Plead the Fifth

Plead the Fifth

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Plead the Fifth episodes

  • Plead the Fifth Turns 1!

    Guys, we made it a whole year! Today’s topics include a case that was just heard for oral arguments at SCOTUS about the constitutionality of a Delaware law requiring judges to be member of a particular party. The other is about a circuit split across the country involving sex change surgery and 8th Amendment cruel and unusual punishment.

    24 min
  • Religion Acting As Government

    RIP RBG. Religion is supposed to be separate from government. It’s one of America’s founding principles. But sometimes religion creeps into spaces we thought were wholly a matter of state. And sometimes, it’s not a creep, but a naked takeover of the government.  

    24 min
  • SCOTUS Coachella 2020

    This is a recap of all the sexy cases SCOTUS dropped during the last couple weeks of the 2019-2020 term. Sure its delayed, but they are too good not to talk about!

    42 min
  • Corruption Isn't Always a Crime

    The “Bridgegate” scandal in New Jersey was one of the most blatant acts of corruption ever seen. We look at why SCOTUS found the conspirators not guilty. Also, we look at why a court decided that the statutory definition of the word “people” doesn't mean what it says.

    26 min
  • This Episode is Insane

    Actually, it's pretty average. But it talks a lot about insanity. Well, the insanity defense. Also, it dabbles into how to examine driving without a valid license under the 4th Amendment.

    28 min
  • Who Wrote Stairway to Heaven?

    What do Led Zeppelin, Rita Ora, Notorious B.I.G., and a host of other famous musicians have in common? They’ve all been sued for copyright infringement. So who actually wrote their music, and did they do anything wrong?

    22 min
  • Shooting Kids Across the Border

    This week updates you about what happened at the Supreme Court over the past couple weeks, but mostly focuses on one of their sexier cases of the term involving a child who was shot to death by a US Border Patrol agent while crossing from the US back into Mexico.

    Music cred: bensounds.com

    23 min
  • A Felon's Right to Vote in Florida

    Florida recently enfranchised its felons under a state constitutional amendment so long as they completed “all terms of sentence”. The state thought this included things like fines, fees, and restitution. The 11th Circuit said that was unconstitutional, but its reasoning lead to more criticism than confidence.

    Music cred: bensounds.com

    26 min
  • Kesha and Her "Truth"

    Kesha's case against her ex-producer is not as you may have heard. We also look at a case challenging the government's inaction on climate change by an unlikely group of plaintiffs.

    Music cred: bensounds.com

    26 min
  • Titties in Texas

    You can't tax people in Texas for going to a bar where women cover their nipples with liquid latex under the First Amendment. Yep. Also a change to Missouri’s liquor laws and an interesting case about a car theft ring out of Florida.

    Music cred: Bensounds.com

    27 min

About Plead the Fifth

From the publisher's feed

Law is dumb. So am I. I break down recent topics in law in dumb terms because that’s how I understand them. Grab a beer and join me as I pretend to sound smart. I’m a lawyer, but don’t ask me for…