Covering Courts and the Law

2024

Death is Different

The four-episode podcast reported and produced by students traces the legal journey of Richard Glossip since his conviction and death sentence in 1998 in the murder of his boss, Barry Van Treese, the owner of the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City. Justin Sneed, the motel's maintenance man, admitted that he beat Van Treese to death with a baseball bat. Sneed received a life sentence in a deal with prosecutors and testified that Glossip hired him to commit the murder. Glossip has repeatedly denied involvement in the crime as he's faced nine execution dates and ordered three last meals. In Episode 1, students dissect Glossip's first and second trials and highlight the findings of two independent investigations that uncovered evidence of police and prosecutorial misconduct. The students also delve into the moral issues raised by the death penalty and the three-drug cocktail used in lethal injections. In Episode 2, students interview Alexandra Klein, an assistant professor of law at W&L. In Episode 3, students talk to veteran death penalty lawyer David Bruck. In Episode 4, the students and Glossip's attorney, Don Knight, discuss the nuances of the case and the arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024.

2023

Fight the Power: The Evolution of Prosecutorial Discretion

The three-episode podcast reported and produced by students explores the history of prosecutorial power and discusses how it molded the nation's criminal justice system as it exists today. Episode 1 tracks the legal history of prosecution from the nation's founding up through the civil rights era. Episode 2 explores prosecutors' use of plea bargaining to exert their control over the criminal justice system. Episode 3 examines ideas that activists and others are considering as ways to hold prosecutors accountable in the future.

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2022

Rural Justice: Small Towns, Big Problems

The three-episode podcast reported and produced by students explores how rural communities face challenges in their criminal justice system that are just as complex as the problems that big cities confront. Episode 1 examines efforts by federal authorities to dismantle an organization that sold drugs and young girls and women into prostitution. Episode 2 takes an in-depth look at the consequences of methamphetamine abuse and the long road to recovery for many addicts who wind up behind bars. Episode 3 reveals the scarcity and inequity of opportunities available to male and female inmates while they're locked up—and the barriers they face after they're released, return home, and try to rebuild their lives.

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2020

Courtroom Conversations

The four-episode podcast was reported and produced by students who examined key issues that perplex the players inside and outside America's legal system. Episode 1 explores the debate over the quality of police training in the United States. Episode 2 discusses the role of judges and how it's changed over the past several decades. Episode 3 focuses on the controversy surrounding the death penalty. Episode 4 highlights overcrowding in jails and prisons.

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