In the early 16th century, the bishop's court of Autun, France, summoned a local population of rats accused of destroying the region's barley crop. When the rodents failed to appear, young defense attorney Bartholomew Chassene was appointed to represent them. Chassene launched a series of brilliant legal maneuvers to protect his vermin clients.
First, he argued that a single summons was insufficient because the accused were spread across multiple villages. The court agreed and issued a second, wider summons. When the rats missed that court date as well, Chassene raised a compelling defense based on safety.
He argued that the summons required defendants to travel safely, but his clients faced mortal peril from their sworn enemies—the local cats. He claimed that until the townspeople restrained all feline predators along the route, the rats could not be held in default. Because the court could not guarantee the safety of the accused rodents, the trial was indefinitely postponed, cementing Chassene's reputation as a master strategist.
He later wrote influential treatises on legal procedure, partially inspired by his absurd rat defense.