For the Defense with David Oscar Markus
rakontur
David Oscar Markus, a Miami trial attorney, has been called “a reincarnation of the old school criminal defense lawyer” and has represented clients from the head of the Cali Cartel to Fortune 500 companies and their CEOs. David has partnered with rakontur, the lauded storytellers behind Cocaine Cowboys, The U and 537 Votes, on the podcast, For the Defense.
The podcast focuses on the work of the least-respected but perhaps the most important profession in America: the criminal defense attorney. In each episode, Markus will interview a top criminal defense lawyer about one of their most gripping trials.
Sadly, the criminal defense trial lawyer is a dying breed. The Feds have manipulated the system -- which was founded on the idea of trial by jury -- to force almost everyone (occasionally including the innocent) into pleading guilty to avoid trial. If you dare to go to trial, you risk going to prison for decades longer than had you surrendered and pleaded guilty. The system has shifted from valuing and encouraging trials to punishing those who dare exercise their constitutional right to have a jury decide their guilt. In the 1980s, over 20% of cases went to trial -- now less than 3% do so.
Having tried cases all over the United States, Markus is well-positioned to speak to other leading criminal defense lawyers in the country and explore with them the decision they made in a high-profile case to proceed to trial, including their trial strategy, the risks involved, and the clients themselves.
The podcast is currently in Season 6. It has broken news, achieved industry-wide accolades, and is the go to listen for trial lawyers around the country.
CONTACT: info@rakontur.com, DMarkus@markuslaw.com
The podcast focuses on the work of the least-respected but perhaps the most important profession in America: the criminal defense attorney. In each episode, Markus will interview a top criminal defense lawyer about one of their most gripping trials.
Sadly, the criminal defense trial lawyer is a dying breed. The Feds have manipulated the system -- which was founded on the idea of trial by jury -- to force almost everyone (occasionally including the innocent) into pleading guilty to avoid trial. If you dare to go to trial, you risk going to prison for decades longer than had you surrendered and pleaded guilty. The system has shifted from valuing and encouraging trials to punishing those who dare exercise their constitutional right to have a jury decide their guilt. In the 1980s, over 20% of cases went to trial -- now less than 3% do so.
Having tried cases all over the United States, Markus is well-positioned to speak to other leading criminal defense lawyers in the country and explore with them the decision they made in a high-profile case to proceed to trial, including their trial strategy, the risks involved, and the clients themselves.
The podcast is currently in Season 6. It has broken news, achieved industry-wide accolades, and is the go to listen for trial lawyers around the country.
CONTACT: info@rakontur.com, DMarkus@markuslaw.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 10, 2020 • 1h 28min
Thomas Mesereau for Michael Jackson
There wasn't a bigger star than Michael Jackson. And there wasn't a bigger trial than People of the State of California v. Michael Jackson, the four and a half month case in Santa Maria, California. The King of Pop needed the absolute best trial lawyer he could find as the stakes couldn't have been higher. Stars lined the audience and the witness stand in a trial with wall-to-wall coverage. The question to be answered at trial: Was Neverland Ranch the site of childhood fantasy or unthinkable nightmares? Everyone had an opinion on how Jackson and his lawyer should defend the case. Tom Mesereau had to put aside the noise and trust what got him there -- his trial lawyer instincts. From picking the jury to cross examining the complaining witnesses to deciding whether to call Michael Jackson himself to the stand, Mesereau made the right decision each and every time despite enormous criticism along the way.
Nov 3, 2020 • 1h 10min
Roy Black for Luis Alvarez
Racial justice is a topic that's on everyone's mind right now. In this episode, David Oscar Markus speaks with famed criminal defense attorney Roy Black about defending a police officer accused of killing a young Black man in the wake of the Arthur McDuffie riot. Roy brings us back to those tense times in the 1980s, which sound a lot like what's occurring today. Roy explains the challenges of representing a police officer who everyone wants to be convicted so that Miami won't burn again.Further reading: Roy wrote a chapter in his book about the Luis Alvarez case: http://www.royblack.com/files/Alvarez.pdf
Oct 27, 2020 • 1h 3min
Donna Rotunno for Harvey Weinstein
In this series premiere episode of "For the Defense," David Oscar Markus speaks with Harvey Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno about defending the biggest case of her career, representing the most hated man in America, fighting an entire movement and dealing with a hostile media, prosecutor, and judge.
