Room For Innocence

Ernesto Miranda did it. There was no question. He confessed. His confession included a statement acknowledging that he was aware of his rights. But no one told him what those rights were. How do you know what you don't know? In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court would overturn his conviction and say that Miranda's Constitutional rights had been violated in obtaining the confession. Join siblings Tom and Chris as we break down the case and remind you why a strong criminal defense is paramount to receiving a fair trial.Chris is a lifelong true crime fan. Her brother, Tom is a criminal defense attorney. Chris loves to tell him about interesting cases and get his legal insights.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here.Resources:Azcentral.com - Miranda and the right to remain silent: The Phoenix storyWikipedia - Miranda v. ArizonaRight to Remain Silent: Miranda v. Arizona

Today we wrap up the wrongful conviction story of Lamonte McIntyre. In 1994, Lamonte McIntyre was convicted for a double murder that he didn't commit. He was 17 years old. He served 23 years before his wrongful conviction was overturned. This wasn't a case of an unfortunate series of mistakes. No, this was corruption, coercion, and abuse of power. Join siblings Tom and Chris as we break down the case what went wrong, and remind you why a strong criminal defense is paramount to receiving a fair trial. Chris is a lifelong true crime fan. Her brother, Tom is a criminal defense attorney. Chris loves to tell him about interesting cases and get his legal insights. If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here.Resources:Injustice Watch - A Broken SystemCenturion - Lamonte McIntyre

In 1994, Lamonte McIntyre was convicted for a double murder that he didn't commit. He was 17 years old. He served 23 years before his wrongful conviction was overturned. This wasn't a case of an unfortunate series of mistakes. No, this was corruption, coercion, and abuse of power. Join siblings Tom and Chris as we break down the case what went wrong, and remind you why a strong criminal defense is paramount to receiving a fair trial. Chris is a lifelong true crime fan. Her brother, Tom is a criminal defense attorney. Chris loves to tell him about interesting cases and get his legal insights. If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here.Resources:Injustice Watch - A Broken SystemCenturion - Lamonte McIntyre

November 2019. Everyone is wondering where Lori's children are (except for Lori). Police do a welfare check on the home and the children are nowhere to be found. Lori says they are with a family friend, but the family friend says she hasn't seen them in months. Lori recently married Chad, whose wife had mysteriously died 17 days earlier, and they run off to Hawaii. Where are the children? If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here.Primary source: Most of our content today is from https://www.eastidahonews.com/, which has absolutely amazing coverage of this case, most of which is by Nate Eaton

In October of 2002, a sniper terrorized the Washington, DC metro area, shooting over a dozen people with no apparent motive or pattern. This one is personal, as it happened in Chris's neck of the woods. And Tom was a trained sharpshooter for the Marines, so he has a lot of insight into how snipers operate. This is part 2 of 2 and focuses on the killers' background, trials, and why it was so critical to our justice system that they had good defense attorneys!If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here.Resources:Deranged Killers: DC Sniper (2009)Wikipedia John Allen MuhammadWikipedia Lee Boyd MalvoWikipedia D.C. sniper attacks

In October of 2002, a sniper terrorized the Washington, DC metro area, shooting over a dozen people with no apparent motive or pattern. This one is personal, as it happened in Chris's neck of the woods. And Tom was a trained sharpshooter for the Marines, so he has a lot of insight into how snipers operate. This is part 1 of 2 and will focus on the killing spree and the hunt for the snipers. Next week in part 2, we will talk about how the killers met, what made them start killing, and the criminal trials. If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Also, reviews on Apple podcasts would be greatly appreciated as it helps new listeners to find us! Find our show here. Resources:Deranged Killers: DC Sniper (2009)Wikipedia John Allen MuhammadWikipedia Lee Boyd MalvoWikipedia D.C. sniper attacks

R. Kelly sure could create an earworm. How else did a man who was repeatedly accused of sexual abuse of minors continue releasing chart-topping music for decades? In today's episode, Tom and Chris talk about what had to happen in order to get R. Kelly where he is today... that is, prison. And of course, what was his defense strategy?If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode!Resources:New York Times: A timeline of R. Kelly’s downfall, three decades in the makingVox: Jim DeRogatis broke the R. Kelly story in 2000. Now he’s compiled a damning case against Kelly.Wikipedia: R. KellyMusic By @freebeats.io

Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment smells bad. Really bad. Tom and Chris can't agree on whether it's the body parts in the refrigerator, the skeletons in the closet, or the 57-gallon drum next to the bed. All we know is, if he invites you over for a nude photo sesh, POLITELY DECLINE.Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email room4innocence@gmail.com.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! This helps us to pay expenses associated with recording, editing, and hosting the show. Resources:Murderpedia.org - Jeffrey Dahmer (you've been warned)Wikipedia – Jeffrey DahmerMusic By @freebeats.io

A cyclist sees a young girl crawling out of the woods, bloody and nearly dead. She's been stabbed. He asks the girl who did it, and she says "my best friend."Join Tom and Chris as we talk about juveniles committing crimes, trying juveniles as adults, and mental health concerns.  Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence.  Send feedback to room4innocence@gmail.com. <3If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Beware the Slenderman - HBO MaxAnissa Weier sentencing hearing - YouTubeWhat It's Like to Interrogate a Schizophrenic Child - YouTubeMusic By @freebeats.io

Jodi Arias needs an alibi. Her ex-boyfriend Travis is dead. But it couldn't have been her. She wan't even there! Okay, she was there, but he was killed by masked intruders! Okay, okay, fine, she did it, but it was self-defense. Join Tom and Chris as we navigate the Choose Your Own Adventure defense of Jodi Arias. No one said defense was easy. And having a client who lies so convincingly, and so often, makes it even more challenging. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email room4innocence@gmail.com.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Murderpedia.org - Jodi Ann AriasSnapped – Jodi AriasMusic By @freebeats.io

Join us for part two of this series, trial of Elizabeth Holmes. Be sure you listen to Episode 7: Elizabeth Homes - The Rise and Fall of Theranos before this episode!Imagine a world where you could run 200 diagnostic tests on a single drop of blood. Testing would be affordable and accessible. Patients wouldn't have to give vials of blood from a needle in their arm. People could find out they were sick long before experiencing significant  symptoms, leading to early treatment and high survival rates. Elizabeth Holmes could imagine all of this, and she could make others believe in it, too. Only problem was, despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars, she couldn't make this dream a reality. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email room4innocence@gmail.com.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Resources:Wall Street Journal trial coverage20/20 The DropoutMusic By @freebeats.io

Imagine a world where you could run 200 diagnostic tests on a single drop of blood. Testing would be affordable and accessible. Patients wouldn't have to give vials of blood from a needle in their arm. People could find out they were sick long before experiencing significant  symptoms, leading to early treatment and high survival rates. Elizabeth Holmes could imagine all of this, and she could make others believe in it, too. Only problem was, despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars, she couldn't make this dream a reality. Join us for part one of this series, the rise and fall of Theranos. Next week, we'll bring you part 2, Elizabeth Holmes's trial. Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email room4innocence@gmail.com.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, you can make an ad hoc donation at Buy Me a Coffee. If you REALLY like us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Leave us a written review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!Resources:Wall Street Journal trial coverage20/20 The Dropout

How do you defend someone who may have hurt children? This week, Tom and Chris cover some tough topics. First, the victims in this case were children. Second, the accused was acquitted but recent DNA evidence shows that he may have actually been guilty. On June 13, 1977, the bodies of three Girl Scouts were found in their sleeping bags, 150 yards from their tent at Camp Scott in Oklahoma. A suspect was immediately identified -- Gene Leroy Hart. He was a convicted rapist and escaped convict, so it must have been him... right?Find us just about anywhere @room4innocence. Case ideas? Send them our way -- email room4innocence@gmail.com.If you are enjoying the show and would like to support us, you can make an ad hoc donation at Buy Me a Coffee. If you REALLY like us, join our Patreon for only $2 a month! That's like fifty cents per episode! Leave us a written review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!Resources:Someone Cry for the Children - find it on YouTubeKeeper of the Ashes -- HuluGirl Scout Murders website - http://www.girlscoutmurders.com/

In this episode,  Tom and Chris cover the trial of Brock Turner, who was charged with sexual assault after being found on top of a half-naked unconscious woman in 2015. They discuss the key facts of the case that the jury needed to decide and also how a defense attorney can represent someone when they disagree morally and ethically with that person's actions. Resources:Wikipedia - People v. TurnerKnow My Name: A Memoir - Chanel MillerChanel Miller's victim impact statement on BuzzfeedRAINN.org - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

This week, Tom and Chris discuss self-defense and the Justifiable Use of Deadly Force. On January 13, 2014, Curtis Reeves went to an afternoon showing of The Lone Survivor. Sitting in front of him, Chad Oulson was scrolling on his cell phone... during the previews. Within minutes, Chad was lying dead on the floor and Curtis, the shooter, was claiming self-defense. What happened? Did Curtis provoke this? Was Chad attacking Curtis? Was this all over a bag of popcorn? Sources and References:Court TV Podcast "Movie Popcorn Murder Trial"Surveillance video of the shootingCCW Safe Blog - look for popcorn murder posts dated Feb 2022Jocco Willink - wikipediaBang the Drum Slowly - Mark Harris

In this episode, Tom and Chris discuss false confessions. How did the police get five teenaged boys to confess to raping a female jogger in Central Park in 1989? How did a jury find them guilty when there was no corroborating evidence? And how did they eventually find themselves exonerated?Also, check out our fancy new mics. We're getting there! Show notes:When They See Us: NetflixThe Central Park Five: Ken BurnsDisclaimer:We are bound to make mistakes. This show is more about the philosophy of defense than understanding the granular details of a case.Nothing in this show should be interpreted as legal advice.

Scott Peterson was imprisoned in 2004 for the murders of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner. The evidence in the case was entirely circumstantial, with no forensic evidence connecting Scott to Laci's death. How does a jury decide guilt in a case like this? In this episode, Tom and Chris discuss details of Laci's death, the defense strategy, and Tom’s obsession with Gone Girl. Music By @freebeats.io

Like a fine wine, our podcast audio quality gets better with time. Stick with us!In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon was accused of burglary. Facing five years in prison if found guilty, Gideon was unable to afford legal counsel, and the court refused to provide him a lawyer. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. So Gideon grabbed a pencil and some prison stationery and wrote a letter to the U.S. Supreme Court...Music By @freebeats.io