Aider and Abettor Podcast

On this episode of the pod, we talk all about Proposition 25 and what pretrial justice would look like in a Prop. 25 world. To do this, we get together with Carlie Ware (@carlieware11) and Carson White. Carlie and Carson specialize in pretrial release advocacy and pre-arraignment representation. Omniboi composed the intro and outro for this pod. Send us your thoughts on Prop. 25 (@thesajidkhan @avanindar @aiderandabettor)

In this episode, Sajid and guest host Sarah Ruby (fellow pd out of San Jose) interview Assemblymember Ash Kalra (twitter @ash_kalra) about the Racial Justice Act (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB2542) https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-legislators-racial-justice-act-passes-senate-committee/ The bill passed the legislature and is on Governor Newsom's desk. To support the AB 2542, write the governor, call in, or post to social media #2542 #confrontracism The intro and outro are by Omniboi. The break remix of this is america is also by Omniboi.

Sajid and Avi meet with Eliza Orlins. Eliza has been a public defender in New York for around 10 years. She decided to run for District Attorney of Manhattan. They talk about what called her to the work and her decision to run for DA. Learn more about Eliza’s work and campaign here: https://twitter.com/elizaorlins Omniboi composed and performed the intro, outro, and break remix.

“For the People”: Finding the Humanity in Our Criminal Legal System with Sajid Khan and Avi Singh: In this crossover episode with the cohosts of Aider and Abettor podcast, Bay Area public defenders Avi Singh and Sajid Khan join DA Boudin and Rachel to examine what it means when a prosecutor represents “the people.” The group asks who are the people represented by the system at each stage and is the system really serving them? How can the system better recognize the humanity of defendants and victims? They also explore whether lawyers working in the system should find more collaboration in an adversarial system. The discussion walks through various stages of the criminal legal system (from charging, bail, plea bargains, trials, through sentencing) and reimagines all the ways in which the system should honor the humanity of the people touched by it but too often denies it. Finally, Avi leads DA Boudin, Rachel and Sajid in a “lightning round” of questions submitted by Aider and Abettor fans.

Sajid joined Another Not Guilty Pod (David Moore and Nikhil Ramnaney) for a two-part interview. Part 1 is about what happened when Sajid wrote a blog post calling for civil rights protesters to look at what District Attorneys have done to contribute to the system of mass incarceration and abusive police practices. Part 2 will come out next week. Sajid will debrief on a homicide trial with David and Nikhil. You can check out and support their excellent work here: https://www.anothernotguiltypod.com/ We are grateful to ANG for the collab. Here is the post (as published in San Jose Inside): https://www.sanjoseinside.com/opinion/op-ed-be-mad-at-police-but-also-at-the-prosecutors-who-protect-and-enable-their-abuses/ Here is an op-ed by Sajid in the Mercury News calling on implementation of reforms now: https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/16/opinion-da-shouldnt-wait-to-implement-reforms/ Here is coverage of the situation in San Jose Inside, including a letter from 650 public defenders around the nation speaking out against practices designed to chill criminal reform speech: https://www.sanjoseinside.com/opinion/letter-650-public-defenders-stand-behind-sajid-khan/ Here is a letter issued by CAIR: https://ca.cair.com/sfba/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/DA-Rosen-Letter-06.23.20.pdf Here is a story in the San Jose Mercury News about Jeff Rosen's decision to withdraw his complaint in response to the backlash: https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/23/district-attorney-backs-off-whistleblower-claim-against-line-level-public-defender/ Here is a post Sajid wrote everything went down about what we need to do going forward: https://www.publicdefenders.us/blog_home.asp?Display=854

COVID: Courts, Content, Care Avi and Sajid talk about what defense practice looks like during the COVID-19 pandemic, including video arraignments in mostly empty courthouses. They also talk about the content that they have enjoyed consuming and self-care practices while sheltering in place. Lee Rosevere (@leeroservere) composed and performed the intro and outro of the pod. Omniboi (@omniboi) composed and performed the music during the breaks.

Avi and Sajid discuss COVID-19 with Adnan Khan (!akhan1437). Adnan is the co-founder and executive director of Re:Store Justice (@restore_cal). Adnan was incarcerated at 18 for a felony murder conviction. He advocated for reform and was released after California largely abolished felony murder liability. They discuss COVID-19 from the perspective of people held in jails and prisons. Adnan describes the tension people face when seeking medical care means placement in solitary. He talks about how quarantines play out in terms of community access and proposes some solutions to promote good public health practices without resorting to isolation. They discuss COVID-19 in connection with mass incarceration and prison conditions. Adnan was featured on @earhustle. Check out the episode: https://www.earhustlesq.com/episodes/2018/3/14/firsts @LeeRosevere composed the intro and outro. @omniboi remixed Ms. Jackson and This is America (music @ the breaks). Note from Avi: The audio is a little weird on this one. My bad. We recorded from separate locations due to COVID-19 shelter in place and needed to experiment with a new set up. I decided to sit in the creakiest chair. I decided to put the pod out asap without doing much to fix the levels. For those who have to increase and then quickly decrease the volume, I see you...I am you. Believe me.

Scott Hechinger (@scotthech) joins Sajid (@thesajidkhan) and Avi (@avanindar) to talk about public defender movement building. @Scotthech talks about the Zealo.us, a project to train public defenders on movement building and media advocacy. They talk about the termination of two public defenders who filed an amicus brief in support of providing counsel to people at the first court appearance. They talk about the movement that formed in response to the terminations and the larger fight for public defender independence in the US. Scott shares some of his thoughts on some areas for advocacy on behalf of incarcerated people during a pandemic. Lee Rosevere composed and performed the intro and outro of the pod. Music at the break by Are We Hunting (Ryan Perrault is a member of the band and fellow public defender). Check out the whole song at the end of the pod. They have a Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/arewehunting To learn more about what is happening in MontCo, check out this article in The Appeal by Vaidya Gullapalli: https://theappeal.org/public-defenders-have-an-obligation-to-speak-out/ Here is the amicus brief: https://www.aclupa.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/bail_commission_amicus_montco_pd_2.3.20.pdf?utm_source=The+Appeal&utm_campaign=d63547ac79-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_09_04_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_72df992d84-d63547ac79-58408851 Here is an ACLU petition to support Dean Beer and Keisha Hudson (@khudsonpdlife)

This episode is all about the Orange County Informant Scandal. Avi and Sajid talk with Somil Trivedi (@somilbtrivedi). Somil is a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Reform Project. They discuss what happened in Orange County, why it matters, how it was uncovered, and what happens next. You can find Somil’s bio here: https://www.aclu.org/news/by/somil-trivedi/ Somil referenced Scott Moxley’s reporting. Follow him on twitter @scottmoxley. On January 20, 2020 James Queally (@JamesqueallyLAT) and Melanie Mason (@melmason) reported on the California Department of Justice’s investigation. Here is the link: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-20/california-attorney-general-orange-county-jail-scandal-harris-becerra The story highlights the importance of the ACLU’s current litigation. Our intro and outro are by @LeeRosevere. The song at the break is Informer by Snow.

Avi and Sajid reflect on the year and talk through what’s next in the pod, criminal justice reform, and their public defense practices. They talk about notable episodes from 2019 and share ideas about what they hope to cover in 2020. They talk about accomplishments in criminal justice reform and what they hope to see change in 2020. In the last segment, they share how their approach to pd work has changed over the year and where they want it to go. Our intro and outro are by @LeeRosevere. Remix of This is America at the break by @omniboi.

Sajid and Avi sit down with Deputy Public Defender Perla Garcia. Perla spoke out about her experience coming to the US from Nicaragua when she was twelve with three younger brothers after the tragic deaths of Oscar Alberto Martinez and his 23-month-old daughter Angie Valeria. Perla describes her multiple attempts to get to the United States (she was twelve and had three younger siblings with her) and her path to public defense. Lee Rosevere composed the intro and outro. Music played during conversation composed by Omniboi, Lee Rosevere, Makiah Beats, Trizzy Track, and Ryan Little.

Avi and Sajid recorded a live show with SF Public Defender Mano Raju at Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Mano talked about his background and path to public defense, his vision for the Public Defender’s Office in San Francisco, and where he believes the practice should and could go. Mano took audience questions. At the end of the pod, the three shared a thing. The event was sponsored by the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, the Hastings Criminal Law Society, and the South Asian Law Student Association of Hastings. @leerosevere composed the intro and outro of the pod.

Avi and Sajid interview San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Chesa Boudin about his campaign for San Francisco District Attorney. They discuss Chesa's motivation for running and talk through some of his reform proposals. Learn more about Chesa's campaign here https://www.chesaboudin.com/ and https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/us/chesa-boudin-san-francisco-da.html Follow Chesa on Twitter @chesaboudin @leerosevere composed the intro and outro of the pod.

Sajid and Avi discuss the execution of Dominique Ray and the Supreme Court’s decision to lift a stay of execution despite religious discrimination. This one is from February. Lots of things have happened since the recording, including a stay of execution in the case of Patrick Murphy based on religious discrimination. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/us/politics/texas-execution-buddhist-inmate.html @leerosevere (intero/outro) and @omniboi (break) composed music played during the pod.

Avi and Sajid get back together with Marc Bookman from the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation. Marc talks about his work on behalf of Kareem Johnson. He gives an update on Ricky Olds (https://soundcloud.com/user-139217541/14-going-on-life-without-parole). They also get an update on Krasner’s work in Philadelphia. The Atlantic Center put out video on Ricky Olds. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XtySsPOP9w Marc refers to this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/08/the-confessions-of-innocent-men/278363/ Music in this episode is composed by @leeroservere, @omniboi, and @ryanperreault (fellow public defender)

This is The Bad Defense bracket. Avi and Sajid join public defenders Kristin Carter and Chris Givens to debate the worst defense attorneys from movies, television, books, documentaries, and podcasts. @leerosevere composed the intro and outro. @omniboi and @chalolo composed music played during the discussion.

Avi and Sajid talk to Sergeant Jeremy Jones. Jeremy has been with the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office for around 10 years. Jeremy grew up on the East Side of San Jose. His father has been in and out of jail for much of Jeremy’s life. He talks about how experiences with his father and police shaped his approach to policing and service. This includes working alongside incarcerated people to build obstacles for a charitable race (http://heroesrunscc.com) and providing gifts to the children of people in jail. This conversation is different that previous episodes. Hope you listen and enjoy. Music in this episode is composed by Lee Rosevere, Omniboi, and Chris Zabriskie.

In this episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid talk about a North Carolina Sheriff’s decision to charge Dazia Lee with involuntary manslaughter of her one year old child. Ms. Lee’s son slipped through her arms after a car accident in flood waters. The discussion goes into some of the moral and legal reasons against turning this tragedy into a criminal prosecution. In the second segment, they debrief on some criminal justice victories from the midterms. Music in this episode is by @leerosevere. The segment shift is by Chris Zabriskie.

Avi and Sajid are joined by veteran Public Defender Brian Matthews. They discuss a wave of criminal justice reform in California. The topics include the elimination of cash bail, laws designed to protect kids from prosecution, and a major change to the felony murder rule. The intro clip is Senator Nancy Skinner asking a Public Safety Committee to approve her bill reforming the felony murder rule. Music in this episode is by @leerosevere and @omniboi.

In this episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid react to an order by Ohio Judge John Russo to gag Franklyn Williams with red duct tape. This type of breakdown does not happen in a vacuum. They discuss the larger context, possible ways to prevent this from happening, and some of their experiences of courtroom volatility. Music in this episode is by @omniboi and @leerosevere. Please check out and support those artists. If you enjoy the episode, please share and review.

This is the twentieth episode of Aider & Abettor. Sajid talks with Alameda public defender Rachel Marshall. Rachel handles felony trials in Oakland, California. She has written articles about the sentence of Brock Turner and recall of Judge Aaron Persky for vox.com. You can find her work here: https://www.vox.com/authors/rachel-marshall. You can follow Rachel on twitter @RachelRMarshall Sajid and Rachel talk about being Public public defenders—that is, public defenders willing to step out of the courtroom and into public debates about criminal justice. They talk about how they wound up being Public public defenders and share some of their thoughts about the process of taking their case to the court of public opinion. The episode was recorded after the recall of Judge Aaron Persky. Sajid and Rachel talk about some of the ways that the recall might effect how judges exercise their power and discuss potential defense responses. Music in this episode is by @leerosevere and @makaihbeats.

Avi and Sajid sit down with Michael Ogul to discuss a memo issued by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner aimed at fighting mass incarceration and restoring balance to sentencing. The three describe some of the problems that this new approach attempts to solve. They also talk about ways to take this new approach further. The intro and outro are by Lee Rosevere. The break music is by Mark Punzalan. Music played during a part of the conversation is by Makaih Beats. Michael Ogul is a veteran public defender. He supervises a special trial unit and represents clients facing homicide charges. Michael is the former president of the California Public Defenders Association. He has been involved in the creation of legislation, including a recent bill aimed at ensuring that prosecutors hand over exculpatory evidence. Please let us know what you think about the Krasner memo. If you have ideas for making the criminal justice system more just on the prosecution side, we would love to hear from you. You can email us at aiderandabettor@gmail.com, tweet @aiderandabettor, or post on our Facebook page. If you like Aider & Abettor, leave us a review and rating in iTunes.

We were joined by our friend/fellow public defender Carlie Ware for a discussion about the police shooting of Stephon Clark. The conversation includes our reactions to the body camera and helicopter footage. We recorded the episode before the release of the private and public autopsies. We will talk more about Stephon Clark in future pods.

In this episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid interview Los Angeles Deputy Public Defender Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes about the #clientsfirst #notmypd movement in Los Angeles County. The Board of Supervisors in Los Angeles appointed an attorney with zero public defense experience to be the interim head the largest Public Defender's Office in the United States. In response, public defenders and community allies organized opposition to the appointment. This included a protest of the appointment by over 150 public defenders. Elizabeth talks about what is going on in Los Angeles. If you would like to learn more about the opposition to this appointment, check out this petition: https://www.change.org/p/the-los-angeles-county-board-of-supervisors-la-county-board-of-supervisors-remove-interim-public-defender-nicole-davis-tinkham

Avi and Sajid took the podcast on the road to the Capital Case Defense Seminar in Monterey, CA. This episode is an interview with Marc Bookman. Marc is the co-director of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation in Philadelphia, PA. The interview focuses on Marc's work on behalf of Ricky Olds. Ricky was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for being present at a homicide when he was 14. Marc tells Ricky's story and describes how he challenged Ricky's sentence after the Supreme Court decided Miller v. Alabama. Marc's writing has been published in the Atlantic, Mother Jones, Slate, and Vice News. You can find his article about Ricky Olds here: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7bm9xe/ricky-olds-prison-juvenile-justice-sentencing-reform-america

In Ep. 15 of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid sit down with Rod O'Connor. Rod retired from public defense in 2016. During his career, Rod tried homicides and mentored new lawyers (including Avi). In the first segment, Rod shares his perspective as a recently retired public defender on the parts of the job that he misses and the parts of the job that he does not miss. They take up FAQs/cocktail party questions in the second segment. How do they represent those people? How do they sleep at night? Find out. As part of this segment, they share their thoughts on the McCoy v. Louisiana case. In that case, an attorney conceded his client's guilt in a death penalty trial, over the client's objection. The attorney thought this would increase the chances of a non-death sentence. At the end of the show, they share their Thing(s). The music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Makaih Beats, and Chris Zabriskie.

In the last episode of the year, Avi and Sajid recorded a live pod at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto, California. The students have been thinking about the issue of prosecuting minors as adults. In the first segment, Avi talks about challenging the sentence of a person who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for a homicide he committed when he was seventeen. In the second segment, Sajid delivers a modified closing argument about why his client should remain in juvenile court instead of being transferred to adult court. The last segment is Q and A. The music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Makaih Beats, and Chris Zabriskie. This is the last episode of 2017. Thanks so much to everyone for supporting this project. Please subscribe, rate, and share. It helps get the word out about the pod.

On this episode of Aider & Abettor, California State Assemblymember Ash Kalra joins Sajid and Avi. Ash is the first Indian American state legislator in California. Before being elected to the California State Assembly, Ash was a public defender in San Jose, CA (at the same office as Sajid and Avi) for over 10 years and then served as a San Jose City Council member for 8 years. In the Opening Statement, Ash describes his path to public defense and then to elected office. Ash reflects on representing clients in drug cases during the height of Three Strikes and the war on drugs. The three share stories about Indian Public Defender misidentifications. They also reflect on their experiences pursuing careers in law (specifically public defense) as children of South Asian immigrants. In the Deep Dive, Ash, Avi and Sajid discuss recent major criminal justice reforms in California, changes unimaginable just a few years ago such as the establishment of a tiered sex offender registry. They break down other reforms that target mass incarceration on the front end by eliminating sentence enhancements and allowing judges to use their discretion and on the back end by creating new parole opportunities for young offenders and the elderly in our prisons. They discuss what the next frontier of criminal justice reform will and should look like. At the end of the show, Sajid and Avi share their “Things,” both reflecting on special, memorable moments with clients. Our music and sounds are by @leerosevere.

In this episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid are joined by retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Ron Del Pozzo, someone who they both appeared in front of during their public defense careers before the Judge’s retirement. In the first segment (2:20), they all discuss the nuances of plea bargaining in criminal cases including the relative power of judges and prosecutors during the process. The conversation dovetailed into reflections on the interplay of bail, plea bargaining and outcomes for indigent people compared to the more affluent accused of crimes. They brainstorm ways to help level the playing field and to achieve more fair dispositions for all. In the second segment (42:30), Avi, Sajid and Judge Del Pozzo trade thoughts on the trial of Brock Turner, his sentence and the effort to recall Judge Aaron Persky. Judge Del Pozzo shares about what it was like to run for Judge against Persky, his thoughts about Turner’s sentence and his view of Perksy’s reputation on the bench. They question the prudence of the recall effort and discuss the recall’s potential consequences. In the last segment (1:19:38), they each share their “things,” including new criminal justice legislation in California about drug sales priors and sex offenders, the Warriors’ relationship with San Quentin Prison and advice from Judge Del Pozzo on how to counter hate with love. The intro, outro, and transitions are by @leerosevere. P.S. This episode was recorded at the Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose and was videotaped by Chris Knight and Kimy Martinez of StabbyDoll Productions. It was a very cool experience to work with Chris and Kimy. Please check out the video of the episode here: https://youtu.be/N-BYk8bb0_w

Avi is joined by public defender Kristin Carter. The topics include whether the ACLU should change its stance on representation after Charlottesville, jury selection in the Shkreli trial, the Arpaio pardon, and Taylor Swift. At the end of the episode they do their Things. Our music is by @leerosevere. Sajid was on a pilgrimage during the taping of this episode. He will be back next time.

In the 10th episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid welcome guests Raj Jayadev and Charisse Domingo of Silicon Valley De-Bug (https://siliconvalleydebug.org), a community organization in San Jose focused on storytelling and advocacy for the marginalized and criminal justice reform. In their “Opening Statement,” Avi and Sajid talk with Raj and Charisse about the origin story of De-Bug, how they met (they're a community organizing power couple), and how De-Bug became a leading voice on police violence after the police killing of a San Jose resident. They discuss the participatory defense model (https://acjusticeproject.org) started by De-Bug that is now spreading across the country. Raj and Charisse talk about De-Bug’s effort on bail reform and share how people can best get involved and make change, especially in the aftermath of the chaos in Charlottesville, Virginia. In their “Deep Dive,” Avi and Sajid talk Colin Kaepernick with Raj and Charisse. Raj and Charisse recount how Colin reached out to De-Bug and what they were able to accomplish with Colin’s donation to De-Bug as part of his “Million Dollar Pledge” campaign (http://kaepernick7.com/ck7-october-donations/). Raj describes meeting and working with Colin at a local “Know Your Rights Camp” (http://kaepernick7.com/know-your-rights-camp/) hosted and organized by Colin for youth to raise awareness on higher education, self empowerment, and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement. Sajid shares his decision to boycott the NFL in solidarity with Colin (http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/post/164041435394/do-i-have-the-courage-to-boycott-the-nfl-in). To close the episode, Avi, Sajid, Charisse, and Raj do their Things. We have new music for episode 10. Many thanks to @leerosevere

In the 9th Episode of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi welcome their first ever guest: Kevin “Bilal” Chatman.   Bilal, born and raised in San Jose, got a new lease on life after voters passed Prop. 36 in 2012 which amended California's Three Strikes Law. Bilal, then serving 150 years to life in prison, was released from prison and has since been a model of redemption and voice for criminal justice reform. You can see Bilal in the Emmy-nominated documentary "The Return" on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/title/80107949) and on a powerful segment from John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" on HBO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJtYRxH5G2k&feature=youtu.be).   In their “Opening Statement,” Sajid and Avi  talk with Bilal about his over 10 years in prison, what motivated him to change despite a life sentence, his release from prison after Prop 36, the challenges of re-entry like learning to use a cell phone and getting a job, and what it was like to go on John Oliver’s show.   In the “Deep Dive” segment, Sajid, Avi and Bilal break down the recent decision by the Nevada Parole Board to release OJ Simpson from prison.  They each share their take on OJ’s parole, including Sajid sharing why he celebrated OJ’s release (http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/post/163242361004/celebrating-the-parole-of-oj-simpson).  They talk about whether OJ’s parole experience was typical, the challenges of parole release and whether or not we should consider larger scale parole opportunities for the elderly in our prisons.   Sajid, Avi and Bilal finish up with their “Thing(s).”  Avi shares the new Aider & Abettor Twitter handle (https://twitter.com/AiderAndAbettor @AiderAndAbettor [follow us!]) and praises Senators Kamala Harris and Rand Paul for their bipartisan effort to overhaul our bail system a (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/opinion/kamala-harris-and-rand-paul-lets-reform-bail.html). Sajid shouts out “Ear Hustle,” a new podcast generated out of San Quentin Prison produced by inmates sharing the tales of prison life (https://www.earhustlesq.com/).   Bilal closes out the episode by recognizing the radio show “Street Soldiers” (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/street-soldiers-radio/id1042442760?mt=2) and by talking about “The Return Project” (https://www.thereturnproject.com/).    Our intro is by @leerosevere. Our outro and sounds are by @omniboi

In the 8th episode of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi discuss the first trial of Bill Cosby in the "Opening Statement" segment. They talk about the judge’s rulings in the case, the hung jury and what, if anything, the result means for our community. In a new segment called “Read Back,” they revisit a topic from Episode 4: the arrest and prosecution of Lauren Kirk-Coehlo for the vandalism of a mosque in Davis, California. They dive into the layers of her recent sentence of probation and jail time and discuss the Muslim community’s reaction to the outcome. Some of Sajid’s thoughts on the sentence in written form are here: http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/post/161940665954/debriefing-and-defending-the-sentence-of-lauren In the "Deep Dive" segment, Sajid and Avi reflect on the death of Philando Castile and the trial of officer Jeronimo Yanez. They break down the tragic incident and the acquittal of Mr. Yanez, including how Supreme Court cases permitted the initial car stop, the dashcam video of the officer shooting Mr. Castile, how the jury might have received the evidence in reaching their decision and what the not guilty verdict means and doesn’t mean. Sajid tried to flesh out some of his thoughts on the tragedy here: http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/post/162039596474/on-the-death-of-philando-castile-the-trial-of Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)." Our intro is by @leerosevere. Our outro and sounds are by @omniboi

In the 7th episode of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi discuss former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez, his murder trials and his recent death in the "Opening Statement" segment. They talk about his acquittal for an alleged double homicide and some of the nuances of the trial including Hernandez’s tattoos and a unique jury selection process. Sajid and Avi also share how Hernandez’s suicide impacted them with some discussion of Sajid’s blog post “Aaron Hernandez, My Clients and Me” http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/post/159883153544/aaron-hernandez-my-clients-and-me. In the "Deep Dive" segment, they reflect on how to function as public defenders given the challenges inherent in the work. Sajid and Avi share some of the mental and emotional challenges of the work and then trade their top 5 lists of self-care methods and practices to sustain as freedom fighters and avoid burnout. Some of their suggestions include physical labor, fast food and therapy. Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)." Sajid talks about the Cincinnati Bengals drafting Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon despite his prior conviction for an assault of a woman at a bar (discussed in the inaugural episode of the podcast). Avi shouts out NBA basketball player Dion Waiters and his moving essay in The Players’ Tribune. https://www.theplayerstribune.com/dion-waiters-miami-heat-nba-is-lucky/ Our intro is by @leerosevere. Our outro and sounds are by @omniboi Please email us comments at aiderandabettor@gmail.com.

In Episode 6 of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi get into a New York State of Mind. In the Opening Statement, they discuss the campaign to #raisetheage. The talk about the problems of treating 16 year olds as adults in the criminal justice system. In the Deep Dive, they discuss a recent proposal to close Rikers Island. They explore many of the ways that Rikers violates basic notions of due process and fairness. You can find the proposal at http://www.morejustnyc.com/the-report-1/ In the Things segment, Sajid pushes the MVP candidacy of Steph Curry and recommends a the Ex-Conversations Podcast. Avi criticizes a Department of Justice memo that attempts to distance the Department of Justice from the business of responding to systemic civil rights violations. Our intro is by @LeeRosevere. Our outro and sounds are by @omniboi.

In the fifth episode of Aider & Abettor, Avi and Sajid discuss the challenge of getting a representative jury and one proposal (California Senate Bill 576) to collect more data about the jury selection process. The text of the bill is available online at http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB576 In the deep dive, they talk about the music that gets them going during trial. The discussion is broken up into five stages: setting the ground rules, jury selection, opening statement, cross examination, and closing argument. In the "Things" segment, Avi recounts a confrontation with a bathroom line-cutter. Sajid shares his thoughts about public reactions to the sentence in a South Carolina hate crime case and a report on "Pay-to-Stay" jails. Sajid blogged about these subjects at http://thesajidakhan.tumblr.com/ Our intro is by @leerosevere (https://soundcloud.com/happypuppyrecords). Our transitions and outro are by @omniboi.

In the 4th episode of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi start with the "Opening Statement" where they discuss recent mass ICE raids across our country, particularly the arrest of a woman at an El Paso County Courthouse as she sought a restraining order against her alleged domestic abuser and how it will impact our criminal justice system and victims rights (0:30). They break down the detention of Daniel Ramirez Medina, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipient, commonly referred to as a “Dreamer,” the legal effort to get him out and his alleged gang affiliations (08:30). In the "Deep Dive" segment, they talk about the arrest of Lauren Kirk-Coehlo for an alleged vandalism of a mosque in Davis, California (18:19). They dive into the layers of this arrest and incident including the Muslim community’s reaction to the alleged hate crime, the $1 million bail amount, Lauren’s reported social media glorification of violent behavior, the media’s use of her yearbook picture rather than a mugshot, whether we’d represent her and what her punishment should look like. Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)" of the week (44:50). Sajid shares Defy Ventures, a program designed to channel the talents of the currently and formerly incarcerated in our community into entrepreneurship. Avi recounts the beautiful words of Davis Mayor Robb Davis on shame and then laments about the Sacramento Kings and their owner Vivek Ranadive’s trade of Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins. Our intro is by Lee Rosevere (https://soundcloud.com/happypuppyrecords). Our transitions and outro are by OmniBoi (https://soundcloud.com/omniboi)

In the 3rd episode of Aider and Abettor, Sajid and Avi start with the "Opening Statement" where they discuss the Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan and their mutual San Francisco 49ers fandom (and lack of trust in Jed York) (0:30). They break down the 49ers’ head coach and front office hires and assess Shanahan in light of his and the Falcons’ Super Bowl meltdown. They consider one bonus outcome of the Super Bowl: the decision by several Patriots players, including Chris Long, not to attend the traditional trip to the White House (09:00). In the "Deep Dive" segment, they assess Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch (14:06). They share their opinions on Gorsuch’s nomination as criminal defense practitioners, review his background, and dive into some of his judicial opinions that impact criminal justice. Sajid and Avi then delve into the importance of judicial independence in light of President Trump’s recent Twitter tirades. Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)" of the week (41:08). Sajid recounts the time he booed Jason Giambi at the Oakland Coliseum and shares his empathy for Oklahoma City Thunder fans after Kevin Durant left them for the Warriors. They both understood booing Kevin Durant the player, but honor Kevin Durant the man. Avi shouts out Omniboi and his music (we feature Omniboi's Bad and Boujee Remix in this episode). He also describes some of the thrills of coaching high school mock trial.

In the 2nd episode of Aider & Abettor, Sajid and Avi start with the "Opening Statement" where they discuss President Donald Trump’s Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” commonly known as the #MuslimBan (0:30).  They share their excitement and pride about the role of lawyers in the movement to counter this new policy and emphasize the need for self-care for activists working to effectuate change.      In the "Deep Dive" segment, they break down another Executive Order by President Donald Trump, “Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” and the cross-section between the criminal justice system and immigration laws (14:40). They express concerns about the potential consequences of this policy to prioritize removal of non-citizens merely accused of crimes.  They go on to talk about sanctuary cities and the the interaction, or lack thereof, between states and the federal government in the enforcement of immigration laws. Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)" of the week (34:50).  Sajid shares a courtroom experience from last week that reminded him of a silver lining to an otherwise haunting election day: the passage of Prop 57 which took the power to charge minors as adults away from California DAs.  Avi recounts his brush with the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in an airport.  They finish up making their Super Bowl picks between the Patriots and Falcons. Our music and sounds are from Lee Rosevere's Music for Podcasts (freemusicarchive.org/tag/podcast/) You can email us at aiderandabettor@gmail.com. You can also find the podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, and PocketCasts.

Episode 1 Summary In this pilot episode of Aider and Abettor, Sajid and Avi introduce themselves and the podcast and then launch into the "Opening Statement" where they discuss the controversy surrounding Joe Mixon and Tyreek Hill, two star football players with violent crimes in their past (2:20). In the "Deep Dive" segment, they each break down their Top 5 fictional criminal defense lawyers(20:00). Vinny Gambini of “My Cousin Vinny” made both of their top 5’s. Others on their lists include Jack Stone from “The Night of,” Jimmy Stewart’s character in “Anatomy of a Murder,” Atticus Finch and Lionel Hutz from the Simpsons. Sajid and Avi finish up with their "Thing(s)" of the week, both touching upon the end of Barack Obama's presidency (55:30). Avi suggests that we all read President Obama’s Harvard Law Review article on criminal justice reform while Sajid talks about Cal’s new football coach Justin Wilcox. Our music and sounds are from Lee Rosevere's Music for Podcasts (http://freemusicarchive.org/tag/podcast/)