Legally Speaking Podcast

December 15, 2016
Hosts JoAnne Musick and Earl Musick are back discussing police shootings. One in Georgia where a court deputy shoots a man after he refused to put away his computer tablet in court. One in California where a police officer shot a man climbing out of a wrecked car and then claimed he refused to get out of the car. And, no, he didn’t notify anyone that he had shot the man. More on both of these stories can be found on JoAnne’s blogs at Fault Lines:
CONTEMPT OF COP RESULTS IN SHOT TO THE BUTTOCKS
OFFICER PATRICK FEASTER: IT’S NOT MURDER WHEN IT’S BY COP

November 10, 2016
JoAnne Musick, Earl Musick, and John Denholm discuss the most recent case of prosecutorial misconduct out of Fort Bend County involving Harris County prosecutor Beth Shipley Exley. She was assisting in the capital murder case against McGregor, and she made deals with three key State’s witnesses to benefit them in their own legal matters. She failed to disclose any of the deals to the defense, and she allowed the witnesses to testify falsely when asked if they were given a deal. Major legal and ethical violations. Read more about the McGregor case and misconduct at JoAnne’s blog on Fault Lines.

November 3, 2016
JoAnne Musick and Earl Musick discuss yesterday’s Court of Criminal Appeals opinion granting relief and setting aside a murder conviction because the Harris County prosecutor withheld the fact that he cut a deal with the key state’s witness – information that is required to be disclosed. You can read more about this particular story also on JoAnne’s blog over at Fault Lines. Additionally, JoAnne and Earl discuss the Alief ISD teacher accused of punching a 2nd grader then pushing him to the ground and sitting on him.

October 27, 2016
JoAnne Musick and Earl Musick discuss the District Attorney race and the ad campaigns of Devon Anderson and Kim Ogg as well as a story taking the twittersphere by storm: lady live tweets her flight after reportedly being groped on the leg as she boarded the plane. You can also read more about this story in JoAnne’s blog over at Fault Lines.

October 20, 2016
JoAnne Musick and John Denholm discuss the our local justice system and the District Attorney race in light of a national trend to unseat law and order incumbents. Guilty until proven innocent with courtesy supervision. Jailing of rape victims. And more.

October 13, 2016
JoAnne Musick, Earl Musick and John Denholm all in the studio for a change discussing bonds, junk science, expert witnesses, and grand juries participating in firearm simulator training to empathize with cops. The good, the bad, and the ugly of the criminal justice system.

October 06, 2016
Earl Musick and JoAnne Musick discuss family violence, witnesses, and lawyers – witnesses who do not want to prosecute or otherwise should contact a lawyer who can help them exercise their rights; additionally,we discussed some refreshing intellectual honesty from the 7th Court of Appeals as well as California’s statute that criminalizes some prosecutorial misconduct and Senator Whitmire’s proposed legislation to teach students how to interact with police. Lots of good stuff this week!

September 29, 2016
Ok, so we are learning…somehow we lost the audio track for the first 1/2 of the show…but you can join in as JoAnne and Earl are discussing the Houston Forensic Science Center and toxicology analyst Andrea Gooden who reportedly gave false testimony in a criminal trial. Her supervisor caught the falsity but didn’t tell anyone until later when he critiqued her testimonial skills.

September 22, 2016
A brief look at the Reid Interrogation Technique: With teachers and school administrators being taught to utilize police interrogation techniques, our children are at greater risk. Children are known to be easily manipulated and quite suggestible. As such, even the creators of the Reid method caution its use with children; however, the creators specifically market their program to teachers and school administrators despite their own warnings. Children are susceptible to false confessions as they strive to please. Thinking the only way to get out of the pressure of the interrogation, they will often confess. With great suggestion, they will even confess to something they did not do.

September 22, 2016
JoAnne Musick, John Denholm, and special guest Jimmy Ardoin take on local criminal justice issues including Precinct 4’s evidence debacle as well as policing in schools. Along with police enforcing disciplinary rules, the principals and administrators are using the Reid technique to interrogate children.

September 15, 2016
JoAnne Musick and John Denholm discuss criminal justice issues of the day. This week we talk evidence destruction and the Precinct 4 Harris County Constable as well as Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson’s first 3 years in office amid various scandals which include jailing rape victims and questionable prosecutorial behaviors.