Sidebar by Courthouse News

Mar 04 2025 62 ep. 32 mins 16
Sidebar by Courthouse News Podcast artwork

Sidebar by Courthouse News tackles the stories you need to know from the legal world. Join reporters Hillel Aaron, Kirk McDaniel, Amanda Pampuro, Kelsey Reichmann and Josh Russell as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the U.S. and beyond and break down all the developments that had them talking.

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Post-Conviction Purgatory

Mar 04 2025 44 mins  
It took decades for death row inmate Richard Glossip to convince Oklahomans and, later, the U.S. Supreme Court that he deserved a new trial. Glossip is just one of many inmates who say they faced convictions for crimes they did not commit. Read about enough of these cases, and you’ll be asking, “Is innocence enough?” For the wrongfully convicted, tearful reunions and proclama

Mother of Mercy! What the Hell Is RICO?

Feb 18 2025 28 mins  
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, otherwise known as RICO. It's famous as the law used to take down organized crime, with then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani bringing the Mafia Commission Trial in the 1980s after indicting nine high-level organized crime figures, including the heads of New York's "Five Families." But that's not the only time it comes up in court.

The War for Infowars

Jan 28 2025 29 mins  
Welcome back, listeners, to our humble show’s fifth season. As America welcomes a new president, a particular media company welcomes a new owner. Well, almost. That’s why we’re here to guide you through the uncertainty of a certain bankruptcy process, promising to determine who will own one of the nation’s most controversial media companies, one whose name sums it all up wi

Sidebar Season Five - Official Trailer

Jan 14 2025 2 mins  
Hello, doughty listener! Season five of Sidebar is just around the corner. Join our hosts and reporters as they take you around the nation to break down our legal system and how it impacts the life you live. Follow us on Twitter @SidebarCNS and www.courthousenews.com for more. This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens. Editorial staff is Ryan Abbott,

TL;DR 2024: YSL, NRA, NFL

Dec 10 2024 29 mins  
Editor's note: This episode includes court testimony containing explicit language. Dust off your tux and polish your dancing shoes: It’s time for Sidebar’s end-of-the-year extravaganza and season finale. We bring you three of the most interesting and unusual trials you missed this year while President-elect Donald Trump was soaking up the attention in courthouses nationwide. An

Brushstrokes Around the Bench

Nov 12 2024 38 mins  
The art world isn’t limited to museums and galleries anymore, with pieces now embedded in courthouses across the country — from the majestic marble palace of the U.S. Supreme Court to landscapes urging conversations about climate change at the Byron White U.S. Courthouse in Denver. How did we move away from serious images of Lady Justice and authoritative judges clad in black r

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

Oct 22 2024 30 mins  
Sensational headlines, societal upheaval and a gruesome crime that shook Fall River, Massachusetts, to its core. Turn off the lights and cozy up to the fireplace as we bring you the spookiest type of story we can — one straight from the history books. America's first trial of the century came from an unusual source: Lizzie Borden, a 32-year-old unmarried upper-class woman in 1892

Constitutional Woodchipper: The SCOTUS Preview

Oct 01 2024 40 mins  
It's October, so you know what that means ... spooky season is finally here! And with it, the Supreme Court is back in session, complete with ghosts of the gun variety. In this year's SCOTUS preview, we bring you the cases you need to know. The court will weigh in on a Biden administration rule to redefine firearms to address the public safety risk of ghost guns in America. We delv

Election Undercard 2024

Sep 10 2024 40 mins  
Zombie voters. Sham elections. Voter fraud. In the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, election lawsuits are flooding courts across the U.S., with the timing of some geared more toward grabbing headlines than achieving legal resolutions. Allegations aren’t considered true until a judge’s final order, but that doesn’t stop people from believing them. In our 10

The Paxton Parable

Aug 20 2024 52 mins  
Known for his unwavering conservative stance, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's career has been marked by significant legal battles, including a protracted securities fraud case and intense impeachment proceedings that left an indelible mark on his legacy. And yet, his trajectory from state representative to Texas’ top cop continues upward, setting him up as a possible candidat