Opening Arguments

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024

OA859: Looks Like We Won’t Have DeSantis To Kick Around Any More

On the day that Ron DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential primary and endorsed his personal bully, Donald Trump, Liz and Andrew cover two stories that could impact the 2024 presidential election.

First, we tackle the centrist group “No Labels” request that the Civil Rights Division of the Department begin a criminal RICO investigation into… people who don’t like the centrist group “No Labels.” Neat!

Then, we break down all of the pending actual law stuff going on in Trump’s civil defamation suit in New York — since precious little of that is going on in the courtroom itself. What’s the rule of completeness? When are defenses waived? Who has a duty to mitigate? And so much more!

Notes
Habba Letter Brief re: Mitigation
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.272.0.pdf

No Labels
https://www.nolabels.org/documents/59546/DOJ%20letter%201.11.24.pdf

Co-founder of No Labels resigns
https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-labels-may-re-elect-donald-trump-third-party-independent-galston-rematch-f2e7697d

Semafor article on No Labels
https://www.semafor.com/article/12/19/2023/the-plot-against-no-labels

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January 18, 2024January 18, 2024

OA858: Trump Laywers Are Tryin’ It In All The Courts

Liz and Andrew dive deeply into Alina Habba and Michael Madaio’s efforts to cross-examine E. Jean Carroll and her expert, Dr. Ashlee Humphreys. Plus much, much more!

Notes
Ameriekalinje v. Sun P. P. Assn, 226 N.Y. 1 (1919)
https://casetext.com/case/norske-ameriekalinje-v-sun-p-p-assn

Justice Manual 9-5.000
https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-5000-issues-related-trials-and-other-court-proceedings

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January 17, 2024January 21, 2024

OA857: Can Elon Musk Blow Up Your Right To Join A Union?

After a roundup including the first day of the E. Jean Carroll trial, Liz and Andrew break down the latest SpaceX lawsuit and discuss what it might mean for the future of collective bargaining.

Notes
Nathan J. Robinson, researcher, Current Affairs, “Surely We Can Do Better Than Elon Musk,” April 7, 2021
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/04/surely-we-can-do-better-than-elon-musk

S. Derek Turner, “Broadband Boondoggle: Ajit Pai’s $886M Gift to Elon Musk,” Free Press, December 14, 2020
https://www.freepress.net/our-response/expert-analysis/insights-opinions/broadband-boondoggle-ajit-pais-886m-gift-elon-musk

NLRB proceedings against SpaceX
https://www.nlrb.gov/case/31-CA-307446

NLRA, 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/chapter-7/subchapter-II

NLRB damages chart
https://www.nlrb.gov/reports/nlrb-case-activity-reports/unfair-labor-practice-cases/remedies-achieved/monetary-remedies

SpaceX v. NLRB docket
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68136196/space-exploration-technologies-corp-v-national-labor-relations-board/

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January 14, 2024January 14, 2024

OA856: Trump Tries To Delay Carroll Trial (But Not Campaign Rally!) For Funeral

Today, Liz and Andrew document Donald Trump’s latest (failed) shenanigans in the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial set to begin in New York on Tuesday. Then, they break down in depth the motion to disappear the Fulton County, GA indictment on the grounds of DA Fani Willis’s alleged relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Notes
Trump DC Docket
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656595/united-states-v-trump

E. Jean Carroll v. Trump (Carroll I) docket
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/18418220/carroll-v-trump/

Roman Motion to Dismiss GA
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24352568/roman-motion-to-dimiss-010824.pdf

Whitworth v. State, 622 S.E.2d 21 (Ga. App. 2005)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3050238223814330373

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January 11, 2024January 11, 2024

OA855: Trump Fraud Trial Ends, Not With A Bang But With a Tantrum

Liz and Andrew describe the truly audacious plan cooked up by Trump and his counsel to disrupt his fraud trial’s closing arguments.

Then, the two break down a recent TRO entered prohibiting Ohio’s social media (“anti-TikTok”) law from going into effect.

Notes
Pew Media Poll
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/31/81-of-us-adults-versus-46-of-teens-favor-parental-consent-for-minors-to-use-social-media/

NetChoice, LLC v. Yost, 1/5 Complaint
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ohsd.287455/gov.uscourts.ohsd.287455.1.0.pdf

NetChoice, LLC v. Yost, 1/9 Order
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ohsd.287455/gov.uscourts.ohsd.287455.27.0_1.pdf

Ohio Rev. Code 1349.09
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1349.09

OA 767
https://openargs.com/oa767-porn-wont-someone-please-think-of-the-children-feat-ari-cohn/

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January 9, 2024January 9, 2024

OA854: Trump Lawyers Discover ONE WEIRD TRICK To Get Away With Murder! (Be President.)

“So, I understand your answer to be that if the President uses Seal Team Six to assassinate his political rival, and he hasn’t been impeached and convicted by the Senate, he can’t be prosecuted.” That really happened.

Liz and Andrew break down yesterday’s pivotal argument before the Court of Appeals of the DC Circuit as to whether Donald Trump has immunity from prosecution for his efforts to steal the 2020 Election because he was the President.

Notes
Roman Motion to Dismiss GA https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24352568/roman-motion-to-dimiss-010824.pdf

Trump brief https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208582803.0_3.pdf

DOJ brief https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208583920.0_1.pdf

American Oversight amicus https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415/gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208583989.0_1.pdf

167 Cong. Rec. S607 (daily ed. Feb. 9, 2021) https://www.congress.gov/117/crec/2021/02/09/CREC-2021-02-09.pdf

Kel’s CLE class
https://dcbar.inreachce.com/Details/Information/9e60ed07-539c-4b48-bc8b-cb75b543d99c

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January 7, 2024January 7, 2024

OA853: The NRA Is On Trial & The Mouse Is Loose!

In this Trump-free episode, Andrew and Liz break down the civil trial of the National Rifle Association beginning TODAY in New York. No, the NRA isn’t going to be dissolved, but yes, they could be hit with a ton of restrictions & some bad actors could be forced to fork over a ton of money, so you’ll want to follow this story.

Then, the duo tackle the passage of Steamboat Willie into the public domain. What is the public domain? What does it all mean? Listen and find out!

Notes

DC Circuit livestream Trump Appeal Tuesday Jan 9, 9:30amET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQ1aToavl8

Babbitt Estate v. US — Docket via Court Listener
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68139457/estate-of-ashli-babbitt-v-babbitt/

US v. Texas — Docket via Court Listener
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68134300/united-states-v-texas/

NY Case Search
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/CaseSearch

Appellate Docket No: 2023-06396

Trial Docket No: 451625/2020

US Copyright Office Circular 33
https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ33.pdf

Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate (7th Cir. 2014)
https://freesherlock.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/klinger-7th-circuit-opinion-c.pdf

Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/secrecy-self-dealing-and-greed-at-the-nra

NRA Awarded Contracts to Firms With Ties to Top Officials
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nra-awarded-contracts-to-firms-with-ties-to-top-officials-1543590697

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January 4, 2024January 4, 2024

OA852: Trump Asks SCOTUS To Put Him Back on the Colorado Ballot Despite 14th Amendment

Liz and Andrew break down an entirely new argument being advanced by Trump’s allies to get him back on the Colorado ballot. Will it work? Listen and find out!

Then, the duo break down the latest barrage of nonsense filings in DC.

Notes
Colorado state court ruling

Click to access 11_17_2023%20Final%20Order.pdf

Colorado Supreme Court ruling
https://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Court_Probation/Supreme_Court/Opinions/2023/23SA300.pdf

Lawfare Tracker on Trump DQ
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials/section-3-litigation-tracker

OA 836
https://openargs.com/oa836-yes-a-court-found-that-trump-incited-an-insurrection-now-what-feat-seth-barrett-tillman/

OA 848
https://openargs.com/oa848-trump-is-off-the-ballot-in-colorado/

Socialist Workers Party of Ill. v. Ogilvie, 357 F. Supp. 109, 113 (N.D. Ill. 1972)

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13881601664092355452

Voting and Vice, 2012 Yale Law Review (Re and Re)

https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5515&context=ylj

Trump report on stolen election

Click to access summary20of20election20fraud20in20the20swing20states.pdf

Trump lawyers’ doozy of a filing on voter fraud – Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/03/trump-lawyers-doozy-filing-voter-fraud/

Rolling Stone on Trump turning trial into a MAGA freak show

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-plot-to-turn-jan-6-trial-into-maga-freak-show-1234938951/

Trump motion for order to show cause DC

Click to access gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.192.0.pdf

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January 2, 2024January 2, 2024

OA851: Iowa Judge Cancel Cultures GOP Book Ban

Our first episode of 2024 is a Good News episode! First, Liz and Andrew break down a new argument that might get everything back on track in Trump’s DC prosecution.

Then, the duo unpack a recent ruling enjoining Iowa’s anti-LGBTQ book ban.

Notes

Trump DC per curiam order

Click to access gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208584150.0_5.pdf

Trump DC immunity brief

Click to access gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208582803.0_3.pdf

Ed Meese amicus brief

Click to access gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208584119.0_1.pdf

American Oversight amicus brief

Click to access gov.uscourts.cadc.40415.1208583989.0_1.pdf

In re Grand Jury Investigation, 916 F.3d 1047 (2019)

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8603210867025765580