In this Case Brief, we talk defamation and Sullivan v. New York Times, the Supreme Court decision that reshaped defamation law. But you can’t talk about defamation without first talking about the First Amendment. We begin by breaking down the scope of the First Amendment, including the protections—and limits—of the Free Speech Clause.

We then turn to the historical background of the case and the United States in the early 1960s. Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, we examine how a single full-page New York Times advertisement supporting Martin Luther King Jr., and the Greensboro Four Woolworth sit-ins, triggered a coordinated effort by Alabama officials to sue Northern newspapers for defamation in an attempt to silence criticism from the North.

Finally, we dive into the Alabama jury trial that resulted in a verdict for Sullivan and an award equivalent to nearly $3 million against the New York Times and we read one of the craziest f-ing things ever said by a trial judge from the bench. Join us as we unpack the case that explains why public figures cannot sue their way out of criticism, and why the First Amendment still matters even when speech untrue.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

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Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

In the conclusion of our Donaldson v. O’Connor Case Brief, we break down the Supreme Court’s narrow but powerful ruling: the government cannot lock away a non-dangerous person simply because they are mentally ill, different, or inconvenient. We explore the Fifth Circuit’s controversial “quid pro quo” theory and the rejection of the “quid pro quo” theory, and the Court’s ultimate focus on liberty and due process over treatment.

Join us as we dive in and examine the Supreme Court’s language about freedom, stigma, and public intolerance, due process, and what the decision in Donaldson v. O’Connor did and did not change with respect to the civil commitment of non-dangerous, non-violent mentally ill individuals, and whether it is fair to hold the doctors personally liable for the understaffing and failure of the government to provide for individuals in state-run mental institutions.

This episode is about protections of the constitution, institutional power, and the uncomfortable truth that without due process protections, anyone could lose their freedom.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

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Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

In this episode, we dive into the haunting true story behind Donaldson v. O’Connor — the landmark civil rights case that exposed how the state can strip someone of freedom who was never dangerous and committed no crime. From brutal 1950s psychiatric institutions to constitutional law, we discuss how Kenneth Donaldson was civilly committed, denied care, ignored by doctors, and trapped for 14 years in a Florida mental hospital rife with abuse, where he received no treatment. But he fought back.

Join us to discuss involuntary commitment, due process, constitutional power, civil liberties, and how Donaldson’s fight resulted in protections for everyone who may have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

This Gossip Corner, we chat about Sean Combs: The Reckoning, the Netflix documentary produced by 50 Cent that shot to the top of the charts. We walk through the series from start to finish—from Combs’s childhood and rise at Uptown and Bad Boy Records to the deaths, feuds, and allegations that have followed him for decades. 

We react to the documentary’s exploration of Sean Combs’ background, lawsuit, the interviews with former insiders, artists, and associates, and the claims tying Combs to industry violence, intimidation, and long-buried secrets. We also get into the most jaw-dropping moments, the people who chose to speak on camera, and why this documentary feels less like a single scandal and more like a reckoning years in the making.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

In the final Karen Read episode (for now!) we discuss the current status of O’Keefe v. Read and Read v. Everyone. We break down the discovery disputes in O’Keefe v. Read, including Read’s attempts to obtain all documents found on former Trooper Proctor’s phone and to depose Proctor, as well as the O’Keefes’ motion to force Karen Read to change her answer about who she believes killed John O’Keefe at 34 Fairview Road. We then discuss how and why the police officers sued by Karen Read moved that case to federal court. And yes—we’re sad there will be no cameras in the courtroom, too!

Tune in and let us know what you think about where this case is headed—and whether you believe the truth is finally getting closer.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

In this episode, we go back in time to look at the statements made before and after Karen Read’s trial about the cause of John O’Keefe’s death, before the FBI got involved—statements that have since aged very poorly, turned out to be completely wrong, and, in hindsight, were incredibly foolish.

We also dig into the FBI investigation into the Canton police and what the FBI concluded happened to John O’Keefe, and what didn’t happen—like being struck by a car. Then we give an update on the consequences for those involved in the bungled investigation. Spoiler: the consequences don’t exactly match the actions, except for Proctor, who both got what he deserved and was used as a scapegoat for the Canton police.

This episode is part legal analysis, part historical analysis, and part two best friends just trying to understand how a police department could be this bad at investigating the death of one of their own. Tune in and tell us your thoughts on this wild case!

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

In this episode we read through Karen Read’s civil complaint, laying out the alleged conspiracy to violate her constitutional rights, what she claims happened to John O’Keefe, the shifting stories, hidden late-night calls, missing evidence, and an investigation that never truly investigated.

We discuss the cover-up alleged in the complaint step by step—including the 2:27 a.m. search, “hos long to die in cold,” the hidden late-night phone calls, and the inverted sallyport video. Then we explain why details like these sit at the core of Karen Read’s Section 1983 and conspiracy claims.

Follow along as we unpack the filings, facts, and legal drama in Karen Read’s civil case.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

The criminal case is over—and now Karen Read is fighting back. In this episode, we break down her explosive civil lawsuit accusing Massachusetts State Police and the so-called “House Defendants” of violating her constitutional rights and conspiring to frame her for John O’Keefe’s death.

We unpack the federal powerhouse behind her claims—Section 1983—how it works when police allegedly abuse their authority, and why qualified immunity so often protects officers even when things go terribly wrong. We also walk through the jaw-dropping opening of the complaint, where her attorneys lay out a clear, methodical innocence narrative and alleged cover-up.

We continue to follow along with the civil case that could finally answer what the criminal system didn’t: what really happened, and who should be held accountable.

The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home 

Welcome back to Gossip Corner — where Real Housewives drama goes from Bravo to federal prison. We're breaking down the rise, fall, and shockingly early release of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah. From designer meltdowns and an $80,000 birthday party to the infamous line “The only thing I’m guilty of is being Shah-mazing” — spoiler: that wasn’t true.

We unpack the Sprinter van arrest, the nationwide telemarketing fraud targeting elderly victims, and why federal prosecutors said Jen wasn’t just involved — she was running the scheme. Along the way, we spill the legal tea on wire fraud, conspiracy, intent, and how she kept filming reality TV while under federal indictment.

Please note that the information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer-client relationship. It is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home

Welcome back to another Case Brief! Buckle up, because this episode delves straight into the collision of survival, morality, and murder.

Is it ever legal to kill an innocent person to save yourself from certain death? Courts claim to have settled this long ago, but the answer may not be as simple as the law would have you believe.

We begin with the 17th-century sailors stranded at sea who drew lots, killed the loser, and ate him—and what the court had to say about it. Next, we examine United States v. Holmes, where crew members threw passengers off a sinking boat to stay afloat. Then, we move on to the jaw-dropping British classic The Queen v. Dudley & Stephens, where sailors, adrift in the open ocean for 20 days on a dinghy after their boat was destroyed, killed a dying cabin boy to survive. Finally, we turn to a modern California case asking whether being forced by another person to kill an innocent third party can ever excuse a homicide.

We’re providing you with the facts, the aftermath, and the rulings that shaped today’s doctrine: necessity, duress, the Court’s requirement that one resist, and the strict line the law draws when an “innocent life” hangs in the balance.

Join us as we discuss ethics, cannibalism, survival instinct, natural law versus civil law, and pure legal chaos.

Please note that the information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer-client relationship. It is not a substitute for professional legal counsel. THESE ARE JUST OUR OPINIONS!!!

Reach out or follow us:

[email protected]

Instagram: @gavel_and_gossip

TikTok: @gavel.gossip

Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq

Kristan's Instagram: @krush18

Links, episode information, documents and pictures credits can be found at:  https://sites.google.com/view/gavelandgossip/home