True Crime Podcasts - Legal Talk Network

Historic Justice: Investigating Cruelty and Death at Florida’s Dozier School for Boys

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:30:02 +0000

For over a century, The Dozier School for Boys held dark secrets behind its gates. Allegations of abuse, forced labor, and unexplained deaths had often come up throughout its history, but the full reality of what happened during its time in operation was largely unknown. Maggie Mendenhall-Casey talks with forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle about her mission to bring justice to the forgotten children of Dozier. Erin shares the story of her investigation, including her processes for locating unmarked graves, the community backlash and political resistance she faced, and the continuing efforts for justice and reunification with victims’ families.

Read the full account in Erin’s book: We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys

Erin H. Kimmerle, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science at the University of South Florida

Inside the Murder Trial of the Century, with Prosecutor John Meadors: The Alex Murdaugh Case

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:00:30 +0000

What’s it like to be a prosecutor in a case so high-profile it was dubbed “the trial of the century”? This special episode of Litigation Radio features guest John Meadors, the veteran murder trial prosecutor hired by the South Carolina Attorney General’s office to help prosecute prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh in the sensational 2023 murder trial. In South Carolina, there had perhaps never been a more highly watched and scrutinized trial, and reporters and TV trucks filled the courtroom and the streets.

Hear how Meadors and the prosecution team maintained focus and composure under the glare of television cameras and inside a packed courtroom facing a highly skilled and experienced defense team. The pressure during the weeks-long trial was enormous as reporters struggled to uncover every detail while attorneys and the court worked to maintain decorum and ensure a fair and just outcome.

Meadors will join the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section Annual Conference as a guest in a session titled, “The Court of Public Opinion: Litigating in the Media Spotlight.” In addition to the conversation with John Meadors, this episode features Larry Kristinik, Chair of the ABA Litigation Section, who provides tips on preparing for large legal conferences, and Judge Griselda Vega Samuel, who highlights the upcoming ABA Litigation Section Annual Conference in Chicago.

Fraudster Tom Girardi Caught Red-Handed—Bravo!

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:00:08 +0000

You may have seen Tom Girardi’s name in multiple places—once, as a famous and respected plaintiff’s attorney; notably, as a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills husband; and, notoriously, as a swindler who spent decades embezzling millions from his clients. How did he finally get caught? Maggie Mendenhall Casey and Tracy Brammeier talk with attorney Jay Edelson about how his firm’s work with the Girardi & Keese law firm led them to discover the ongoing exploitation of personal injury clients. Jay shares insights into the details of his firm’s detection and investigation of Girardi’s actions and the eventual court case against him. They also discuss broader instances of fraud in the plaintiff’s bar and Jay’s efforts to create more protections for clients.

Jay Edelson is the founder of Edelson PC.

Disbarred Personal Injury Lawyer Tom Girardi Found Guilty of Defrauding Clients Out of Tens of Millions of Dollars | United States Department of Justice

Evidence Preservation: Who’s Responsible and What Happens When It’s Lost or Destroyed

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 11:00:13 +0000

At the moment of conviction, the incentive to safeguard evidence diminishes in the eyes of the Criminal Justice System. That’s why it is critically important to act quickly to ensure evidence remains available for future appeals. Without it, your fight for freedom could be over before it even begins. In this episode, host Michael Semanchik is joined by Raquel Barilla, former Staff Attorney and Volunteer Coordinator at the California Innocence Project; Alissa Bjerkhoel, former Litigation Coordinator at the California Innocence Project; and Alex Simpson, former Associate Director and Resident Expert for Evidence Preservation at the California Innocence Project. Together, they discuss methods for preserving evidence. Tune in to learn what to do if the unthinkable happens.

The Wild West in Court: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday’s Fight for Freedom After the O.K. Corral

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 11:00:16 +0000

Thirty shots fired in thirty seconds at the O.K. Corral left three men dead and three more wounded and turned into a month-long trial with some thirty witnesses in late fall 1881. Since then, their legendary gunfight with the Clantons and McLaurys has kept the town of Tombstone, Arizona alive and has been the source of inspiration for many books and films over the years.

125 years later, many questions are still left unanswered: Were the Clantons and McLaurys cattle thieves deserving of their death? Why was Doc Holliday, a gambler and notorious gunslinger, deputized by Virgil Earp? Why did the coroner’s inquest not issue a verdict? And this 1880s criminal trial asked the original Star Wars question: who really fired first?

LINKS:

Sign up for our newsletter so that you’re the first to know when new episodes drop!
Listen to J. Craig Williams’ other podcast, Lawyer 2 Lawyer.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to the most for this show on LinkedIn, Facebook, X or Instagram!
Purchase the e-book.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:

David Woodham as Wyatt Earp

Scott Well as Wesley Fuller

Jeremy Brown as Ike Clanton

Ken Sutherland as Prosecutor Lyttleton Price

J.D. Freedman as Defense Attorney Tom Fitch

Jamie Duarte as Sheriff Johnny Behan

Hon. Franz E. Miller, ret. as H.F. Sills

Wylie Aitken as Judge Spicer

The Luis Vargas Story: Misidentified as the “Teardrop Rapist”

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:00:45 +0000

Luis Vargas was wrongfully convicted after three separate witnesses misidentified him as the “Teardrop Rapist.” Sixteen years later, DNA linked to the uncaught serial sex offender was found in one of the victim’s clothing from the crime. But for that evidence being preserved, Luis Vargas would have spent the rest of his life behind bars. This is his story.

Eyewitness Misidentifications

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:00:43 +0000

In the first 325 DNA exonerations, false identification accounted for 72% of the wrongful convictions. But how is that possible? The simplest explanation is that we are not as good at identifying each other as we think. Add to that a frightening encounter with someone of a different race with no time for the mind to process and you have the perfect formula for getting it all wrong.

Host Michael Semanchik sits down with retired Los Angeles Detective Greg McKnight, Distinguished Professor of Psychology John Wixted, and California Innocence Project Founder Justin Books to discuss the science of misidentifications and why so many people who were so sure got it so wrong.

Legal thriller author David Ellis’s day job? Appellate court justice

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:00:39 +0000

Justice David W. Ellis has served on the Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District for nearly 10 years. But readers may know him better as author David Ellis, writer of more than a dozen legal thrillers.

Ellis had enjoyed creative writing as a youth, he tells the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles in this episode of The Modern Law Library. But during his college and law school years, he was focused solely on his legal career path. It wasn’t until he had been in practice for a few years that this changed. During a vacation at the beach, he suddenly decided that he was going to write a novel—and once that goal was set, he worked relentlessly towards it. And in 2002, he won a prestigious Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for that first novel, Line of Vision.

Both branches of Ellis’s career have seen tremendous returns. He made national news in 2009 as the prosecutor of the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich before the state senate. He was the youngest-serving justice in 2014 when he joined the Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District, which serves Chicago and Cook County. And along the way, he published 11 novels, including the four-book Jason Kolarich series. He was a finalist for the ABA Journal-sponsored Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction in 2012 and 2013. He has also co-written nine books with James Patterson, the latest of which (Lies He Told Me) will be released in September.

In this episode, Ellis and Rawles discuss his July release, The Best Lies. The germ of an idea that became The Best Lies started off with the notion of a main character who was a diagnosed pathological liar. When the book opens, Leo Balanoff, a criminal defense attorney in Chicago, has just been arrested for murder. Police have collected DNA and fingerprints at the scene that are a match for a college-era bar fight Leo was charged for, and the victim had an ugly history with one of Leo’s clients. Over the course of The Best Lies, twists and turns across multiple timelines and through multiple points of view begin to reveal what really happened. Ellis weaves a tale combining corporate espionage, violin concertos, police corruption and the Estonian mob.

Ellis also discusses his writing process, his 3:30 a.m. wake-up time, the similarities in his creative and legal writing, and how his judicial ethics concerns sometimes impact his editorial decisions.

Why Abolitionist John Brown Became the First American To Be Executed for Treason

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:00:30 +0000

Countless historians have debated whether abolitionist John Brown was, as President Lincoln put it, a “misguided fanatic,” or, in the words of Malcolm X, “the only white man worthy of joining his Organization for Afro-American Unity.” Rather than categorize John Brown or define his place in history, our goal with this episode is to examine his trial from a lawyer’s perspective, allowing you to understand how he became such a controversial figure.

LINKS:

Sign up for our newsletter so that you’re the first to know when new episodes drop!
Listen to J. Craig Williams’ other podcast, Lawyer 2 Lawyer.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to the most for this show on LinkedIn, Facebook, X or Instagram!
Purchase the e-book.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:

Troy Starr as John Brown

Doug Bryson as Court Reporter

John Doe as John Allstadt

Evan Dicharry as Albert Grist

The Guy Miles Story: How Flawed Eyewitness Identification Led to 18 Years in Prison

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:00:01 +0000

Guy Miles was wrongfully convicted after being misidentified by an eyewitness during a robbery investigation in Orange County, California. Although he had once been involved in gangs during his youth, he left that life behind and moved to Nevada for a fresh start. Unfortunately, his past followed him when his photo was included in a “six-pack lineup.” An eyewitness mistakenly identified him as one of the perpetrators, which ultimately led to a life sentence.

It would take a random speeding ticket, admissions from the true criminals, DNA evidence, a recanting investigator, 18 years in prison, and a “Dark Plea” deal to finally set him free. Tune in to hear this harrowing real-life account of wrongful incarceration from the man who lived through it.

Dark Pleas: Trading Innocence for Freedom in Post Conviction Deals

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 11:00:53 +0000

Imagine being in prison for decades. You’ve been fighting your appeal for many years. Your lawyer believes you’ll get a new trial but there is no guarantee that you’ll win your freedom. Suddenly, the prosecution offers a plea deal. You can go free but there’s a catch… You have to admit you’re guilty.

Angela’s Story: A Dark Plea in Exchange for Freedom

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 11:00:14 +0000

On November 20th 1999, Angela Garcia’s home caught on fire. Surprised and crawling in the dark, she was not able to find her children before the blaze forced her to jump out of a 2nd floor window. She ran to get help but tragically her children would die before anyone could reach them. The State wrongfully accused and convicted her of arson and murdering her family. After nearly 20 years in prison, the prosecution’s case began to fall apart for lack of evidence. A “dark plea” was offered to Angela in May of 2016. If she accepted, she would be released from incarceration in 5 years. But there was a catch, she would have to admit to guilt. What would you do? This is her story.

Revisiting Wrongfully Convicted: William Dillon and His Life in Prison

Ally Kvidt — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:00:03 +0000

While Craig is on vacation, we thought we’d bring back one of our favorite episodes from the Lawyer2Lawyer library so you can re-listen or be introduced for the first time if you’re a new subscriber. In this episode, Craig talks with William Dillon, a man who served 28 years of a life sentence for a murder he did not commit. William actually sings the music in one of our other shows on the Legal Talk Network called For the Innocent, where we talk to exonerees about their wrongful convictions.

Craig will be back soon with all new episodes of Lawyer2Lawyer. As we await his return, you can also get caught up on In Dispute, Craig’s new podcast, about 10 famous trials that changed history.

Plea Deals: Why Innocent People Give Up and Go to Prison

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:43 +0000

Plea deals are necessary to fight crime. Without them, our criminal justice system would grind to a halt, and the bad guys would run free. The downside is that plea deals can ensnare innocent people. Even more scary, once you admit to a crime you didn’t commit, it can take decades to get you out of prison. So why would anyone plead guilty to something they didn’t do? Tune in to hear why with host Michael Semanchik and special guests Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project, and former Los Angeles County Prosecutor Wayne Little.

Salem Witch Trials: How The Hysteria Went Terribly Awry

Ally Kvidt — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:00:18 +0000

In 1692, claims of satanic rituals, ghosts, and seemingly “afflicted” children stirred puritanical imaginations, deepened by petty rifts between powerful families and rival congregations in Salem Village (now known as Danvers, Massachusetts). In response to the growing number of citizen complaints and imprisonments, Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor William Phips appointed a man with no legal training to preside over the trials. More than a dozen poor decisions and questionable verdicts later, townspeople became all too familiar with death sentences by hanging. Hear the full story unravel with voiceover reenactments, historical context and present-day reflection from Attorney J. Craig Williams.

LINKS:

Sign up for our newsletter so that you’re the first to know when new episodes drop!
Listen to J. Craig Williams’ other podcast, Lawyer 2 Lawyer.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to the most for this show on LinkedIn, Facebook, X or Instagram!
Purchase the e-book.
Purchase the hardcover

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:

Troy Starr as John Hathorne

Doreen Wiley as Sarah Good

Kevin McGrath as Cotton Mather

Dave Scriven-Young as Stephen Sewell

Evan Dicharry as Judge

Georgia Well as Bridgett Bishop

Marilyn’s Story: A Plea Deal Turned Deadly

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 11:00:53 +0000

Marilyn Mulero was wrongfully suspected of a Chicago gang murder in 1992. Naive to the criminal justice system, she was frightened into signing a statement by threats of the death penalty from law enforcement. Failing to adequately investigate the case, her attorney pressured Marilyn into making a risky blind plea deal with the court. That gamble turned into the death penalty. This is her story.

Junk Science – Undoing the Damage

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 23 May 2024 11:00:55 +0000

In our history of criminal prosecutions, some types of evidence ended up being unreliable. Forensic sciences like bite-mark identification, arson investigations, and shaken baby syndrome sent many innocent people to prison. So where does that leave us? How do we make it right?

Lindsay Herf, executive director for the Arizona Justice Project joins host Michael Semanchik to discuss junk science and ways to protect innocent people.

Junk Science – Shaken Baby Syndrome

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 09 May 2024 11:00:03 +0000

In the 1980s and 1990s, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was a popular medical theory used to arrest and convict innocent parents of fatally abusing their children. Unknown at the time, this theory was severely scientifically flawed. Unfortunately, erroneous data collection led experts to believe certain brain injuries in children could only be the result of abusive shaking. What they didn’t realize was that those “signature” injuries could also be caused by short-falls and disease. It would take decades to unravel their blind faith in this junk science. It is unknown how many innocent parents remain behind bars for a crime they didn’t commit.

Host Michael Semanchik is joined by Katherine Bonaguidi. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in Shaken Baby Syndrome. Formerly a staff attorney with the California Innocence Project, today she works as a San Diego County Public Defender.

Junk Science – Bloodstains & Bite Marks

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:00:30 +0000

Forensic science is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, not all sciences used to prosecute people are reliable. So what happens when forensic science is later debunked? Does that mean everyone convicted by it goes free? The short answer is no. Tune in to hear why.

Zavion’s Story

Ally Kvidt — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:00:03 +0000

Zavion Johnson was bathing his four month old daughter when she slipped from his grasp and hit her head on the tub. He immediately checked her for injuries but found nothing. Tragically, she harbored unseen internal injuries that Zavion was unaware of. Later in the day, his daughter suddenly turned color. Zavion rushed her to the hospital but it was too late. She died shortly after.

Moments after his daughter’s funeral, Zavion Johnson was arrested for murder under a medical theory called “Shaken Baby Syndrome”. It would take 17 years for the criminal justice system to realize its mistake. This is his story…

How is the true crime genre impacting the way people think about innocence?

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:00:25 +0000

Human beings have told stories about violence and victims from our earliest records. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, newspapers and magazines flourished on crime coverage. Hollywood has churned out crime movies and TV shows, based both in fiction and non-fiction. But after the incredible success experienced by the podcast Serial in 2014 and the documentary series Making a Murderer in 2015, a new wave of popular media exploring real cases of potential wrongful convictions burst upon the scene.

While Diana Rickard didn’t consider herself a “podcast person,” her interest as an academic was piqued. The criminology professor began listening to Serial, and became fascinated by what she saw as a new expression of the true crime genre, dubbing it the “New True.”

“These series deserve our attention for what they reveal about our societal understanding of crime and punishment,” Rickard writes in her book The New True Crime: How the Rise of Serialized Storytelling Is Transforming Innocence. “Through them, audiences are receiving ideological messages about punishment. They are also sites where inequality, power and racism are openly examined, playing a role in our public conversations about who is and is not deserving of punishment and who is and is not protected by law. In addition, by using the term ‘New True,’ I am also suggesting these series indicate a new way of constructing truth itself. Questioning the finality of verdicts, framing facts as in the eye of the beholder, the new series unmoor our faith in what is knowable.”

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Rickard explains how she sees the New True podcasts and documentary series as differing from older media. She and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss the differences between crime reporting and this serialized storytelling, and whether the New True series are managing to avoid some of the ethical pitfalls of traditional crime reporting. They also delve into whether debunking things like flawed forensic science or false confessions for the general public may have shifted the way people think about wrongful convictions.

Rickard shares what she has heard from legal experts in the innocence community about the benefits—and drawbacks—of cases catching the eyes of New True producers. She also reveals what surprised her most when she researched the Reddit communities that gather to discuss New True cases.

The #FreeBritney Edition (Rebroadcast)

Ally Kvidt — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:30:29 +0000

The @theBar podcast is taking a holiday break in November and will return in December with new content. This episode, previously released in July 2021, discusses the conservatorship of Britney Spears, providing insights that complement her new memoir, “The Woman in Me,” released after the conservatorship ended in November 2021.

In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by California probate attorney Justin Gold to discuss a topic that is sensational, delicate, concerning, and much in the news: the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Justin explains how the conservatorship system is supposed to work, its pros, its cons, and how it – at least according to press accounts – seems to have failed Britney Spears.

False Confessions (Part 2)

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 May 2023 17:00:04 +0000

Despite best intentions, parents can be their child’s worst enemy during an investigation. And innocent people can know the same facts that only guilty criminals do. But how are these things possible? In this part two of two, we talk all about it with Making a Murderer’s Laura Nirider, Certified Forensic Interviewer David Thompson, and former Washington D.C. Police Detective James Trainum.

False Confessions (Part 1)

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 May 2023 16:50:42 +0000

It’s the most intriguing question about our criminal justice system. Why do innocent people confess to crimes they didn’t commit? As strange as it seems, it happens regularly and for a variety of reasons like investigator deception, false evidence, and interrogation tactics. In this part one of two, we hear from Making a Murder’s Laura Nirider and Certified Forensic Interviewer David Thompson about why people send themselves to prison for decades even though they are innocent.

Marty’s Story (Part 2)

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 May 2023 16:40:22 +0000

Marty Tankleff was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1990. Innocent and very young, he would learn the legal system well enough to win his freedom. In the process, Marty would uncover the criminals and deep corruption that killed his family and kept him behind bars for 18 years. His underdog case beckoned help from top firms and caught the eye of Tony Soprano.

Marty’s Story (Part 1)

Ally Kvidt — Wed, 24 May 2023 16:30:19 +0000

Marty Tankleff was only 17 when his parents were murdered in their Belle Terre home in Long Island, New York. When he needed help from adults the most, he was subjected to a frightening interrogation as a person-of-interest. Traumatized, confused, and in a state of exhaustion he was pressured into making a false confession. It would take 18 years, but eventually Marty would win his freedom and show his parents were likely killed by organized crime to hide a money laundering operation uncovered by his father. This is his incredible story told in his voice.

More Episodes Dropping Soon!

Legal Talk Network — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 18:00:02 +0000

So far, we’ve heard from Brian Banks and Uriah Courtney about false accusations and DNA evidence. Coming up in mid-May, we’re going to talk with Marty Tankleff about his false confession and why he admitted to a crime despite being completely innocent. Later this season, we’ll hear about the misidentification of Luis Vargas, Junk Science that put good parents behind bars, and Marilyn Mulero’s plea deal for death.

Featured song ‘Brand New Start’ by our good friend and real-life exoneree William Michael Dillon.

False Accusations

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:10:18 +0000

People are falsely accused of crimes all the time. It’s bad enough when it happens by accident, but it’s even worse when the accuser has something to gain from it. Join us as we explore the role of jailhouse informants and confidential sources in implicating the wrongfully accused with Justin Brooks, Founder and Director of the California Innocence Project, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, and former Investigator Detective Gregory McKnight.

Brian Banks’ Story – Part 3

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:55:33 +0000

Welcome to the final episode of our three-part series on the remarkable story of Brian Banks. In this episode, we will delve deeper into the challenges that Brian faced after his release from prison. We also hear about the pivotal moment when a chance encounter with someone from his past offers Brian the chance he needs to clear his name, regain his freedom, and help pave his way to the NFL.

Brian Banks’ Story – Part 2

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:45:13 +0000

In this episode, we hear more of Brian’s story, a high school football who had his life turned upside down when he was wrongfully convicted of rape and sentenced to 5 years in prison. This episode delves deep into the traumatic experience of Brian’s imprisonment, the injustices he faced in the criminal justice system, and the incredible resilience and strength it took for him to maintain hope and fight for his eventual freedom.

Brian Banks’ Story – Part 1

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:35:41 +0000

In 2002, Brian Banks was a 17-year-old high school football star with a promising future ahead of him. He was getting the attention of Division 1 teams at major universities and was on the brink of making his dreams come true. Unfortunately, his life took a tragic turn when he was knowingly and falsely accused of kidnapping and rape of a female classmate. Despite maintaining his innocence, the combination of poor legal counsel, lack of investigative work, and a broken justice system resulted in Banks spending over five years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

In this episode, Brian recounts the shocking experience of being falsely accused, losing his athletic prospects, and an ill-advised plea deal that hurt him way more than it helped.

DNA Evidence (Part 2)

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:00:21 +0000

DNA testing is the most powerful tool for freeing the innocent. But without evidence to test, it’s useless… leaving many wrongfully convicted people without hope. That’s why it’s critical to preserve every piece of evidence in your case. In this episode we talk with Alissa Bjerkhoel about her work in Uriah Courtney’s exoneration and how his freedom hung on a single article of clothing left in a box almost 10 years earlier.

Stay tuned to hear about secondary transfers and why your DNA can be on objects you never touched. The case of Lukis Anderson should terrify all of us.

Alissa Leanne Bjerkhoel is the Litigation Coordinator at the California Innocence Project.

DNA Evidence (Part 1)

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:55:56 +0000

Since its origins, DNA evidence has both convicted the guilty and exonerated the innocent. Despite its amazing abilities, this forensic science has not always been a slam dunk. In addition to reliability issues, its misapplication has led to the wrongful prosecution of the innocent around the country.

Host Michael Semanchik interviews world-renowned experts John M. Butler and Deanna Lankford about the history of DNA evidence and its use in the criminal justice system. Hear what investigators learned over the years to correctly identify profiles detected at crime scenes. The results might surprise or scare you.

John M. Butler is the Special Assistant to the Director for Forensic Science at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Deanna Lankford is the Director of Forensic Casework at BODE Technology.

Uriah’s Story

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:50:04 +0000

Uriah Courtney was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life for kidnapping and rape. Despite having a solid alibi, a series of coincidences and past drug offenses convinced law enforcement that they had their man. Although his case looked hopeless, there was one person who knew Uriah was innocent and refused to give up on him. After serving 8 years in prison, he would finally win his freedom. Tune in to hear Uriah’s Story, a real-life account told by the man who lived it.

Welcome to For the Innocent

Legal Talk Network — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 23:00:05 +0000

Despite best intentions, our criminal justice system is not perfect. Innocent people are frequently accused, convicted, and sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. On this show, we explore how this happens by talking with real-life exonerees, famous attorneys who fight for freedom, and world-renowned experts. You’ll recognize many of our guests from prominent productions like Making a Murderer, The Staircase, and the Survivors Guide to Prison. You’ll hear from well-known exonerees like Amanda Knox and Brian Banks.

Hosted by Michael Semanchik. Produced and written by Laurence Colletti. Audio engineering by Adam Lockwood. Music contributions by real-life exoneree William Michael Dillon.

The Tylenol Murders: Discussing New Evidence in the Unsolved Case

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:00:30 +0000

In fall 1982, seven people in the Chicagoland area died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, and no one knew why or who might be next. Law enforcement quickly determined that the poisoned bottles had been placed on store shelves to kill unsuspecting customers. But who would commit such a heinous act? What was their motive? Those questions would elude investigators for decades, making this one of the U.S.’ most notorious unsolved cases. Award-winning investigative reporters Stacy St. Clair and Christy Gutowski of the Chicago Tribune have uncovered new and critical clues in the case and have detailed their findings in their new true crime podcast, “Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders.” In this episode of CBA’s @theBar, they join hosts Trisha Rich and Maggie Mendenhall Casey to discuss what they uncovered and what the future may hold for the investigation.

In addition to this episode, we encourage you to listen to the Chicago Tribune’s full podcast series discussing the case which is available on a variety of platforms available at the following link: Home – Tylenol Murders 40th Anniversary (chicagotylenolmurders.com).

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy (Rebroadcast)

Legal Talk Network — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:00:45 +0000

@theBar wishes to honor the career of retired Cook County judge William J. “Bill” Kunkle Jr. after his recent passing by re-broadcasting our interview with him about his experience as the chief trial prosecutor on the John Wayne Gacy case. The episode originally aired on February 6, 2019.

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy

American serial killer and rapist, John Wayne Gacy, Jr., became notorious for the mass murder of at least 33 teenage boys and young men in the late 1970s. December 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the mass grave beneath his home, which shocked the American public and shattered the image of the safe suburban community. This episode provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the “The Killer Clown” by William “Bill” Kunkle, the lead prosecutor who took him on and sent him to his eventual execution.

Starved Rock Murders: The Case for Chester Weger’s Innocence

Legal Talk Network — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 20:30:28 +0000

In March 1960, Illinois Starved Rock State Park became the site of the brutal murder and possible sexual assault of three middle-aged women who were visiting the park from nearby Chicago. Authorities quickly identified Chester Weger as the primary suspect, and he promptly confessed and was locked away for life. However, in the decades since, Weger has steadfastly maintained his innocence. Weger was paroled in 2020 after spending almost six decades in prison. Now, Weger is seeking to use DNA evidence to clear his name. His defense attorneys Andy Hale and Celeste Stack join Jonathan Amarilio and Trisha Rich to discuss the background and most recent revelations in Weger’s case and make the argument for Weger’s innocence.

‘By Hands Now Known’ shines light on cold cases of lynchings and racial violence

Legal Talk Network — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 21:30:28 +0000

In the summer of 2020, when the murder of George Floyd was igniting protests in Minneapolis and around the country, it occurred to Margaret A. Burnham that “George Floyd” was a common-sounding name. Burnham is the founder and director of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at the Northwestern University School of Law, where she is also a professor.

She went into the CRRJ’s archive of Jim Crow racial homicides, and a search revealed another George Floyd. The account of the jailhouse death of this first George Floyd appeared in a 1945 letter to Thurgood Marshall from a Floridian chapter of the NAACP. Floyd, a 46-year-old turpentine worker, was arrested in St. Augustine, Florida, accused of public intoxication. When Floyd protested a second search of his person at the local jail, he was beaten to death by the arresting officer. Aside from a coroner’s report, Burnham and her colleagues could find no evidence that the officer who killed Floyd in 1945 faced any investigation.

“It was not entirely unforeseeable that we would find this name-fellow in our archive, pleading to be exhumed and put in conversation with the iconic inspiration for what would come to be known as the 2020 ‘reckoning’ with Black death at the hands of the state,” writes Burnham in her new book,By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. “We count, and contest, because George Floyd counted. Number 1. And Number 2.”

InBy Hands Now Known, Burnham looks at three interrelated themes: The way the federal government enabled the subjugation of Black Americans through both action and inaction; the relationship between racial violence and political power; and community resistance to Jim Crow that predates the “official” Civil Rights Era from 1954 to 1967.

Burnham’s first chapter examines one such area that shows elements of all three themes: Rendition cases gave attorneys the opportunity to try to prevent the extradition of Black men and women to jurisdictions where they faced lynching or other violence. William Henry Huff, a Black lawyer in Illinois, successfully handled 77 such cases, Burnham found in her research.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Burnham discusses her book with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles. She describes talking to family members of victims who never thought the full story of their loved ones’ deaths would ever be told; the way shopkeepers or bus drivers were essentially deputized to violently enforce rules against Black people in the South; and how her work in 1990s South Africa with truth and reconciliation efforts impacts her view of the potential for reparations efforts in the United States. She also contends that the lack of enforcement made the kidnapping of Black people by white people not a criminal offense, regardless of what laws were on the books.

Burnham, along with her partner Melissa Nobles of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has also made her research available through the CRRJ’s Burnham-Nobles Digital Archive. Primary source documents such as FBI interviews, news articles and jury inquests into anti-Black killings in the American South during the early to mid-20th century are available, as well as more than 900 case pages for individual incidents.

The Scarlet A Edition (Rebroadcast)

Legal Talk Network — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 11:05:49 +0000

This episode was previously recorded in 2019 before the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, but the conversation is just as relevant today. In this edition, co-hosts Jon Amarilio and Chastidy Burns are joined by Katie Watson, a lawyer, professor, bioethicist, and the author of “Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion.” Katie makes the argument that we need to start having real conversations about ordinary abortion because it impacts millions of Americans, and can help us unpack many other social issues, including civil rights, religion, socioeconomic stratification and more.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 3 – Defendant John Froines

Legal Talk Network — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 22:12:23 +0000

In 1968, anti-war and anti-establishment groups converged in the City of Chicago to protest U.S. participation in the Vietnam War at the Democratic National Convention. The protests eventually turned violent as Chicago police clashed with protestors in the streets, creating some of the most indelible images of the era. The political activists, who infamously became known as “The Chicago 7,” were arrested and later tried in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on charges of criminal conspiracy and incitement to riot. In this 3-part series, CBA’s @theBar shares insights into The Trial of the Chicago 7 through rare interviews with the Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case and one of the last two living members of The Chicago 7.

Part 3 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne continue the conversation about the landmark trial with John Froines, one of the last two living members of the Chicago 7.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 2 – Prosecutor Dick Schultz (Cont.)

Legal Talk Network — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 22:08:14 +0000

Part 2 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio continues his conversation about the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 1 – Prosecutor Dick Schultz

Legal Talk Network — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 22:02:08 +0000

Part 1 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio discusses the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The WILLOW Project: Helping Wrongfully Convicted Women

Legal Talk Network — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:30:25 +0000

From NALA’s 2020 Conference @ Home, host Carl Morrison welcomes Anne Geraghty-Rathert to follow up on her presentation about wrongful convictions and her work with the WILLOW Project. Anne discusses the unique issues surrounding women’s wrongful convictions and shares ways paralegals can get involved in clemency-based projects.

Anne Geraghty-Rathert is an attorney in private practice and a professor at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Special thanks to our sponsors, NALA, ServeNow, CourtFiling.net and Legalinc.