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Opening Arguments

Opening Arguments

1,252 episodes — Page 14 of 26

OA584: Amazon Workers Unionize!

Amazon workers in Staten Island overcame extensive union busting efforts and won a vote to unionize! This is great news, and we can only hope it has a snowball effect. Listen as Andrew breaks down the journey, the conditions that led to the effort and the disgusting lengths Amazon went to to punish the employees who started organizing. In the A segment, we get a delightful little Alex Jones update. He finally showed up for a deposition! Links: Docket, Jones moves to purge contempt, small wrinkle, NLRB order on bogus Amazon election, Smalls fired, Exhibit 13, Amazon racist comments, 29 US Code § 157 - Right of employees as to organization, 29 US Code § 158 - Unfair labor practices

Apr 8, 20221h 6m

OA583: Republicans Creating Handmaid's Tale Hellscape

The devastating consequences of Texas HB 8 and the Supreme Court's cowardly shadow docket ruling on it are reverberating not just through Texas, but around the country. Not to be outdone, Republicans in Idaho produced a copycat bill. Andrew gives the breakdown and we discuss some truly shocking NPR coverage of how Republicans are ruining lives. But it's not all bad news! In the B segment, Andrew takes us through the Equality Florida Lawsuit, a well-argued lawsuit attempting to fight back against the Don't Say Gay Bill. Also, we're not bothering to cover Trump's idiotic flop of a lawsuit against Hillary. Links: Hazelwood School Dist. v. Kuhlmeier, US v. Alvarez

Apr 5, 20221h 1m

OA582: Alex Jones Is In Big Trouble

The court has nothing BUT contempt for Alex Jones. Like, half a million dollars worth of contempt. He has dodged depositions for an eternity and Thomas's new favorite judge ever has had enough of it. Get the breakdown! Links: docket, Knowledge Fight 649, Ex A and B, motion for contempt, offer of compromise, conn. gen. stat. 52-193, plaintiffs rejected, oral argument on contempt motion, court grants, motion to reconsider, court denies THAT EVENING, motion for emergency stay, appeal to cr supreme court, Puff v. Puff, eastman not appealing

Apr 1, 20221h 6m

OA581: The Activision-Blizzard Settlement Is Happening and It Sucks

If you're a regular listener you've heard us break down the ongoing weirdness between DFEH and EEOC over the Activision-Blizzard misconduct. It's been... unprofessional, and bad for basically everyone involved. Unfortunately, it looks like the pitifully inadequate settlement that EEOC negotiated with Activision-Blizzard is going to go through. Get the details, and what if anything can still be done about it. Before that, Andrew gives us an update on Eastment. He's still slow walking the documents, but now wants early discovery? What? Get the breakdown! Links: Eastman motion for early discovery, Chapman opposition, Eastman reply brief, DFEH motion to intervene denied 12/20/21, 1/4/22 amended decree substantively the same, 1/18 DFEH objections, 3/4 employee moves to intervene, attachment C to amended decree, 3/22 motion to intervene denied, 3/22 order on PACD

Mar 29, 20221h 4m

The Slap. The Actual Legal Implications. NO HOT TAKES

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars. On live television. It's less than a day old and yet you've likely already been inundated with hot takes about it. BUT, we offer you zero more annoying hot takes. This podcast takes you through the actual legal implications, both criminal and civil, of an event like this. Chris Rock might not be "pressing charges," but does that matter? If he sued civilly, what would happen? Find out the actual, researched answers to these questions in a free bonus pod, just because we love you!

Mar 28, 20221h 7m

OA580: Google Caught Pulling Privilege Shenanigans

Our main segment today is a breakdown of Google's massive scheme to keep tons of documents privileged inappropriately. It's a fun deep-dive full of bad documents! Before that, we quickly go over the disgusting attempts to discredit KBJ by Senate Republicans. And, believe it or not, a GOOD NEWS segment about Lia Thomas! Links: Hawley Refutation, Trump v Clinton, Utah HB 11, Indiana HEA 1041, Google antitrust complaint, google status report, Google's Communicate with Care, Google response

Mar 25, 20221h 16m

OA579: The New Blueprint for Anti-Vax Lawsuits

After accidentally suing themselves and then re-filing, some anti-vaxers then went on to file a complaint that, I can't believe I'm saying this, is actually something we need to take seriously. It may be the new blueprint for anti-vax grift and we need to call it out. Andrew has the full breakdown! Links: complaint, Jefferson W. Gross, Davillier Law Group, LLC, 86 FR 61555, background to Biden v. Missouri / OSHA, Biden v. Missouri, Vaccine: Mandate for Health Care Settings (deadlines vary by state), Great Barrington Declaration

Mar 22, 20221h 17m

OA578: 1/6 Prosecutors Admit Violating Suspects Rights. What Happened?

It's a CNN headline that the MAGA Media is jumping all over. Is this a vast conspiracy to persecute the "political prisoners" of 1/6? Or... is it a normal thing? Get the breakdown. ALSO - man buys Tom Brady's "final" touchdown ball for $518k. Brady unretires THE NEXT DAY. Does the man have any legal recourse against anyone? And finally, an update on John Eastman's never ending quest to not turn over his insurrectiony documents. Links: Brady auction, All About Bidding with Lelands, Prosecutors admit they violated a Capitol rioter's rights CNN, actual filing, govt response to motion to release, United States v. McLendon

Mar 18, 20221h 14m

OA577: This Week in 'Republicans Are Horrendously Evil'

It's time to cover these disgusting 'Don't Say Gay' Bills. There's some small good news, though. None of them are actually law YET. Find out what they are about, and which ones will and won't likely become laws. Then, Andrew breaks down how one Republican sought to show how elections are fraudulent by... committing an absurd amount of election fraud. Then, because we've earned it, a nice uplifting wildcard segment! Links: Florida don't say gay bill, GA SB 613, Idaho HB 675, Missouri HB 1677, Peters Indictment, FL goon squad bill, Sidney Powell bar complaint, p 37 of Dominion's defamation lawsuit, Exhibit 6

Mar 15, 20221h 2m

OA576: Election Laws and Lies, with Lawrence Lessig

Last week, you heard us play a few clips of John Eastman lying his ass off on Lawrence Lessig's Another Way podcast. Well, now Professor Lessig is here to give us an expert breakdown of some of the election law issues raised by team big lie. Also, how is our election system vulnerable to the next Republican attack in 2024? Links: Friday eastman pleadings, court response, Opening Arguments on Twitter live tweet thread, Ruling, 1/6 brief, Eastman memo, 3 US Code § 15 - Counting electoral votes in Congress, Longer Eastman memo, Eastman reply

Mar 11, 20221h 14m

OA575: A Swing and a Miss on Lockout Negotiations

The owners refuse to play ball and the starting date for the MLB season continues to slide. Did the players throw a big curveball into the mix? Are their demands out of left field? Not really! The ballpark figures from both sides are actually very close but the owners are playing hardball. The episode on deck may be a little inside baseball, but if you listen in I think you'll agree it's a homerun! Before all the baseball puns, we have an update on the Texas war against trans people and the war on Ukraine. Links: abbott letter, ACLU lawsuit, Ukraine ICJ, Vasani quits Ivanyan in wake of Russian invasion

Mar 8, 20221h 3m

OA574: 1/6 Committee Brief Says Trump Guilty of Crimes!

Andrew spotted a massive, smokiest of smoking guns in a brief filed by the 1/6 Committee! This is HUGE NEWS. It is the first sign we've yet had that Trump is facing ACTUAL criminal charges! This bombshell wiped the whiteboard clean and today's episode is entirely devoted to Andrew's expert breakdown. Don't miss it! And please share! Links: Trump credits lawyer who said Kamala Harris, 55, a US citizen at birth, isn't eligible to be VP, 1/6 Committee Brief, Exhibits, 18 US Code § 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant, 18 US Code § 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States, Eastman memo, 3 US Code § 15 - Counting electoral votes in Congress, PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL January 6 scenario, Jacob''s depo, Exhibit K, Exhibit L, Exhibit M, Exhibit N, Timeline: How the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol unfolded, Jeffrey Rosen's Dep, Richard Donoghue's dep

Mar 4, 20221h 18m

OA573: Harvard Law Review Publishes Dubious Note on Election Law

A note in the Harvard Law Review suggests we ought to "Remove presidential elections from the Anderson-Burdick Framework." So, just what does that mean and is it a good idea? Listen in as Andrew breaks it down! Also, we've got an update in the Madison Cawthorn situation, and more Kraken sanctions updates! Links: remedial election plan ruling, Special Masters plan, another kraken loss, Judge Parker ruling, 6th Circuit appeal, Removing Presidential Elections from the Anderson-Burdick Framework - Harvard Law Review

Mar 1, 20221h 12m

OA572.5: Biden Picks Ketanji Brown Jackson!

Emergency bonus episode! We promised a deep-dive on whoever Biden chose to replace Breyer, and here it is! Ketanji Brown Jackson is immensely accomplished. Listen as we break down what terrible arguments to expect Republicans to try against her appointment, and what some key rulings in her judicial history tell us about her jurisprudence! Links: DC cir questionnaire, Senate Written questions, Judiciary v. McGahn, Meat Inst. v. US. Dep 't of Agric, AFL-CIO v. Trump, In re Air Crash over S. Indian Ocean, 8 US Code § 1103, Make the Rd. NY v. McAleenan, Campaign for Accountability v. US. Dep 't of Just

Feb 28, 20221h 7m

OA572: Ukraine and International Law; Gov. Abbott's Despicable Attack on Trans Kids

What does the US's disgusting history of war crimes teach us about international law? We look at the story of how the US screwed over Nicaragua and what the UN did about it. Also, we break down Gov. Abbott's gross attack on trans people. It's despicable, but what will the real life consequences be? Find out. Before that, some good news and very bad news in the efforts to hold Trump accountable for his uncountable crimes. Links: SCOTUS Feb 22 order, Eastman reply, Prosecutors Leading Trump Fraud Investigation in NY Resign, Abbott letter, Paxton letter, UN Charter, Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice, Statute of the International Court of Justice, Nicaragua v US 1986, ruling

Feb 25, 20221h 8m

OA571: MTG DAO NGMI; and Why Palin v. NYT is Not Over

If you don't understand the first part of the title, you're not alone! There was a delightful dust up between Wizards of the Coast and something called a DAO over Magic the Gathering. It turns out you're not just allowed to profit off of other people's IP? Cryto bros were very surprised to learn this. Andrew decodes it for us. Then, we finally get a thorough breakdown of what happened in the Palin v. NYT case. You may have heard it was dismissed, but it may not be over yet! It's a weird story with a lot of twists and turns. Links: Democratic DAO Suffers Coup, mtgodao white paper, Crypto Losers Buy Copy Of Jodorowsky's Dune, Play Themselves, mtgodao twitter, 17 US Code § 106 - Exclusive rights in copyrighted works, Opinion | America's Lethal Politics, Sarah Palin Jurors Said They Saw News Alerts About Case

Feb 22, 20221h 16m

OA570: Sandy Hook Families Win Major Settlement

Today we have two very significant legal settlements in the news to break down! The families of Sandy Hook victims settled with Remington, but based on the terrible state of the law, this wasn't a guarantee. Andrew explains how it happened! In a somewhat parallel settlement, a victim of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein settled, but only because of an interesting ruling on a motion to dismiss. Before that. we've got updates on oral arguments in the NY AG motion to quash, the NFL hiring Loretta Lynch & other NFL stuff, the bizarre Durham filing, and the 5th Circuit Injunction related to vaccines and airlines. And then, some Cardi B stuff. So much news! Links: Daniel Snyder Alleged Sexual Harassment Details, Giuffre v. Prince Andrew, GIUFFRE v. ANDREW ruling, Sandy Hook Families Reach Settlement With Gunmaker Remington, 15 U.S.C. § 7901 – “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005”, Bernie Sanders voted for it, 15 US Code § 7902, 15 US Code § 7903, Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act Chapter 735a, § 42-110b, Cardi B on Her Unstoppable Rise GQ

Feb 18, 20221h 6m

OA569: Cawthorn Is as Bad at Picking Lawyers as He Is at Not Doing Insurrections

We've got a delightful update in the Madison Cawthorn "one totally legitimate effort" to keep him off the ballot! Cawthorn's lawyers made a truly pathetic attempt at an injunction. It's bad law, but good deep dive! Also, a big Opening Arguments was Right about the DHS saga from a few years ago. Don't remember what we're talking about? Don't worry, we've got your back and it is good news! As if that isn't enough, we've got a bonus Wordle Law Wildcard! Just listen, alright! Links: I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, Employment Authorization Document, Federal Court Restores Access to Work Permits for Many Asylum Seekers, Trump Rule final text, AILA - DHS Secretary Ratifies Rule, Judge Beryl Howell says NOPE, Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service Co., 499 U.S. 340 (1991), Wordle and IP law, Cawthorn Injunction, State Board Answer, Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971), Chavez v. Evans, 446 P.2d 445 (NM 1968)

Feb 15, 20221h 14m

OA568: How Christian Nationalism Fueled the Insurrection

Andrew Seidel returns to tell us about the report he and Amanda Tyler put together detailing how Christian Nationalism was central to the Jan. 6th Insurrection. The evidence is overwhelming and is often ignored by the media, so now is our chance to help get this vital information out to the world!

Feb 11, 20221h 9m

OA567: Pop-Law! Cardi B Wins Defamation Suit Against Worst Person on Earth

You think you know what a "bad document" is? You haven't seen anything like this! Keen listeners should know by now that winning a defamation suit as a famous person is a tough bar to clear. But, if the person you are suing is an absolute trainwreck and is possibly the worst person in the world, that bar can be cleared. Listen as Ace Associate Morgan Stringer tells us what happened and why Cardi B won!

Feb 8, 20221h 9m

OA566: Explosive Lawsuit Against the NFL Details Racial Bias

After being fired from the Miami Dolphins, Brian Flores has filed a very serious lawsuit against the NFL for racial bias in hiring. This is absolutely huge news. Find out why the NFL is in serious trouble! Links: Flores v. NFL, Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer, 42 US Code § 1981 - Equal rights under the law, Comcast Corp. v. National Assn. of African American-Owned Media, Palmer v Cook :: 2019, NJ law against discrimination

Feb 4, 20221h 11m

OA565: How Madison Cawthorn Could Be Kept off the Ballot

Check out this one WEIRD trick to.... *record scratch* wait a minute... it's not a weird trick? Wow! Well, check out this one legitimate way in which Madison Cawthorn could be kept off the ballot! It turns out, the Constitution actually isn't a super big fan of insurrections. Also, some additional info on anti-trust law, and a Wild Card (wooooooooo!) on a new bill written by a Democrat AND a Republican that actually has a chance of passing! Links: Cawthorn Complaint, Next day order staying proceedings, Gerard Magliocca, Amnesty and Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment, Article 11B. Challenge to Candidacy, GOP Power Lawyer: Congress Said Insurrection Is Cool In 1872, 1872 Amnesty Act, Klobuchar Cotton Bill

Feb 1, 20221h 1m

OA564: The Reteyerment; At-Will Employees Forced to Stay? and Avenatti vs Stormy Daniels!

Huge news day! BREYER WILL RETEYER! What a relief. Andrew takes us through that and the potential replacements. They're all great! Then we've got, by immense popular demand, coverage of a story in which at-will employees were forced by a court to stay in their job. What happened? Was it reported correctly? Find out! Then finally, it's Stormy Daniels vs scumbag Michael Avenatti in one of the many trials Avenatti is facing for his unethical behavior. Links: Leader of the Oath Keepers, Democrats Can Replace Justice Stephen Breyer on Party Lines, injunction against at-will employees

Jan 28, 20221h 5m

OA563: Microsoft, Activision, and Monopoly Law!

There was huge news in the gaming industry as Microsoft announced a deal to acquire Activision! You may remember Activision from such episodes as OA513: California v. Activision Blizzard, Inc in which we covered some of the disgusting sexist behavior that has landed the company in hot water. How does that affect this acquisition? Well, you might be surprised! Listen in! Links: 15 US Code § 1 - Trusts, etc, 15 US Code § 2 - Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty, MICROSOFT HALTS MERGER WITH INTUIT - The Washington Post, United States v. Microsoft Corp, United States v. Microsoft Corp., 97, US v. Microsoft, 253 F.3d 34 (2001)

Jan 25, 20221h 5m

OA562: Supreme Court Rules Against Trump; Interview with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

It's a good news/bad news type of day. The bad news - voting rights has failed in the Senate due to... exactly the two Senators you'd think. But here's the great news! First, the Supreme Court ruled against Trump about the Jan 6th documents! Andrew gives us the full breakdown. And the double good news: We've got an interview with House Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi! He reacts to voting rights, Jan 6th, and explains his Ban Conflicted Trading Act! Links: Trump v. Thompson (DC Cir Dec. 9, 2021), SC opinion, Ban Conflicted Trading Act

Jan 21, 20221h 3m

OA561: Why Ghislaine Maxwell Could Get a New Trial

A juror lied about being a victim of sexual assault. Is that enough for Ghislaine Maxwell to get a new trial? Find out as Andrew brings us the legal deep dive. Also, GOOD NEWS! The Ohio Supreme Court struck down some gerrymandered maps. It's fantastic news and we're here to tell you all about it! Links: Rule 33. New Trial, McDonough Power Equipment v. Greenwood, 464 U.S. 548 (1984), Ramos v. Louisiana – 140 S.Ct 1390 (2020), Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Duncan, 311 U. S. 243, 251 (1940), League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Ohio Redistricting Commission, Article XI - Ohio Constitution

Jan 18, 20221h 8m

OA560: Supreme Court Just Plain Making Sh*t Up In Vaccine Ruling

There is a ton of breaking news today, happening just as we went to record. Andrew had time to briefly look over the Supreme Court ruling on the vaccine mandates and it is TERRIBLE. To quote Andrew's live reaction off mic, "Oh they're just lying now." It's that bad. But, we also had some good breaking news! In a nice timely Andrew Was Right, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was arrested on Jan 6 charges despite not even being there, signaling an escalation in the whole consequences thing. This is good. All that PLUS a wonderful deep dive on an alleged "one weird trick" to solve the filibuster. You know by now it probably won't work, but it actually does and it's very interesting! It just doesn't solve the problem people hope it would. Links: Democracy Docket on Twitter, Chuck Schumer's filibuster dodge MSNBC, Congressional Research Service, Secretary of the Senate, Senate Rule IX, McConnell threatens Senate shutdown if Democrats nuke filibuster, Fake Electors

Jan 14, 20221h 8m

OA559: Nirvana Baby Lawsuit Dismissed... Or Was It?

It's another instance of media coverage of the law not quite getting it right! The lawsuit actually will be back, and Andrew is here to explain why and what really happened! But first, meat's back on the menu, boys! The Biden Administration has been finding creative ways to help people, this time with a Meat EO. Andrew takes the opportunity to explain how Federal Rulemaking works and how Democrats are constantly working to improve things in ways that aren't always obvious. Links: The Biden-Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, Lawsuit Accusing Nirvana of Sexually Exploitive Imagery Is Dismissed, nirvana-lawsuit.pdf, MTD filed 12/22, granted for failure to respond, local rules

Jan 11, 20221h 10m

OA558: One Year Since 1/6 - What Merrick Garland Said (and Didn't Say)

It's been both an eternity and no time since the disgusting attack on our nation's Capitol one year ago. We've seen some amount of justice dealt to those involved, but mostly at lower levels. Is there more to come? Will those at the top face consequences? Andrew is here reading the tea leaves on Merrick Garland's speech, and they are some interesting leaves... In the second segment, Andrew tells us about the worthless ethics report issued by Chief Justice Roberts. Links: Read Merrick Garland's Full Jan. 6 Speech, 2021 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary, "On Sexual Harassment in the Judiciary" by Leah M. Litman and Deeva Shah, Supreme Court order vax case

Jan 7, 20221h 3m

OA557: Terpsichore's Comically Terrible $1.7 Billion Lawsuit

It's another mini-Law'd Awful Lawsuits! Terpsichore, or should we say, "Terpsehore," is at it again, with one of the worst all time complaints ever covered on the show. Listen in as we have a lot of fun dissecting this atrocity! Then, we've got a really fun baseball law update that you're going to love, even if you aren't a fan! And we cover the Riot Games DFEH settlement, and an actual good complaint filed against OAN and Giuliani. Links: Terpy's new lawsuit, Russell A. Newman, terpy loves 17, MLBTR posts billionaires, Riot games settlement, 100m settlement, Activision employees, Freeman and Moss v Giuliani

Jan 4, 20221h 3m

OA556: Maxwell Convicted; BBC Invites Dershowitz to Comment Despite Massive Conflict of Interest

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted on 5/6 counts. Andrew takes us through it, as well as how the BBC made an absolutely colossal blunder in inviting Alan Dershowitz on to comment. Then, we go through an update on the Trump lawsuit over documents. It's headed to the Supreme Court! Links: Maxwell Indictment, 18 USC 2423, Dershowitz Epstein history, DC Cir Opinion (Dec. 9th), 3 USC 15, Trump cert petition, Application for stay of mandate, Motion to expedite, Supplemental briefing, Eliason article

Dec 31, 20211h 0m

OA555: Dems Must Gerrymander to Level the Playing Field - A Look at Redistricting for 2022

No more bringing knives to gun fights! Andrew breaks down the 2022 redistricting in key states. Listen in to find out why gerrymandering is a must for Democrats if we want to achieve any sort of fairness long term. Then, we have an extended mailbag segment with some truly amazing emails from our brilliant listeners! Links: Cal. Code sec. 8521 et seq., Dave's Redistricting

Dec 28, 20211h 3m

OA554: 6th Circuit Overrules Atrocious 5th Circuit Ruling on Vax Mandates

How is the 6th Circuit overruling the 5th Circuit, you ask? Great question. That's just like you, you brilliant legal mind! Well there's some interesting legal quirkery behind that. But also, wait until you get a load of how terrible and embarrassing the 5th Circuit's original decision was... Also, we react to the bad Manchin news last week. And finally, Andrew's got another iteration of what we now call Cargo Cult Lawyering, with a John Eastman update! Links: 6th Circuit Ruling, 28 US Code § 2112, BST Holdings, Eastman - it's my first day

Dec 24, 202156 min

OA553: The Supreme Court Commission Failed. Gabe Roth Joins Us to Discuss Why

The Supreme Court Commission finished its work early! Probably because, you know, they didn't f*cking do anything useful. Gabe Roth of Fix the Court returns to discuss why the commission failed, what's really wrong with the court, and debate with us how to actually fix it. Court packing? Term limits? Both? Listen in!

Dec 21, 20211h 6m

Ep 552OA552: Will Joe Manchin Save Democracy? No, Really! ... Stop Laughing...

Today's show breaks down President Biden's pivot from passing the Build Back Better Act to passing the Joe Manchin-cosponsored Freedom to Vote Act, S. 2747. What's in the bill? Is it Manchin'ed? Listen and find out! In the "B" segment, Andrew points and laughs at insurrection John C. Eastman's doomed attempt to prevent Verizon from turning over his phone records to the 1/6 Commission.. It's funny because they're all dumb. Finally, we have a very brief update on the Activision lawsuit you won't want to miss. Links Here's a link to a Washington Post article that contains additional links showing how you can help victims of the Quad State tornadoes. Here's the text of S. 2747. Eastman's lawsuit is hilariously bad, and don't forget to check out the case he thinks helps him (it doesn't), Yellin v. US, 374 US 109 (1963). Finally, we explain what that denial of DFEH's motion to intervene in the Activision lawsuit really means.

Dec 17, 202156 min

OA551: Trump May Out of Office but His Federal Judges Are Not

They're busy at work making a complete mockery of the law. To call them howler monkeys is an insult to howler monkeys, who I'm sure would at least try their best. Andrew takes us through a couple recent opinions by Trump Judges that remind us why it was so goddamn important both to elect Biden AND to win those two Georgia Senate seats. Let this episode be a motivator! These are the people who end up deciding the most important cases when we let Republicans back in power. Links: VanDyke ABA rating, Duncan v Bolta, Terry A. Doughty, Louisiana v Becerra, Who Are the Scientists Behind the Great Barrington Declaration?, Peter A. McCullough

Dec 14, 20211h 7m

OA550: Oxford Shooter's Parents Charged

In what seems to be an unprecedented but perhaps bold and necessary move, the parents of the Oxford shooter have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Andrew has the breakdown of what happened and if the charges are likely to stick. Is it a slippery slope to... anyone being charged for everything ever? Nah. Before that, we've got an update about the Amazon unionization effort. A new election has been ordered, which is good news! Find out what Amazon is guilty of. Links: Amazon new election order, Michigan Penal Code Section 750.321, jury instructions

Dec 10, 20211h 13m

OA549: Greedy Billionaire MLB Owners Stage Lockout

Baseball law! This season is in jeopardy because some crusty, probably racist, billionaires don't want to give up any money. The OA message on sports law has always been loud and clear: side with labor over the owners! Listen in and find out why. Before that, we've got some delightful updates on the kraken idiots having to pay legal bills! Links: Kraken order, A letter to baseball fans, List of Major League Baseball replacement players

Dec 7, 20211h 11m

OA548: Supreme Court Signals Roe v. Wade's Demise

Warning: this episode contains yelling. But like, why wouldn't it. We break down oral arguments in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health aka the Handmaid's Tale-ification of the US. The conservative buffoons on the court made jaw droppingly stupid arguments, while some brilliant advocates did an amazing job fighting this losing battle. We've got clips and highlights and a whole lot of rage.

Dec 3, 20211h 25m

OA547: Can Alex Jones Take the 5th?

Alex Jones has been in the news lately for losing default judgment after default judgment, and might plan on taking the 5th in front of Congress. So, can he do that? The reasoning proves textualism is terrible and wrong. Then, we've got some updates and clarifications on the Arbery verdict, including capital punishment, appeals by the prosecution, and the misconduct by the first two prosecutors. Finally, a probation officer wrote in to expand on the weird "no porn" rule. Links: 18 US Code § 3731 - Appeal by United States, 2020 Maryland Statutes Section 12-302, Jackie Johnson Indictment, McCarthy v. Arndstein, 266 U.S. 34

Nov 30, 20211h 8m

OA546: Three Racist Murderers Found Guilty of Murdering Ahmaud Arbery

Wait the system... can work? It did in this instance at least, and it was a very important one. Three pieces of racist trash were found guilty of the horrifying murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Andrew explains the verdict. However, the system also... very much doesn't work. Andrew breaks down the disturbing case of a judge giving a 4 time rapist NO jail time after praying on it. Then finally, we break down an interesting new argument in the Trump records case. Links: Kyle Rittenhouse Legal Eagle, Georgia Code § 16-5-1, Christopher Belter: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, House Brief, Court's 11/23 order, National Coal. to Save Our Mall v. Norton, 44 U.S. Code § 2204, Trump's reply brief

Nov 25, 20211h 10m

OA545: The 1/6 Commission Continues To Do Work

Lots of updates on the 1/6 commission! The Bannon indictment, a debunking on the idea that Holder and Bannon are in any way comparable, the Q Anon Shaman sentencing, and the Bar Complaint against John Eastman reveals stunning new details on the insurrection attempt! Links: Bannon Indicted for Contempt of Congress, 2 U.S. Code § 192 - Refusal of witness to testify, Terrible Binnall brief, 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley sentenced to 41 months, Eastman bar complaint

Nov 23, 20211h 8m

Bonus: Rittenhouse Acquitted on All Charges

Well this f@cking sucks. Lots to cover in this bonus emergency pod. Unfiltered and unedited.

Nov 19, 20211h 6m

OA544: Debunking the Left's Rittenhouse Trial Myths

Let's face it - the conspiracy theory/fake news coming from the left on the Rittenhouse Trial is really terrible. AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN that the left is as bad as the right or anything like that. However, we on OA have found it to be exhausting and frustrating. So Andrew is here to set the record straight! But first! We've got some activism for ya. Biden's bull crap Supreme Court Commission is filled with Federalist Society conservatives. It's a waste of time and we need to do something about it. Fortunately, there's a meeting that we can crash! Get the details here. Links: Democrats call out Biden Supreme Court commission, motion to dismiss, Wisconsin Legislature: 948.60, Jury instructions, Sentencing Policies and Practices in Wisconsin

Nov 19, 20211h 7m

OA543: Morgan Stringer Breaks Down The Astroworld Tragedy

It's Morgan Stringer's Pop-Law! But less fun this time. Morgan is here to tell us all about the tragic Astroworld Crowd Crush that happened, and what the legal fallout is likely to be. Also, don't miss our Rittenhouse Trial analysis on patreon.com/law!

Nov 16, 20211h 11m

OA542: Oklahoma Supreme Court Overturns Verdict Against Opioid Companies

Sometimes Andrew tells us the coverage is wrong and actually a thing wasn't so bad. This is not one of those times. This ruling was an absolute disgrace. And wouldn't you know it, Republicans were responsible. We break it all down. Other topics today: we discuss Veterans Day and the Rittenhouse Trial. And, Vulgarity for Charity is back! Make sure to donate! Andrew tells us about a major sentencing in the 1/6 insurrection. And, lots of Trump documents are about to be released to the public! Links: Defense asks for time served, Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement in Jan. 6, 2019 Bench Trial $572 million, overturned by OK Supreme Court, One dissent, Nov 9th Chutkan denies injunction, Nov 10th Chutkan denies stay

Nov 12, 20211h 10m

OA541: Monica Miller on Happy the Elephant and Legal Personhood for Animals

After our episode on Cocaine Hippos, we were contacted by previous guest and all-star attorney Monica Miller about the efforts to free Happy the Elephant. Monica works with the Nonhuman Rights Project, and they are utilizing a fascinating legal strategy to try to free certain animals from captivity. She takes us through the case and the law! In the first segment, we've got a number of OA was wrongs and rights, about hippos, Mark Jensen, AMD, and more. Links: Wild New York YouTube, Larry Tribe op-ed, National Geographic coverage, Martha Nussbaum amicus

Nov 9, 20211h 18m

OA540: The Bizarre Case of Steven Donziger

It's one of the most requested stories for OA to cover – Steven Donziger won billions in judgment against Chevron in an Ecuadorian court in 2011. Then Chevron fought back. Now, 10 years after the original victory, Donziger has been handed loss after loss, been disbarred, and been found in criminal and civil contempt of court. His cause is deeply sympathetic to left wing audiences. But is it as simple as the big bad oil company beating up a poor lawyer? But first, some reaction to Tuesday's election results. And then some much requested analysis of the Rittenhouse Judge's latest actions. So much good info! Links: Rittenhouse judge fumes about media criticism, Juror Tossed from Rittenhouse Trial for Jacob Blake Joke, Rittenhouse Judge Explains the Law by Citing the Bible, The History of the Hearsay Rule, The Mold That Shapes Hearsay Law, Coy v. Iowa, Rittenhouse: Defense Attorney Repeats N-Word in Opening Statement, Chevron v. Donziger, In RE Donziger, Chevron v. Donziger, 2nd Cir affirmation, guilty of criminal contempt, 2nd circuit ruling on bail, Donziger facing jail time for criminal contempt

Nov 5, 20211h 13m

OA539: Pablo Escobar's Cocaine Hippos Are People, My Friend (?)

It's time for a good old fashioned low stakes fun legal deep dive! Get ready to learn what on Earth this episode title even means! Before that, we've got some Thomas was allegedly wrong about duck duck grey duck! And then a wildcard segment about Dan Tana's vs. Dantana's! Links: Animals Recognized as Legal Persons for the First Time in U.S. Court, Pablo Escobar’s hippos, Maldonado Declaration, Rule 45. Subpoena, 28 U.S. Code § 1782, the motion, Intel Corp v. AMD, 542 U.S. 241, Dan Tana v. Dantanna’s, 611 F.3d 767

Nov 2, 20211h 8m

OA538: The Rittenhouse Trial Instructions, Explained

Yet another packed episode! Our main story is what's really going on with the Rittenhouse Trial Instructions. You might have seen the coverage stating that the victims can't be called victims but can be called rioters and looters. Is reality as bad as the coverage? Andrew explains! Then in what is our co-main segment, Andrew gives us his initial thoughts on the hot off the presses Build Back Better Plan and what Sinema and Manchin have cost us. Links: HCSM letter, Wisconsin Legislature: 940.02, Kyle Rittenhouse back in court today, https://ballotpedia.org/Bruce_Schroeder, Kyle Ritttenhouse trial: Judge Bruce Schroeder to preside, Rittenhouse judge in spotlight after disallowing word 'victims' in courtroom, BBB deal Page 1 Page 2 Page 3, Whitehouse.gov BBB, HR5376 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Build Back Better Act

Oct 29, 20211h 15m