Welcome back!  The wait for a new episode is over.

In a triumphant return, Paul breaks down the federal case against Sean "Diddy" Combs.  Combs was charged with RICO, sex trafficking, and interstate transportation for the purposes of prostitution.

In this episode, we discuss what overcharging looks like, how fame affects criminal cases, and how to know when to put a case on as a defendant.

Sean Combs need no introduction, he has been a household name in the United States since the 1990s.  We have witnessed the evolution of the man from an upstart rapper talking about his life on the streets and his impoverished childhood to becoming one of the most successful cross-industry entrepeneurs in the world.

But with all that fame, fortune, and money came vices.  Combs notoriously hosted wild "freak off" sex parties, and some participants in those parties came forward to claim that they were not willing participants, that they were forced into commercial sex acts, and that Combs controlled them through a criminal organization using violence, coercion, financial malfeasance, and even arson.

Was Sean Combs a sex trafficking, criminal mastermind?  Or was he simply an abusive boyfriend with ex-girlfriends trying to cash in on his status?

Listen and learn what the Sean Combs prosecution was about, and how the defense team kept the focus where it needed to be.

OJ Simpson's arrest and trial captivated the country.  Dubbed the "trial of the century," the 1995 spectacle grabbed eyeballs with gavel to gavel coverage for approximately 10 months.  The trial was packed with celebrity, DNA evidence, grusome crime scene photos, a massive fall from grace, racial tensions, devastating cross-examinations, jury field trips, and more.

Since I couldn't possibly cover this massive case all on my own, I bring in special guest and attorney friend Anna Gorisch to help parse through the issues and cultural import of the moment.  Thanks Anna!

Enjoy!

Lawyers, like other professionals, tend to use a lot of industry terms which don't make sense to the average person.  Sometimes, those terms pop up in artcles and media describing a case, without explanation (often because the journalists themselves do not fully understand what they mean).

Today, we discuss the term collateral estoppel, and what it means in a legal context.  

Enjoy.

Welcome back.  In this brief episode, Paul digs into the difference between the terms decriminalization and legalization.  They are frequently used interchangeably by people who do not fully appreciate the difference.

At the end of this In Summation Explains episode, you will come away with a deeper understanding of just what it means when the government decriminalizes, or legalizes, certain behaviors.

Enjoy.

In the second installment of In Summation Explains, Paul explains what happens when someone undoes the wrong they caused before they get caught, and whether that is a defense to any potential liability after the fact.

If you like this new format, write in and make your voice heard.  Paul hopes you enjoy it and write in with more questions to answer.

What does habeus corpus mean? how does it work? what does it actually do?  In this new segment of In Summation, Paul explains specific legal terms and areas of law which confuse people.  This is going be based mostly on listener feedback, so if you are curious about a legal latin phrase, or legal theory, write in and Paul may explain it for you.

Please leave feedback if you like this particular type of episode.  Paul is trying to expand content and answer some listener questions and this seemed like the best way to accomplish both of those things.  If you enjoy it, let us know.

In this episode, recurring guest Adam Uris and I discuss the recent New York prosecution of Daniel Penny, the 24 year old marine corps veteran who killed Jordan Neely on the subway after Neely was aggressive and threatening to other passengers. 

Was this done in defense of subway riders?  Did Penny go too far?  Was the homicide justified or criminal?  Adam and Paul discuss the culteral and legal aspects of the case and trade ideas on whether this case ever should've been brought, how the missteps of certain parties affected the outcome, and why the jury ultimately came to the decision they did.

Hello All,

At the end of October there was a whirlwind of activity in the Young Thug trial down in Fulton County Georgia.  All of a sudden, in the span of one week, multiple defendants opted to take a plea after nearly two years at trial.

Listen to the breakdown of how the circus put on by the Fulton County DA came to an end, the contours of the plea, and make the decision for yourself whether it was the right way for Jeffery Williams to end his involvement in this proceeding.

Since the recording of the episode, the remaining two defendants still on trial finally got their verdicts.  One was convicted of a single crime, the other was acquitted.  Paul still holds to the belief that Williams would have been convicted of at least something, which would likely have landed him with some additional jail time.

Paul hopes this brings some clarity to a commonly misunderstood area of criminal practice.

The wait is over and In Summation - The Final Word is back.

At the request of a listener (thanks Ben!), in this episode we tackle a case which has really become THE case that people bring up when discussing how litigious American people are.  We've all heard the story of the woman who spilled McDonald's hot coffee on herself and sued the company for millions.

But as you'll see, the narrative of what really happened to Stella Liebeck, the plaintiff in that suit, has dramatically changed over time.  She has gone from being the victim to a greedy opporuntist who manipulated a broken court system for her own personal gains.

Before you make any judgments, listen to what really happened, and how Liebeck's life changed as a result of this case.

As this is a civil case and I do not frequently litigate in the civil courts, Paul asks for a bit of understanding if you have additional questions.  He will, as always, respond, but if it requires additional research on his end it may not be as quick as listeners are accustomed to.

Sit back and enjoy.

Hello Loyal Listeners,

In Summation returns with a thorough explanation of one of the most truly absurd cases to take place in recent memory.  Rapper/Hip Hop artist Young Thug burst into the music industry around 2013 and quickly became one of the most fresh and innovate voices in the genre.  He did several collaborations with world famous talent and his star was rising.  After his first studio album went platinum, it seemed as though he was solidying himself with serious potential for a long career.

He had his own Atlanta based rap label, "YSL," which also showcased several of his friends and associates who also rapped and produced albums and mixtapes.  YSL expanded to create and promote a very popular clothing line in the fashion industry.  Young Thug went from growing up in abject poverty, to being wildly successful.

But not everyone believed this meteoric rise to fame and prominence was done within the confines of the law.  Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and the Atlanta PD accused YSL of being a violent street gang, and claim Young Thug is the leader.  He was arrested in May 2022 and, as of September 2024, is still in custody.

Listen as Paul describes the absolute farce of a trial put on in Fulton County.  This episode contains a thorough explanation of RICO, ethics, misconduct, overtrying a case, and the intersection of free speech and expression, specifically in the music industry, with criminal prosecutions.  

There are times when no hollywood screenwriter could ever capture the absurdity of real life, and the trial of Jeffery Williams is one of those times.  Strap in and get ready, you will not believe what is happening in Georgia.