stop chasing him he's off scot-free. The fact that [[CowboyCop Lt. Blake]] -the cop supposed to stop him- is fucking psychotic probably plays in his favor too. There's also the whole time limit on his son's life and trials thing, so it could be argued that he was under duress at the time.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comics ]]

[[folder: Fan Fic ]]
* Subverted in AwakeningOfTheMagus. After Fudge announces Sirius' innocence in public, he attempts to bring up the matter of Sirius escaping Azkaban... until a journalist reminds him he announced Sirius would be free of '''all''' charges up to date.
** Commonly played straight in every [[Franchise/HarryPotter HP]] fanfic that uses this plot, actually. Probably justified by the fact that he was locked up in ''very'' irregular circumstances, to the point where any criminal investigation would be focused on the people who locked him up in the first place. In other fics, he's officially declared guilty of the relatively smaller crimes but, since the time he previously spent in Azkaban is more than the combined sentence one can get for them, he officially already served it. And in an even smaller group, he's asked to perform community service for a time until the government feels he's paid his debt to society.

[[folder:Film]]

* In the early 90's [[TheFilmOfTheSeries film remake]] of ''Film/TheFugitive'' with Creator/HarrisonFord, Dr. Kimble commits multiple burglaries (a clinic, a hospital, an apartment), thefts, auto theft (ambulance to be specific), unauthorized use of medical records, accessory after the fact in the murder of a transit cop (disposing of the gun, even though he didn't shoot the officer), and more in the course of proving that he didn't murder his wife. This is to say nothing of his original escape from custody, which is illegal whether or not you are innocent of the crime you are accused or convicted of (running away to avoid being hit by debris from a derailing train is justified, but continuing to run instead of turning himself in...). Notably, however, the film ends with him in the custody of the US Marshals who were pursuing him throughout the movie, and while he's cleared himself of the original murder, there's no indication that all the other stuff is going to be let slide.

* ''Film/MinorityReport'' has John Anderton committing theft, assault and resisting arrest while trying to prove he won't murder someone. In the movie, he admittedly goes out of his way to not harm the [=PreCrime=] cops sent to get him. In the Game Of The Movie, [[SelectiveCondemnation you're free to slaughter them by the hundreds while trying to prove you wouldn't commit]] ''[[SelectiveCondemnation one murder]]''. In the original short story, [[spoiler:Anderton kills the guy anyway, and, due to the circumstances, gets off with a relative slap on the wrist in the form of exile to another planet.]]

* Miss Piggy in ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper''.

* In ''{{Film/Taken 3}}'', Bryan Mills commits a massive number of crimes in the course of trying to [[ClearMyName clear his name]] and later rescue his daughter (again). Some probably couldn't be proven, and others the police might not pursue (such as those against Russian gangsters). Others, however, were against them-attacking the officers who tried to arrest him, breaking into the LAPD database, hijacking a police car and kidnapping the officer inside, etc. Yet the only one of these which is even ''mentioned'' is the breaking into the database (probably the most minor of them) and he's let off completely on all of them. It's ''very'' unlikely the police would let crimes against them slide so easily.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Averted in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode ''[=UnSealed=]''. A Navy [=SEAL=] breaks out of prison to find the man that murdered his wife. At the end of the episode, though the actual murderer is arrested, the team arrests the [=SEAL=] as well.
* Averted in ''Series/OnceUponATime.'' Mary Margaret has been framed for killing Katherine, and is in holding. When someone slips her a key, she uses it to escape. Emma tracks her down and convinces her to return pointing out while they may be able to prove her innocence in Katherine's death, if anyone else learns that she escaped she will be guilty of that, and no one will be able to help her. It's eventually revealed that Regina slipped her the key, for that very reason.

* Happens over and over again in ''Series/HawaiiFive0,'' starting with the time Steve gets accused of murdering Governor Jameson in the first season finale. It's getting to the point where the cops should probably just assume that if a Five-0 officer is a suspect in a crime, they're being somehow framed or coerced, because otherwise HPD will end up spending yet more taxpayer money on ridiculous car chases.
** Five-0 now has such a reputation for pulling out all the stops to fight wrongful accusations that a convicted murderer actually breaks out of federal custody just to get them to prove his innocence.
--->'''Parrish:''' ''(after carjacking Steve and Danny)'' Why do you think I picked your car? Word is Five-0 are the only cops that'll give a guy like me a fair shake.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has an interesting example. Belkar murders a guard escaping from prison and has the charge reduced from Murder 1 to Manslaughter after the circumstances of his arrest (namely, that he was imprisoned under false pretenses and was arrested by [[KnightTemplar an agent]] acting outside the law who was in turn being misled by her superior) are brought to light. Not to mention that, once the dust settles from the impending battle, there's no place left to imprison him and nobody left to do the imprisoning, so… He is also out on what is [[RestrainingBolt basically work release]], officially he still has jail time coming even after the sentence reduction for aiding in the battle.
* In ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', Tagon's Toughs end up on trial by the [[TheFederation UNS]] so they can extradite them for, among other things, [[spoiler: systematically destroying a syndicated news network]]. While it's obvious from the start that the Toughs are guilty (and, in fact, they end up implicating themselves in even ''more'' crimes during the trial), it also becomes clear that prosecuting them would also implicate the UNS in crimes that they committed in order to implicate the Toughs (namely [[spoiler: sponsoring the organization that hired the Toughs to destroy the news network]]). Since the extradition process would be on public record, the UNS lets the Toughs go rather than letting the information go free.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In many Website/GoAnimate [[YouAreGrounded "Grounded"]] videos, a person will get locked away in prison for inane reasons, such as littering, and upon realizing who put them there, they casually break out and punish the guilty party. They're never sent back for their escape.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''Disney/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad'': In the process of escaping from jail after being wrongly accused of stealing a car, Toad steals a train right in front of the engineer and no one points out that even if he never stole the car, he still stole the train. However, since he jumped off the train while driving it, it might have been counted as "borrowing it without permission" because he only used it that one time.

[[folder: Real Life ]]
* While there isn't anywhere on Earth that plays this ''completely'' straight, there are some places where the law expressly forbids punishing someone for exercising their natural "desire for freedom". Sure, they'll still do their damnedest to get you back, as well as try you for any crimes committed during your escape, but not for the act itself (e.g. escaping from jail without breaking any laws vs. escaping from jail by murdering your guards). However, on the other side of the coin, some places punish escape attempts by doubling your sentence ''and then holding you to it even if you are later exonerated of the crime for which you were imprisoned in the first place''.
** In some jurisdictions where escaping from prison isn't itself illegal, you might be still be charged with theft of government property if you fail to return your prison uniform.

* Played straight with a little known, and less used, concept in American law called "Jury Nullification" where a jury may decide that either the circumstances surrounding the crime require the jury to ignore the law or in cases where the government's actions are so egregious that a jury simply refuses to convict.
** Related to this is the much more rare "outrageous government conduct" defense, which the defendant seeks outright dismissal of charges because the actions of the police and/or prosecutors are so far beyond acceptable that it denies fundamental fairness. The requirements for this defense are so high that only three successful uses of it were documented in an 18 month period. [[/folder]]

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney''
** Averted in case [[spoiler:3-5]]. While Phoenix [[spoiler:and Edgeworth]] manages to clear the charges of murder against the defendant, she goes to jail for a few weeks anyway because of her changing and tampering with the crime scene spectacularly.
** Played completely straight at the end of 3-2. Phoenix proves that Ron is completely innocent of both stealing the Urn and of murder, but gets away scot-free for all the thefts he ''did'' commit: the first trial wasn't only to determine who stole the urn, but who was Mask☆[=DeMasque=], and since he's proven innocent, double jeopardy law states he can't be tried again.
** Otherwise, tends to be averted. Most clients who ''did'' commit crimes (just not the ones they were charged for) come clean and accept their due punishment.

* Also, juries of your peers can make it less likely for anyone in this situation to be ''convicted'' (people are generally not inclined to throw innocent people back in jail for the crime of trying to escape an unjust punishment, particular as, in several of the fictional examples, they were accused under fraudulent or false pretenses in the first place), though it won't stop them getting charged.