In this episode of The Lawmas Podcast, Lauren and Lacey continue their Book Club discussion of "Framed" by John Grisham. The cases discussed this week are Joe Bryan and Carrie Cook.

Lacey opens the episode sharing her week of medical appointments with her 7-year old son, Luke, who has Down syndrome. Lauren talks about the universal struggles of motherhood.

• Elementary school sweethearts Joe and Mickey Blue were both teachers in a small Texas town
• Mickey was brutally murdered while Joe was at a conference 120 miles away
• Police started unfounded rumors about Joe being gay to create a motive
• Blood spatter "expert" with minimal training provided questionable testimony
• Despite physical evidence proving Joe couldn't have committed the crime (time constraints), he was convicted
• Joe was eventually released due to COVID prison reductions but never exonerated

• Linda Jo Edwards was brutally murdered in her apartment
• Her roommate identified Jim Mayfield (Linda's former lover) at the scene
• Despite DNA evidence implicating Mayfield, police focused on Cook based on a fingerprint and unreliable jailhouse informant testimony
• Cook was tried three times, receiving death penalty twice
• Eventually took a plea deal for time served and was later exonerated
• Lauren and Lacey discuss how homophobia was weaponized in both cases to secure convictions

• Would you have accepted a plea deal guaranteeing freedom (like Cook did) or risked a fourth trial?

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In this first book club episode, hosts Lauren and Lacey discuss two cases from John Grisham's book "Framed." The book examines wrongful convictions, jailhouse informants and the failures of the justice system.

Lauren covers the Norfolk Four case, where multiple military men were wrongfully convicted of a rape and murder despite DNA evidence only matching one person. The police continuously added suspects to their theory when DNA didn't match, eventually claiming seven men were involved in what they called a "gang rape" despite physical evidence only pointing to one perpetrator. The real perpetrator, Omar Ballard, even confessed, but authorities maintained their flawed theory. Four innocent men spent 10-15 years in prison before receiving conditional pardons from Governor Tim Kane.

Lacy discusses the Ellen Reasonover case, where a single mother was wrongfully convicted of murdering a store clerk based solely on testimony from jailhouse informants with long criminal histories who received deals for their testimony. Ellen had initially come forward as a witness after seeing suspicious individuals near the store. The prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence—recordings of Ellen maintaining her innocence—violating Brady disclosure requirements. Ellen was eventually exonerated but missed her daughter's entire childhood, from age 2 to 18.

Both cases highlight serious issues in the criminal justice system: tunnel vision by investigators, Brady violations, the unreliability of jailhouse informants, coercive interrogation tactics, and potential racial bias. This is the first of a multi-part series of the book. Email the Lawmas at thelawmaspodcast@gmail.com if you have questions or comments! Subscribe, follow, like, share and review us!

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In this episode of The Lawmas Podcast, attorneys Lauren and Lacey discuss what happens before a trial and debunk common legal misconceptions. They begin with a timely discussion about Gene Hackman's estate situation, highlighting how his will reportedly left everything to his wife without contingency clauses, creating complications when she predeceased him by several days.

Lauren and Lacey talk about common legal misconceptions, particularly focusing on Miranda rights. Lacey explains that, contrary to popular movies like Madea, police aren't legally required to read Miranda rights in most situations, and cases don't automatically get dismissed if they aren't read. Miranda rights only affect whether incriminating statements made in response to police questioning can be used as evidence.

Lauren and Lacey also compare civil and criminal legal procedures, noting significant differences in how cases are handled before trial. While civil cases often involve depositions, mandatory mediation, and comprehensive discovery, criminal cases typically have more limited discovery and no depositions. They discuss how judges in their jurisdiction handle both civil and criminal cases and speculate about potential future specialization.

Don't forget, starting next week, March 28th, is the Lawmas book club series focusing on wrongful convictions. Pick up the book "Framed" and join the discussion!

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