An Italian woman who worked as a part-time judge as well as a lawyer was substituted by her identical twin sister in court so she would not lose out on legal fees when she had two simultaneous engagements.
The 54-year-old twins from northern Italy have now been charged with fraud and will go on trial in January.
One of the twins, identified only as Gabriella, worked primarily as a lawyer but also as an honorary judge, a part-time, paid position that entails helping full-time judges when their case load is heavy.
When Gabriella was called to be a substitute judge she sent her twin sister Patrizia to stand in for her at an existing engagement as a defence lawyer elsewhere in the Milan area.
The problem was that sister Patrizia was not a lawyer like sister Gabriella but charged the clients anyway.
The clients discovered the sister act and are now suing both for damages. Prosecutors have charged both with fraud.
