Trial Tapes
Season 1
by Trial Tapes
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. For fifty-eight years, the "separate but equal" doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson had allowed states to keep Black and white children in different schools. This episode traces the legal strategy of Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP, the arguments before the Court, and the decision that changed America. Trial Tapes breaks down real court opinions into dramatic, accessible stories. New episodes every week. Search "Trial Tapes" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
A homeowner in a planned community outside Nashville left a gate open and let a fence fall into disrepair. The HOA sued. What followed was a years-long legal battle over property rights, restrictive covenants, and how far a homeowners association can go to enforce its rules. Trial Tapes breaks down real court opinions into dramatic, accessible stories. New episodes every week. Search "Trial Tapes" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
More than a decade after a jury convicted him of rape, Brian Jury tried to force the courts to DNA-test the evidence and reopen his case by claiming the sex was consensual. This episode traces his long legal battle through post-conviction relief motions, procedural barriers, and the court's ultimate decision that he had simply run out of chances to be heard. Trial Tapes breaks down real court opinions into dramatic, accessible stories. New episodes every week. Search "Trial Tapes" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University sued the federal government over access to public records. A federal court in Washington, DC weighed whether the First Amendment requires the government to be transparent about how it makes decisions that affect all of us. Trial Tapes reads the ruling and examines what it means for press freedom, public accountability, and the right to know.
The opioid crisis produced thousands of lawsuits. This one asks a different question: when a pharmacy chain faces billions in liability, does the insurance policy actually cover it? The Delaware Supreme Court took up In Re CVS Opioid Insurance Litigation and issued a ruling that could reshape how corporate insurance works for the next wave of mass tort cases. Trial Tapes reads the opinion.
Oklahoma challenged the EPA all the way to the Supreme Court, arguing the agency overstepped its authority in regulating air pollution that crosses state lines. Trial Tapes reads the opinions, traces the oral arguments, and examines the tension between state sovereignty and federal environmental regulation in a case that reshaped the Clean Air Act.
The SEC accused a trader of insider dealing and took the case to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Trial Tapes reads the opinions, traces the evidence the government put forward, and examines how the appellate court weighed the line between a lucky trade and a crime. A case about what the government has to prove and how far a tip can travel before it becomes illegal.
Between 2019 and 2020, hackers stole payment card data from more than 850 Wawa convenience stores across the East Coast. The breach exposed roughly 30 million cards. A massive class action followed, and a federal appeals court in the Third Circuit had to decide whether the settlement was fair. Trial Tapes walks through the breach, the lawsuit, and what the court ruled about who gets paid and how much.
A child is hurt during a police encounter in Las Vegas. The family sues. The officers invoke qualified immunity. A federal appeals court in the Ninth Circuit weighs whether the force used was excessive and whether the law was clearly established enough to hold anyone accountable. Trial Tapes examines the facts, the legal doctrine, and the line between protection and impunity.
Can a work of art created entirely by artificial intelligence be copyrighted? The U.S. Copyright Office says no. One man has been fighting that answer through the federal courts for years. Trial Tapes breaks down Perlmutter v. Blanche, the DC Circuit case that could define the legal boundary between human creativity and machine output for a generation.