There's been (for women, who courts GREATLY favor, but still) clear-cut cases of obvious first-degree murder where they get off with two years, plus chance of early parole. A good lawyer wouldn't theorize that the victim attacked his client's knife using the victim's chest.

Then again, a GREAT lawyer may purposefully fumble the case ridiculously, to get the public riled up, and force a political pardoning situation for a clearly guilty person.