Opening Arguments cover image

Opening Arguments

Latest episodes

undefined
Jun 26, 2023 • 56min

OA766: ChatGPT Lawyers Skate As Judge Cannon Prepares to Ratf*ck Trump Prosecution

undefined
Jun 23, 2023 • 1h 4min

OA765: Kathy Griffin SLAPPs Back At Being Sued in Faraway Places (feat. Ari Cohn)

Liz and Andrew welcome First Amendment lawyer Ari Cohn to help break down an important lawsuit involving Kathy Griffin, personal jurisdiction, and frivolous SLAPP lawsuits. NOTESJohnson v. Griffin Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63264613/johnson-v-griffin/ Johnson v. Griffin Complaint https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.90242/gov.uscourts.tnmd.90242.1.0.pdf Trial Court Opinion https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.90242/gov.uscourts.tnmd.90242.32.0.pdf TechFreedom writeup https://techfreedom.org/protect-internet-users-from-slapps-techfreedom-tells-sixth-circuit/ -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 22, 2023 • 49min

OA 764: ProPublica Reveals Sam Alito Is Exactly As Corrupt As You Thought He Was

Liz and Andrew break down the bombshell ProPublica article about Samuel Alito's corruption, and along the way remind you of the right wing's complicity in the false narrative that abortion violence is a "both sides" issue. It isn't. Notes OA 749 https://openargs.com/oa749-clarence-thomas-grifts-kari-lake-sinks-stewart-rhodes-comes-to-the-end/ OA 739 https://openargs.com/oa739-5-million-says-mike-lindell-is-full-of-stuffing/ ProPublica, “Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court,” https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court ProPublica on Thomas/Crow  https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow DOJ, Recent Cases on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers https://www.justice.gov/crt/recent-cases-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers DOJ, Anti-Abortion Violence Movement Increases (1996) https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/anti-abortion-violence-movement-increases Ruth Sent Us www.ruthsent.us Jane’s Revenge Superseding Indictment https://www.justice.gov/d9/press-releases/attachments/2023/03/29/unsealed_superseding_indictment_0.pdf 5 U.S.C. § 13104 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/13104 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 20, 2023 • 50min

OA763: Did Merrick Garland Treat Donald Trump With Kid Gloves? Does It Matter?

Liz and Andrew lead off with the blockbuster Washington Post story that the FBI and DOJ had to be browbeaten into investigating Donald Trump. After that, the duo tackle a bunch of stories surrounding the Trump indictments, including developments in both the Florida and New York cases, Rudy Giuliani being a jerk, and much, much more. In the Patreon bonus, Andrew and Liz duo answer one of your burning questions: how exactly is the Trump documents case going to go to trial if only a handful of people can see the documents he's charged with having willfully retained? The answer is the Classified Information Procedures Act, and we start to break it down for you! Notes FBI resisted opening probe into Trump’s role in Jan. 6 for more than a year https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/06/19/fbi-resisted-opening-probe-into-trumps-role-jan-6-more-than-year/ Freeman/Moss Motion to Compel https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720.65.0.pdf Giuliani May 30 Motion for Reconsideration https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720.61.0.pdf Freeman/Moss Opposition https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720/gov.uscourts.dcd.238720.64.0.pdf Trump Indictment https://www.justice.gov/storage/US_v_Trump-Nauta_23-80101.pdf CIPA, 18 U.S.C. Section 96-456 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18a/compiledact-96-456 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 19, 2023 • 59min

OA762: Trump's Lawyers So Confident of Their Case They All Quit At Once

Liz and Andrew first discuss developments in the other Trump indictment -- remember that one in New York? After that, they break down the breakdown in Trump's legal team. Happy Father's Day! Notes  NY Penal Law 175.10 https://casetext.com/statute/consolidated-laws-of-new-york/chapter-penal/part-3-specific-offenses/title-k-offenses-involving-fraud/article-175-offenses-involving-false-written-statements/section-17510-falsifying-business-records-in-the-first-degree GA Code 21-2-562 https://casetext.com/statute/code-of-georgia/title-21-elections/chapter-2-elections-and-primaries-generally/article-15-miscellaneous-offenses/section-21-2-562-fraudulent-entries-unlawful-alteration-or-destruction-of-entries-unlawful-removal-of-documents-neglect-or-refusal-to-deliver-documents Bragg Motion to Remand https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311.19.0.pdf Trump Lawyers Consider Revenge for Former Colleague https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-lawyers-consider-revenge-for-former-colleague  Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Tillman on Plagiarism in the Trump Litigation Briefs,’ New Reform Club (June 16, 2023, 13:55 PM) https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2023/06/tillman-on-plagiarism-in-trump.html -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 16, 2023 • 57min

OA761: Judge Cannon Prepares to Do Trump a Solid, As Republicans Aim to Kneecap Biden

It's a grab bag of stories, mostly Trump-adjacent. After some great news on judges, Liz explains that the House GOP is so desperate to smear President Biden they've made like Rudy Giuliani and leaked. Stick around for the end, when the duo breaks down exactly what can (and can't!) be done about Judge Aileen Cannon, FSW. In the Patreon bonus, Liz and Andrew discuss a recent Judge Cannon order in some detail. Notes Dep’t of Commerce v. New York, 139 S.Ct. 2551 (2019) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2540889926931166997 Ho Letter https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gdpzymywgvw/ho-letter-lawfirms.pdf  Trump search warrant docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/64872441/united-states-v-sealed-search-warrant/ Trump Mar-a-Lago search warrant https://openargs.com/wp-content/uploads/Reinhart-Mar-a-Lago-less-redacted-affidavit.pdf Sample Warrant https://evawintl.org/wp-content/uploads/18-Appendix-B-Search-Warrants.pdf Comer Subpoena Wray https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Grassley-Comer-letter.pdf  28 U.S.C. § 455 - Recusal Statute https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/455 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 15, 2023 • 1h 5min

OA760: Trump's Arraignment - Judge Aileen Cannon Returns to the Scene of the Crime (feat. Mitchell Epner)

Liz and Andrew welcome back Mitchell Epner to the show to break down today's indictment of Donald Trump & Walt Nauta... and also figure out just how much mischief Judge Aileen Cannon can cause. -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com  
undefined
Jun 13, 2023 • 1h 17min

OA759: The "Socks" Case - Don't Take Legal Advice From Judicial Watch! (feat. Kel McClanahan)

Republicans are saying that the "Clinton sock drawer case" - Judicial Watch v. NARA - means that Trump didn't violate the Espionage Act and can just declare anything he wants to be a "personal" record. That's nonsense, of course. Notes Judicial Watch, Inc. v. National Archives and Records Administration, 845 F.Supp.2d 288 (D.D.C.2012) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15818036517066124081 Donate to National Security Counselors! https://donate.democracyengine.com/NationalSecurityCounselors/contribute OR https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QQY2ZQMWC6PX6 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 11, 2023 • 1h 9min

OA758: Re-Indicted And It Feels So Good!

THIS IS IT! Liz and Andrew break down the federal indictment of Donald Trump in connection with his retention of Presidential documents. This is your guide to everything so you'll stay one step ahead of the media coverage. Notes Jack Smith appointment order https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1552896/download Fed. R. Crim. Pro. 6 https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_6 Trump docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67490070/united-states-v-trump/ Trump Indictment https://www.justice.gov/storage/US_v_Trump-Nauta_23-80101.pdf -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
undefined
Jun 9, 2023 • 59min

OA757: Did Oklahoma Just Hand Public Education Over To St. Isidore?

Yes, this was recorded before the Trump indictment!   Liz and Andrew take a deep dive into the last stand of the separation of church and state as Oklahoma formally lets the Catholic Church run a public school. Notes OA 256 https://openargs.com/oa256-the-bladensburg-cross/ OA 295 https://openargs.com/oa295-a-bladensburg-post-mortem-with-monica-miller/ OA 608 https://openargs.com/oa608-forget-church-state-separation-scotus-mandates-christian-favoritism/ Lemon v. Kurtzman https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6993086659963510613 American Legion v. American Humanist Associationhttps://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/17-1717_4f14.pdf CDS cert petition https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/zdvxomkmnpx/frankel-peltiervcharterday--certpetition.pdf Biden opp cert https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-238/267405/20230522154832551_Charter%20Day%20School%20CVSG%20No.%2022-238.pdf Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, § 70-3-136 https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/2022/title-70/section-70-3-136/ Henry Abbot testimony, NC Ratifying Convention https://archive.csac.history.wisc.edu/henry_abbot7.30.pdf Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board meeting minutes https://svcsb.ok.gov/board-meetings -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs -Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode