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Opening Arguments

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Mar 30, 2023 • 1h 7min

OA 716: Jim Jordan is Not Alvin Bragg's Daddy

Liz and Andrew break down several developments in the ongoing effort to hold Trump accountable, including the back-and-forth between Jim Jordan's "Committee on Oversight" and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Oh, and is Mike Pence going to testify to Jack Smith's Grand Jury? Listen and find out! Along the way we take a deep dive into Congress's power to conduct investigations, the Tenth Amendment, how bad originalism is, and much, much more! Notes OA 708 https://openargs.com/oa708-stormy-daniels-strikes-back/ Politico: Manhattan Trump grand jury set to break for a month https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/29/manhattan-trump-grand-jury-set-to-break-for-a-month-00089422 AMI non-prosecution agreement https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1119501/download Liz Wonkette https://www.wonkette.com/new-house-committee-to-answer-burning-questions-what-did-nancy-pelosi-coup-and-when-did-she-coup-it Jordan 3/20 Letter to Bragg https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-03-20-jdj-bs-jc-to-bragg-re-trump-investigation.pdf Bragg Response Letter March 23, 2023 https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23720988/20230323-letter-response-from-manhattan-da.pdf Jordan Response Letter March 25 https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-03-25-jdj-bs-jc-to-bragg-re-subpoena-and-response.pdf Watkins v. US, 354 U.S. 178 (1957) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=562722361999206621 -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
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Mar 28, 2023 • 1h 1min

OA715: Fox Blunders Into Dumpster Fire Lawsuit. No, A Different One.

Today, Liz and Andrew break down (former) Fox News producer Abby Grossberg's lawsuit against Fox, and what implications it may have for Dominion's pending $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox. Notes OA 694: Dominion v. Fox: Defamation Suits Are Hard But Shutting Up is Harder https://openargs.com/oa694-dominion-v-fox-defamation-suits-are-hard-but-shutting-up-is-harder/ OA 705: Can Dominion Really Take Down Fox News?? https://openargs.com/oa705-can-dominion-really-take-down-fox-news/ FMLA https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/chapter-28 Upjohn v. US, 449 U.S. 383 (1981) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=5153750416071396937 Front, Inc. v. Khalil, 24 N.Y.3d 713 (2015) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=12991806128851668843 Dominion MSJ https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/redacted-documents-in-dominion-fox-news-case/dca5e3880422426f/full.pdf Fox TRO Motion v. Abby Grossberg https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=qP3YkE2tdjchZ45eMXvjLA== Fox Emergency Motion to Seal https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940.9.0.pdf Order Denying Motion to Seal https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940.11.0.pdf Grossberg Amended Complaint v. Fox https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940.12.0.pdf Grossberg Original Complaint v. Fox https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940/gov.uscourts.nysd.595940.1.0.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
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Mar 27, 2023 • 49min

OA714: Gonna Be Hard for Steve Bannon's Sugar Daddy to Write Those Checks From Prison

Liz and Andrew break down the strange criminal indictment of Guo Wengui a.k.a. a lot of other names, grifter to the stars and patron to Steve Bannon, and discuss the larger implications of the far-right merger with anti-CCP grifters. You won't want to miss it! Notes OA700 https://openargs.com/oa700-rumors-of-trumps-testimony-in-strzok-suit-may-be-greatly-exaggerated/ Steve Wynn indictment https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63317117/attorney-general-of-the-united-states-of-america-v-wynn/ Guo Wengui bankruptcy docket (CT) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ctb.307068/gov.uscourts.ctb.307068.78.0.pdf Guo Wengui indictment https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1574491/download -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
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Mar 24, 2023 • 51min

OA713: State AGs Sue Anthony Fauci For... Booting Them Off Twitter??

With a slight break from Trump, Liz and Andrew turn to the pernicious effects of Trump's many, many appointments to the federal judiciary and how it's almost impossible to distinguish nonsense from reality any more. Specifically, the two break down Missouri v. Biden, an absolutely insane lawsuit that somehow has convinced the attorneys general of two states to sign on with a cavalcade of weirdo anti-vax COVID deniers and losers. We talk about what that development means for the future of the rule of law. Notes OA 25 https://openargs.com/oa25-jill-stein-decide-presidency-no/ OA 689 https://openargs.com/oa689-lawsuit-or-interpretive-dance-why-not-both/ OA 707 https://openargs.com/oa707-peter-navarro-gets-spanked-by-government-in-presidential-records-case-with-major-implications-for-trump/ OA 708 https://openargs.com/oa708-stormy-daniels-strikes-back/ OA 710 https://openargs.com/oa710-lock-him-up/ Doughty opinion in Louisiana v. Becerra (COVID vaccine mandate injunction) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.185837/gov.uscourts.lawd.185837.28.0_1.pdf Missouri v. Biden Complaint https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.84.0.pdf Missouri v. Biden Order Denying Motion to Strike https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.219.0.pdf Missouri v. Biden Plaintiffs’ Supplemental Brief Supporting PI https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.214.0.pdf Missouri v. Biden Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 1 (Proposed Findings of Fact) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.214.1_1.pdf Defendants’ Motion to Strike in Missouri v. Biden https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.219.0.pdf Order in Missouri v. Biden Denying Motion to Strike https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.224.0.pdf Washington Post debunking Media Research Center and “The Polling Company” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/21/lawmakers-cite-fishy-poll-suggest-laptop-tale-would-have-swayed-vote/ Pew Research 2021 survey https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/06/14/facebook-posts-in-early-days-of-biden-administration-reflect-ideological-divide/ -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
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Mar 23, 2023 • 40min

OA712: LOCK HIM UP 3: Rise of the Machines

In our third of three episodes about potential criminal charges against Donald Trump, Liz and Andrew break down recent developments in the Jack Smith grand juries, including an order by Judge Beryl Howell requiring one of Trump's lawyers to testify against him, as well as an update on those other cases. In the Patreon bonus, Liz and Andrew break down the recent Report and Recommendation by Special Master Barbara Jones in the search warrant of James O'Keefe and Project Veritas. Notes OA 710 https://openargs.com/oa710-lock-him-up/ OA 711 https://openargs.com/oa711-lock-him-up-2-the-secret-of-the-ooze/ NY Article 175 https://ypdcrime.com/penal.law/article175.php NY CPL 30.10(2)(b) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/30.10 Bobb certification https://openargs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022.08.30-DOJ-Exhibits.pdf DC Circuit Notice on Preferred Typeface https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf/Content/Announcement+-+Notice+-+Preferred+Typefaces+for+Briefs/$FILE/noticePreferredTypefacesForBriefs.pdf FRAP 35 https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frap/rule_35 Special Master Barbara Jones Report and Recommendation https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.569993/gov.uscourts.nysd.569993.52.0.pdf NYT on Manhattan GJ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/nyregion/trump-grand-jury-delay.html?smid=tw-share -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
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Mar 21, 2023 • 58min

OA711: LOCK HIM UP 2: The Secret of the Ooze

Yesterday, Liz and Andrew brought you a bit of a bummer - but an accurate one - regarding the pending indictment of Donald Trump in New York. Today, they bring you the good news about yet another pending indictment in Fulton County, Georgia and Trump's desperate (and likely failing) attempts to stop it. You won't want to miss it! Notes Anna Bower Lawfare explainer https://www.lawfareblog.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-georgia-special-purpose-grand-juries-were-afraid-ask Atlanta Journal-Constitiution interview with foreperson https://www.ajc.com/politics/exclusive-behind-the-scenes-of-the-trump-grand-jury/6CXLKTFMKNDU7O6TER4B7UTZPE/ Georgia RICO statute, Title 16, Chapter 14 https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2021/title-16/chapter-14/ Ga. Code 16-14-3 https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2021/title-16/chapter-14/section-16-14-3/ Ga. Code 16-10-20 https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2021/title-16/chapter-10/article-2/section-16-10-20/ Trump motion to quash https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23718113-ex-parte-fulton-county-grand-jury-03-20-2023-102331-37306996-f8b43da6-144b-4544-ab53-4095c1c5f36d State v. Lampl, 770 S.E.2d 629 (Ga. 2015) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13555564276998303856 Connally v. General Construction Co., 269 U.S. 385, 391 (1926) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9143673394692693115 Reno v. ACLU, 521 U.S. 844 (1997) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1557224836887427725 Skilling v. U.S., 561 U.S. 358 (2010) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6709078768346680936 State v. Bartel, 479 S.E.2d 4 (1996) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2075548165303328436 Kenerly v. State, 715 S.E.2d 688 (Ga. App. 2011) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3363311285530927015 -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  
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Mar 20, 2023 • 1h 1min

OA710: LOCK HIM UP (?!)

THIS IS IT! Liz and Andrew answer all your legal questions regarding the anticipated imminent indictment of Donald Trump. Notes OA 708 https://openargs.com/oa708-stormy-daniels-strikes-back/ OA 621 https://openargs.com/oa621-the-fbi-goes-to-mar-a-lago-this-is-big/ 18 U.S.C. § 2071 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071 NY Section 570  https://ypdcrime.com/cpl/article570.php  CPL 190.50 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/190.50 18 U.S. Code § 3056 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3056 Tekni-Plex v. Meyner & Landis, 674 NE 2d 663 (NY 1996) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10926959041167260833 Liz ATL on Tacopina https://abovethelaw.com/2023/03/trump-lawyer-joseph-tacopina-formerly-consulted-with-stormy-daniels-whoopsie/ Rice and Nuzzi New York Magazine article https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/hunter-biden-laptop-investigation.html Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Who Can Be President of the United States?: Candidate Hillary Clinton and the Problem of Statutory Qualifications,’ 5(1) British Journal of American Legal Studies 95 (2016) (peer review) Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Secretary Clinton Can Relax Because Section 2071 Disqualification Does Not Apply to the Presidency: A Response to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Cause of Action (with a Short Reply from Attorney General Mukasey)’ (2015) -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law –Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and share our videos! -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
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Mar 17, 2023 • 45min

OA709: The Law of "March Madness!"

Today, Liz and Andrew take a break from the world of politics (except for Patrons) to bring you the history and law surrounding "March Madness," including whether it was legal to fill out your bracket and how the NCAA approaches its trademarks. Along the way, we'll learn how the current right-wing Supreme Court is going to use a gambling decision to further its activist agenda. If you like basketball -- and even if you don't! -- you won't want to miss it! The Patreon bonus is all about Jenna Ellis and Trump's legal team, and Liz brings the funny. Notes NBC Sports, History of March Madness https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/where-did-march-madness-name-come NCAA Trademarks https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2013/12/2/ncaa-trademarks.aspx 15 U.S.C. § 1125 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1125 Kizzang lawsuit https://dlbjbjzgnk95t.cloudfront.net/0899000/899955/https-ecf-insd-uscourts-gov-doc1-07315826374.pdf Mitchell Stabbe https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2023/03/articles/march-madness-and-advertising-use-of-ncaa-trademarks-2023-update-part-1/ NCAA Brackets guidelines https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/images/2021/10/12/2021-22_Use_of_NCAA_Championship_Brackets_and_Limits_on_Advertising.pdf 28 U.S.C. § 3701 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/part-VI/chapter-178 49 U.S. Code § 41713 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/41713 Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 138 S. Ct. 1461 (2018) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6336903476694992840 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law –Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and share our videos! -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
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Mar 16, 2023 • 46min

OA708: Stormy Daniels Strikes Back!

Today, Liz and Andrew tackle the rumors swirling around the Manhattan DA's office that Donald Trump is about to be indicted in connection with the 2016 payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Will Stormy indeed be the one to take down Trump? Listen and find out! In the Patreon bonus, Liz and Andrew update you on Alex Jones's bankruptcies. Notes OA 154: Stormy Daniels is a Legal Genius! https://openargs.com/oa154-stormy-daniels-is-a-legal-genius/ DB Story https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-an-offer-to-testify-before-a-new-york-grand-jury-signals-trouble-for-trump Karen McDougal story https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/23/596257288/former-playboy-model-spills-alleged-affair-details-trump-tried-to-pay-her AMI non-prosecution agreement https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1119501/download 52 U.S.C., Subchapter I https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/subtitle-III/chapter-301/subchapter-I  NY Penal Law 175.05 https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2022/pen/part-3/title-k/article-175/175-05/ New York Penal Law 65.10 https://casetext.com/statute/consolidated-laws-of-new-york/chapter-penal/part-2-sentences/title-e-sentences/article-65-sentences-of-probation-conditional-discharge-and-unconditional-discharge/section-6510-conditions-of-probation-and-of-conditional-discharge N.Y. Penal Law 255.17 https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2022/pen/part-3/title-o/article-255/255-17/ NY CPL 30.10 https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/30.10 11 USC § 523 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/523 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and share our videos! -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
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Mar 14, 2023 • 53min

OA707: Peter Navarro Gets Spanked By Government In Presidential Records Case With Major Implications For Trump

Today, Liz and Andrew break down the DOJ's sweeping win "in replevin" against Trump loyalist goon Peter Navarro. What's replevin? Why do we care? Listen and find out for this case that has significant implications for the Presidential Records Act, which in turn may have significant implications for any former Presidents who have refused to give back their Presidential records. We begin with a terrifying development in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, currently on the desk of Liz's sworn enemy, Judge Kacsmaryk. Notes Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. the FDA https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65768749/alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-v-us-food-and-drug-administration/?order_by=desc Cato Institute on Navarro https://www.cato.org/commentary/spectacular-economic-ignorance-peter-navarro Presidential Records Act, 44 U.S.C. § 2201 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/44/chapter-22 Stern Letter to Navarro  https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941.1.4_1.pdf DOJ Civil Division Letter to Navarro https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941.1.6_1.pdf Irving Letter https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941/gov.uscourts.dcd.245941.1.5_3.pdf US v. Dean, 989 F.2d 1205 (D.C. Cir. 1993) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1562611946262688408 Fisher v. United States, 425 U.S. 391 (1976) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10520682160164643446 -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Subscribe to the YouTube Channel and share our videos! -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!

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