Aside from the usual stuff--speeding, betting on sports, smoking weed, transsexual hookers--I've led an exemplary life. But I contemplate murder down to the grisly details every time we have a departmental meeting.
While I've never committed any crimes, at least none that I'll cop to, I was almost killed by Italian police once, but I understand that's just part of the tourism experience.
What's even more interesting is the number of writers who have been cops and/or district attorneys. And I agree with Jack. . . just what are the statue of limitations on . . . . well, never mind!
We have at least one member who is currently incarcerated, though I've not seen him post much here lately... Speaking for myself, I have committed many crimes, but they don't count because I've never gotten caught. What that means about my writing, I dunno. It might not be a bad guess to say one of the reasons I'm attracted to this genre is because of my subterranean criminal nature.
When I was 17, I got pulled over with five other members of a car club. We were squirting girls with water (How romantic), but someone told The LA County Sheriffs we had guns in the car. I was pulled out of the back seat looking down the barrel of what seemed to be a giant revolver, a hole as big as eternity inches from my eyes. I'm sure soldiers and cops have experienced far worse, but it's a feeling I remember if I have a character pointing a weapon at someone. I couldn't breathe.