I can sympathize with two kinds; drug abusers (addiction is a real problem) and thieves. Though I don't condone drug abuse, I feel like the goal should be rehabilitation and help not massive fines and jail time that makes it even harder for them to get back on their feet.
In terms of theft it's hit or miss; some people resort to theft because they are desperate for food or (around this time of year) desperate to get toys for their kids or clothes to keep them warm.

I can also sympathize with criminals who have mental health issues. Like above, that doesn't excuse any crime they do, but I can feel at least a little bad for them because of their situation (depending on the crime).

I can even sympathize with a murderer if the murder was done in self defense or after something like a rape.


I sympathize with many fictional villains of all sorts lmao.

Going a little off of Zan here, I can sympathize with criminal.

Reasoning? Because not everyone who's cuffed and thrown into a jail and or prison and given the label "criminal" is actually a criminal. A lot of them there are there because of either crooked piggies and their bullshit or because of that whole "wrong place wrong time" crap. Rape allegations that weren't actually true. An investigation that wasn't thorough enough. There's a number of reasons, and most of these people are forced to go through whatever sentence they got, whether it be thirty to fifty years, or life.