Breakdown

By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

What's Breakdown about?

True crime investigations from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Veteran legal affairs journalist Bill Rankin takes you inside the courtroom to break down the story and the criminal justice system. This award-winning series investigates Georgia’s most important cases with fact-based reporting. Season 9 focuses on the historic special grand jury investigation of former President Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia, led by District Attorney Fani Willis. Learn more about our reporting at ajc.com/breakdown.

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S9 Ep 27: Inside the Specia...

03.20.2023

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast recaps exclusive interviews with five of the special purpose grand jurors who investigated possible criminal meddling with the 2020 presidential election. The jurors — three men and two women — shared ...

Breakdown episodes:

03.20.2023 S9 Ep 27: Inside the Special Grand Jury The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast recaps exclusive interviews with five of the special purpose grand jurors who investigated possible criminal meddling with the 2020 presidential election. The jurors — three men and two women — shared ...
03.01.2023 S9 Ep. 26: The Forewoman Emerges In a lengthy interview, Emily Kohrs, forewoman of the Fulton County special purpose grand jury, says the panel has recommended indictments. “It’s not a short list,” Kohrs, 30, said. Kohrs first emerged in an article published by The Associated Press ...
02.22.2023 S9 Ep. 25: Reading Between the Lines After mulling it over for three weeks, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney decided to release three sections of the report, concluding "the compelling public interest in these proceedings and the unquestionable value and importance of transparency require their ...
02.17.2023 S9 Ep. 24: The Fulton special grand jury report In this special crossover edition of the Politically Georgia and Breakdown podcasts from The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, AJC journalists Patricia Murphy, Bill Rankin, and Tamar Hallerman explain the final report released Thursday from the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating ...
01.27.2023 S9 Ep. 23: Decisions Are Imminent A court hearing is held as to whether the Fulton County special purpose grand jury’s final report can be made public right now. The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the hearing. Episode 23 – “Decisions ...
01.17.2023 S9 Ep. 22: Its Work Is Done The Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies has finished its work. In an order signed Jan. 9, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said the special grand jury had finished writing its final ...
12.23.2022 S9 Ep. 21 Presentments As the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigation winds down, it’s highly likely it is putting together its report and recommendations, formally called a presentment. The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores prior presentments issued ...
12.06.2022 S9 Ep. 20 Breakdown Bonus: It's all politics Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has legal, practical and political considerations to consider as she investigates former President Donald Trump and his allies for alleged meddling with the 2020 election. To explore the latter consideration, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown ...
11.22.2022 S9 Ep. 19: The Referee Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney says his oversight of the special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies has been "quite a ride." Episode 19 of the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown ...
11.15.2022 S9 Ep. 18: Eastman's prophecy In an email sent Dec. 31, 2020, attorney John Eastman shared a thought with fellow members of then-President Donald Trump’s legal team. “I have no doubt that an aggressive DA or U.S. Attorney some place will go after both the ...
11.01.2022 S9 Ep.17: What Trump knew Could testimony from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack help Fulton prosecutors prove criminal intent? The 17th episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's podcast "Breakdown — The Trump Grand Jury" looks at the testimony from the House Select ...
10.25.2022 S9 Ep 16: The Phony Slate When 16 Georgia Republicans met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, they cast Electoral College votes for Donald Trump, who had not won the state’s presidential election. The 16th episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast – “The ...
10.18.2022 S9 Ep 15: It's Newt's turn The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast focuses on new out-of-state material witness subpoenas issued by the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies. The most notable to receive them are ...
10.11.2022 S9 Ep 14: Breakdown Bonus with the AJC's Bill Torpy and Patricia Murphy The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores court filings that suggest a criminal investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies has reached a new, more sensitive stage. The bonus episode also includes podcast hosts Bill ...
10.04.2022 S9 Ep 13: Who's Rico? The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act has been on the books for more than half a century, and Georgia’s version was enacted in 1980. The 13th episode of Season Nine of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast — “The Trump ...
09.27.2022 S9 Ep 12: Breakdown Bonus: What happened in Coffee County, Georgia The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast takes a close look at the data breach at the Coffee County elections office which occurred one day after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Podcast hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar ...
09.16.2022 S9 Ep. 11: Will Trump be invited? Will Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis subpoena former President Donald Trump before the special purpose grand jury? So far, Willis has sent out-of-state witness subpoenas to Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows; close ally Lindsey Graham, the U.S. ...
09.07.2022 S9 Ep 10: Closing In The Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigation is closing in on former President Donald Trump. Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff and close advisor, has been served an out-of-state witness subpoena to appear before the grand jury. The ...
08.25.2022 S9 Ep 9: The Pinball Machine AJC journalists Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman focus on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's grand jury appearance and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's attempts to avoid his testimony by the Fulton County special purpose grand jury of former President Donald ...
08.17.2022 S9 Ep 8: Trump’s new legal team Former President Donald Trump has assembled a legal team to defend him before the Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating possible meddling that occurred in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election. The eighth episode of “The Trump ...
08.01.2022 S9 Ep 7: Planting the seeds of truth The public release of the recording of the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call from then-President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was the impetus for what is now an ongoing special purpose grand jury investigation. Raffensperger and a ...
07.25.2022 S9 Ep 6: One for the history books One sitting president was placed under arrest for speeding. Two former presidents came extremely close to being indicted, one from an investigation arising from the Watergate scandal, the other from the Whitewater controversy. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters Bill Rankin and Tamar ...
07.18.2022 S9, Ep 5: The out-of-state witness subpoenas The fifth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, recaps a busy period for the special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies. There are a flurry of ...
07.11.2022 S9, Ep. 4: A Guilty Mind? The fourth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on criminal intent as part of the podcast’s continuing coverage of the Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating what ...
07.08.2022 S5, Ep. 12 The Tex McIver Case: Georgia Supreme Court strikes again The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast drops a special episode on Friday for Season 5: “The Tex McIver Case.” McIver, an Atlanta lawyer, was convicted of murder during a trial in Fulton County for killing his wife on Sept. 25, 2016. ...
07.04.2022 S9, Ep. 3: Is there a criminal case? Is there a criminal case to be brought against former President Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia following the 2020 presidential election? The third episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta ...
06.30.2022 S2 Ep. 18: A Momentous Decision This is the murder case against Justin Ross Harris, who left his 22-month-old son Cooper to die in a hot car on June 18, 2014. Harris, a Home Depot web developer, took Cooper that morning to Little Apron Academy, the ...
06.27.2022 S9, Ep. 2: A force of nature The second episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on the woman who is overseeing the investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis ...
06.20.2022 S9, Ep. 1: The January 2nd phone call Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was sitting in his kitchen on the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2021, when he received a phone call from the White House. President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and some of his lawyers ...
04.29.2022 S9, Ep. 0: Breakdown Season 9 - Coming June 20th The phone call from the White House came in at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2021. Then President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and his lawyers were on the line talking to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and ...
01.16.2022 S08, Ep. 19: Life in prison In an emotional hearing, Judge Timothy Walmsley has the last word as he sentences Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and Roddie Bryan for killing Ahmaud Arbery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
01.09.2022 S04, Ep 7: Devonia Inman is a free man After 23 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction, Devonia Inman is finally free. Here are the improbable events that led to his release, and what Inman has to say about his experience. Plus, the new Cook County district ...
11.29.2021 S08, Ep. 18: 'We have a verdict' After about 10 hours of deliberation, the jury hearing the case against the three men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery reached its verdict. The 18th episode of Season 8 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the verdict’s ...
11.22.2021 S08, Ep. 17: Ahmaud Arbery's killer takes the witness stand It isn’t often a defendant takes the witness stand with his life on the line. But Travis McMichael did just that last week. He might as well have had the life of his father, Greg McMichael, on the line, too. ...
11.15.2021 S08, Ep. 16: 'We don't want any more Black pastors' The Atlanta-Journal Constitution's Bill Rankin, Asia Burns and Shaddi Abusaid are in Brunswick to follow developments in the first full week in the trial of the three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's killing. The jury heard from the owner of ...
11.08.2021 S08, Ep. 15: 11 white jurors, one Black juror Jury selection in the trial of three men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery concluded amid controversy inside and outside the courtroom. Following that, the state and lawyers for Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael gave powerful opening ...
11.01.2021 SO8, Ep. 14, We’re almost there The second week of jury selection ended with the end in sight. It is expected that 64 Glynn County residents will be qualified into a pool from which 12 jurors and four alternates will soon be chosen. Learn more about ...
10.25.2021 SO8, Ep. 13, Jurors express some strong opinions Jury selection for the murder trial of the three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's death is underway in Brunswick and many prospective jurors have expressed very strong opinions. Join host Bill Rankin as he unpacks the first week of jury ...
10.17.2021 SO8, Ep. 12, The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial begins The trial for the three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery will begin Oct. 18, almost 20 months to the day after he was shot and killed. Join host Bill Rankin ahead of what is expected to be ...
09.20.2021 SO8, Ep. 11, A fourth defendant is indicted A grand jury has indicted a former Glynn County district attorney, saying she violated her oath of office while responding to Ahmaud Arbery's death. Join host Bill Rankin as he takes a closer look at the indictment and explores the ...
06.02.2021 SO8, Ep.10: The defense makes its case During a hearing, the attorneys for the men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery formally asked a judge to allow evidence about the slain man's past before a jury. But that's not the only major update in the case. ...
04.21.2021 S08, Ep. 9: Is Ahmaud's imperfect past relevant? The lawyers for one of the three men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a judge to allow information about Arbery's past run-ins with the law to be entered into evidence. Join host Bill Rankin as he ...
02.23.2021 SO8, Ep.8: He ran. And ran. And ran. Join host Bill Rankin on the one-year anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery's death as he explores who the man was in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
01.18.2021 S08, Ep. 7: The immediate aftermath Just moments after Travis McMichael killed Ahmaud Arbery with three shotgun blasts, one Glynn County police officer after another arrived at the bloody scene. The seventh episode of Season 8 of the AJC’s “Breakdown” podcast focuses on recently released bodycam ...
11.24.2020 S08, Ep. 6: The McMichaels plead for bond Father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael were denied bond after a two-day hearing in Brunswick, Ga. Join host Bill Rankin as he recounts what happened at the hearing -- and explores what led the judge to deny bond for ...
10.19.2020 SO8, Ep5: The Elephant in the Room Prosecutors building a case against the three men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery have passed several motions regarding what evidence can be submitted in court. Meanwhile, the contention that gunman Travis McMichael uttered a racial epithet while standing ...
09.21.2020 SO8, Ep.4: Father and Son Since Ahmaud Arbery's death, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael have been condemned by many as racist vigilantes who targeted a Black man running down their street. Attorneys for the men claim that is far from true. Join host ...
08.24.2020 S08, Ep3: How Georgia lets citizens arrest fellow citizens An attorney for one of the three men accused of chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery in February says the group's actions are legally justifiable by a law dating back all the way to the 1860s. Meanwhile, Georgia's legislature is considering ...
06.11.2020 S08, Ep2: Preliminary Hearing Protests in Atlanta attract national attention as a preliminary hearing in Brunswick begins. During the probable cause hearing, there is only one witness: the lead investigator on the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
05.27.2020 S08, Ep1: The Ahmaud Arbery case A tragic shooting has thrust coastal Georgia onto the national scene. On Feb. 23, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American man, was shot three times in a neighborhood near Brunswick, where he was confronted by two white men. The video of ...

Older episodes

Breakdown

What's Breakdown about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Breakdown episodes:

S9 Ep 27: Inside the Special Grand Jury

S9 Ep. 26: The Forewoman Emerges

S9 Ep. 25: Reading Between the Lines

S9 Ep. 24: The Fulton special grand jury report

S9 Ep. 23: Decisions Are Imminent

S9 Ep. 22: Its Work Is Done

S9 Ep. 21 Presentments

S9 Ep. 20 Breakdown Bonus: It's all politics

S9 Ep. 19: The Referee

S9 Ep. 18: Eastman's prophecy

S9 Ep.17: What Trump knew

S9 Ep 16: The Phony Slate

S9 Ep 15: It's Newt's turn

S9 Ep 14: Breakdown Bonus with the AJC's Bill Torpy and Patricia Murphy

S9 Ep 13: Who's Rico?

S9 Ep 12: Breakdown Bonus: What happened in Coffee County, Georgia

S9 Ep. 11: Will Trump be invited?

S9 Ep 10: Closing In

S9 Ep 9: The Pinball Machine

S9 Ep 8: Trump’s new legal team

S9 Ep 7: Planting the seeds of truth

S9 Ep 6: One for the history books

S9, Ep 5: The out-of-state witness subpoenas

S9, Ep. 4: A Guilty Mind?

S5, Ep. 12 The Tex McIver Case: Georgia Supreme Court strikes again

S9, Ep. 3: Is there a criminal case?

S2 Ep. 18: A Momentous Decision

S9, Ep. 2: A force of nature

S9, Ep. 1: The January 2nd phone call

S9, Ep. 0: Breakdown Season 9 - Coming June 20th

S08, Ep. 19: Life in prison

S04, Ep 7: Devonia Inman is a free man

S08, Ep. 18: 'We have a verdict'

S08, Ep. 17: Ahmaud Arbery's killer takes the witness stand

S08, Ep. 16: 'We don't want any more Black pastors'

S08, Ep. 15: 11 white jurors, one Black juror

SO8, Ep. 14, We’re almost there

SO8, Ep. 13, Jurors express some strong opinions

SO8, Ep. 12, The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial begins

SO8, Ep. 11, A fourth defendant is indicted

SO8, Ep.10: The defense makes its case

S08, Ep. 9: Is Ahmaud's imperfect past relevant?

SO8, Ep.8: He ran. And ran. And ran.

S08, Ep. 7: The immediate aftermath

S08, Ep. 6: The McMichaels plead for bond

SO8, Ep5: The Elephant in the Room

SO8, Ep.4: Father and Son

S08, Ep3: How Georgia lets citizens arrest fellow citizens

S08, Ep2: Preliminary Hearing

S08, Ep1: The Ahmaud Arbery case