Criminal Records Podcast

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A twice monthly podcast on crime and punishment throughout history!

isaac.joseph.meyer@gmail.com (isaac.joseph.meyer@gmail.com)


    • Sep 26, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 57m AVG DURATION
    • 154 EPISODES

    4.5 from 57 ratings Listeners of Criminal Records Podcast that love the show mention: criminal, true crime, social, history, great, isaac and demetria.


    Ivy Insights

    The Criminal Records Podcast is an absolute gem in the podcasting world. With hosts Isaac and Demetria at the helm, this show delves into historical criminal cases to not only entertain but also provide insightful commentary on society and culture. The banter between Isaac and Demetria is engaging and their relaxed format adds a unique charm to the show. From odd and intriguing crimes to serious social issues, this podcast covers a wide range of topics that will captivate listeners.

    One of the best aspects of The Criminal Records Podcast is how Isaac and Demetria approach their storytelling. They have a knack for digging up lesser-known details and examining crimes from a human perspective, without resorting to sensationalism. They manage to strike a perfect balance between informative and entertaining content, making each episode thoroughly enjoyable. Additionally, they use historical criminal cases as a lens to explore different legal systems and the social construction of crime itself, providing listeners with fascinating insights.

    Another standout feature of this podcast is the hosts' sense of humor. Despite discussing serious subject matter, Isaac and Demetria find moments of levity where appropriate, infusing the episodes with lightheartedness. This helps create a more engaging listening experience while still maintaining respect for the gravity of the crimes being discussed.

    While The Criminal Records Podcast has many strengths, one area that could be improved upon is the sound quality in some early episodes. However, it's worth noting that this issue improves as the podcast progresses, so it doesn't significantly detract from the overall enjoyment.

    In conclusion, The Criminal Records Podcast is a true standout in the realm of true crime podcasts. Isaac and Demetria's ability to weave together captivating stories with insightful analysis sets this show apart from others in its genre. Whether you're a fan of history, true crime or simply enjoy intelligent conversations about societal issues, this podcast delivers on all fronts. So grab your headphones and prepare to be entertained, informed, and occasionally amused by The Criminal Records Podcast.



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    Latest episodes from Criminal Records Podcast

    Mickey Cohen

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 70:30


    Mickey Cohen had friends in high places, from celebrities to televangelists to the LAPD. So what happened when one of the nation's most notorious mobsters tried to file his taxes as a legitimate hat salesman? Sources and show notes at this link

    Mickey Cohen, part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 64:40


    It's an illegal gambling, Nazi-punching, tax-paying good time with Mickey Cohen, a gangster who rose through the ranks during one of America's most infamous eras of organized crime. Just don't ask about who he might have shot on his way to the top. Sources and show notes at this link

    Sovereign Citizens, part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 75:46


    As the internet creates new unmoderated spaces for ideas to spread, the sovereign citizen movement moves on to new audiences and finds a lot of angry divorced dads who don't want to pay child support. Content notes: This episode continues our discussions of fascist ideology, racism, and antisemitism from part 1. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Sovereign Citizens, part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 71:10


    Don't feel like paying your taxes? Want to start your own posse? Still mad about the gold standard? Looking for an excuse to blame all your problems on the Jews? Have we got a legally dubious ideology for you! Content notes: This episode contains discussion of fascism and anti-semitic ideology. Some violent incidents such as Ruby Ridge and Waco are mentioned but are not discussed in detail. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Principality of Hutt River

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 68:49


    When you're unhappy about the price of wheat, there's only one solution: Send a telegraph to the Australian government declaring war. Sources, show notes, and some pictures from a very real country at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The James Flint Incident

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 65:14


    When an Englishman with the rare ability to speak Mandarin Chinese got into a dispute with a corrupt local official in Zhejiang, he took his complaints all the way to the top, kicking off a diplomatic incident involving the emperor himself. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Simas Kudirka

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 61:00


    A negotiation over fishing rights took an unexpected turn when a Lithuanian fisherman jumped onto an American Coast Guard ship to seek asylum. But as investigators dug into the story of this Soviet citizen's attempt to defect, they discovered that the defector's legal status was far more complicated than anyone—even Kudirka himself—could have guessed. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon (Sorry for the late post this week, I'm getting over a migraine!)

    ONE Magazine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 61:44


    In a country where gay sex is illegal, is a magazine for gay people a publication for criminals? Is the content obscene, even if there's no sexual content on the page, just because sex might be suggested somewhere off the page or in the pages of an entirely different publication? And most importantly, can you put this magazine in the mail? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    We'll be back in a bit!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 0:51


    Hello listeners! Isaac is entering final paper grading/rec letter writing season on top of planning an international exchange school trip for some of his students in May. I've also got plans to visit family on the east coast this month.  Instead of rushing out episodes to cover the time we'll be too busy to record, we decided to hit pause on Criminal Records Podcast for a month. If you're a patron, we've paused billing for the month of May so you won't be hit with charges for content we're not putting out. We'll be back in June with some new weird cases!

    The Ulysses Trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 69:58


    If the obscene material you're distributing is so avant-garde that most readers can't tell it's actually obscene, did you commit a crime or not? This week, we're getting into the trial of the scandalous literary magazine editors who brought the work of James Joyce to America. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Two small scams

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2024 59:02


    Not all scam artists prey on suckers' desire to get rich quick or cheat the system. Some of them prey on their marks' better impulses, like their love for their pet dogs or their willingness to help a stranger in an emergency. Content note: This episode contains discussion of animal cruelty and inhumane and misguided medical practices. It contains some outdated language about epilepsy. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    British Prison Reform

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 73:14


    With options for getting rid of its convicts drying up, Britain started thinking about reforming both its prisons and the prisoners inside them. The intention behind these prison reforms was great. But attempts to create a better prison system involved wild philosophy experiments in real life, a lot of Bibles, a lot of time to think in silence, and... treadmills? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Abortion in Modern Japan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 69:30


    Is abortion legal in Japan? No, but also yes. Join us on a journey through history to learn about how modern abortion law developed in a legal system that didn't treat fetuses as legal persons but did want to count them as future taxpayers.   Content note: This episode is about abortion. It contains discussions of miscarriages, the complications of improper administration of abortifacients, forced sterilization, sexually transmitted diseases, and sex work.   Sources and show notes at this link   Support the show on Patreon

    The Yakuza

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 61:59


    We're out of the country for a family memorial service and didn't have time to record a Criminal Records episode for the week. But that doesn't mean we're out of crime content! This week, we've cleaned up and cut together some of Isaac's very, very old History of Japan audio to bring you the history of Japanese organized crime.

    The Bloody Code

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 63:21


    Under Britain's most notorious era of criminal law, you could be sentenced to death for everything from destroying a fishpond to being a particularly malicious 7-year-old. But how many criminals actually died thanks to this wave of harsh legislation? Getting the answer requires a deep dive into the very weird world of crime and punishment in the industrializing United Kingdom. Content note: This episode is about capital punishment in British law and will include a lot of information about the state executing convicted criminals. The show notes contain images of hangings. I'm sticking with our general policy of choosing illustrations for our show notes instead of photographs of dead bodies. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Emma Goldman, part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 70:01


    The law was out to take Emma Goldman down on a range of charges from distributing obscene material to assassination to sedition. But did the woman the papers called the Queen of Anarchy deserve her lengthy rap sheet? Sources and show notes (with some excellent political cartoons) at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Emma Goldman, part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2024 63:00


    Something seemed a little less than ideal about governments and economies around the world in the late 1880s. One woman's solution? Anarchy. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Bonus Episode: Babylon Berlin

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 29:35


    Thanks to Demetria's brilliant decision to get as many vaccines as possible on the same day, there's no new episode this week. Instead, we're releasing a bonus episode from our Patreon archives about one of our all-time favorite works of historical fiction. We'll be back on our regular posting schedule in 2024! Content warning: Babylon Berlin is set in the Weimar Republic and contains some admirably frank depictions of the rise of fascism, so there's a lot of discussion of antisemitism and Nazis in this episode and on the show.

    CW "Shorty" Young

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 70:23


    On one side, a crooked saloon owner with a side business running brothels and opium dens. On the other side, a moralistic tycoon with rail car full of beautiful vegetables. Which one of them did more damage to a frontier town in Montana? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Reichsbürger movement

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 74:36


    Want to crown yourself the king of Germany? Want to conquer Europe because you have really strong opinions about public transit? Want to get rich quick selling fake government ID cards? With this one completely nonsense legal strategy, you too can claim the government of Germany isn't real and join the ranks of some very iffy far-right extremists. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    The Stone of Destiny Heist

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 59:55


    To crown the monarch of the United Kingdom, you need a 336-pound block of sandstone. But who really owns that big chunk of stone, and who was the thief who stole it from its rightful place? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show and find our bonus episode about Braveheart on Patreon

    The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2023 59:56


    If you're going to accuse a gang of spirit mediums of practicing a banned religion on the down low, you have to prove they're actually members of that religion. But what if your only understanding of how this religious group worships comes from stories about outrageous magical villains? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 58:48


    A group of spirit mediums found a way to use their psychic prowess to get rich in the physical realm. But when an investigator started looking into a suspiciously successful prosperity scheme, he uncovered a case of divine fraud. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Lie Detector Tests

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2023 65:08


    Let's dive into the dangerous, divine, and occasionally kinky history of trying to figure out who's telling the truth. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    James Reavis, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 68:14


    In the second part of our story, the Baron of Arizona has to create a Baroness so he can rise to great heights in Europe and use his connections to keep swindling in America. But while the upper crust in the old country buy into his wild story, Americans are starting to unravel his fraud. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    James Reavis, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2023 54:34


    James Reavis was a failed real estate investor, but he had a knack for document forgery. And if you lose all the land you own legally, why not acquire some more with the help of a few doctored papers? Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Bombing of KAL Flight 858

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2023 61:27


    A North Korean plot to sabotage the Olympics and possibly derail a crucial South Korean election hinged on a pair of very unusual spies. When one of the bombers survived after swallowing a cyanide capsule, she told investigators her whole world was a lie. Content note: This episode concerns a terrorist attack, a plane crash, mass murder, and a death by poisoning. It also contains discussions of police brutality and torture. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The death of Thomas Overbury, part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 70:13


    Mirror mirror on the wall, who really killed Thomas Overbury? We're getting deep into what might just be the weirdest trial we've ever covered on this show, with accusations flying about witchcraft, a poisoned enema, Spanish treachery, and a cameo from Sir Francis Bacon. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The death of Thomas Overbury, part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2023 61:03


    We begin a twisted tale of witchcraft, poison, and legal arguing over magically cursed genitals in the court of King James I. Sir Thomas Overbury tried his best to climb to a coveted position at court, but he made a lot of enemies along the way. Content note: I'm going to throw an explicit label on this one just in case because it involves a discussion of a legal case revolving around the mechanics of impotence. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Five Men of Naniwa

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 62:21


    In life, they were poor hooligans. In death, they became five of Japan's greatest folk heroes. Join us for a journey into Japan's 17th-century true crime puppet shows, time-traveling heroic tales, and kabuki romance. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show and find bonus episodes on Patreon

    The Iran-Contra Affair

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2023 62:14


    You've heard jokes about the Iran-Contra affair, but have you heard the actual legal arguments of the defendants? To understand the true scope and purpose of these complicated financial shenanigans, we've got to cover a whole lot of history. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Section 28

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2023 80:45


    This Pride month, we're gearing up for a fight. As we battle over “Don't Say Gay” bills in the US today, we're looking back to the 1980s to see how a similar legal effort played out in the United Kingdom. No one was ever successfully prosecuted under Section 28, but that doesn't mean it was harmless. Content note: This episode contains in-depth discussion of homophobia and transphobia in the recent past and today. I'm also going to have to throw an explicit label on this episode just to be safe since we do go over some of the technical details of legal debate over the Buggery Act and more recent debates over obscenity and sex education. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Arnaud du Tilh, a.k.a. Martin Guerre

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2023 55:05


    A man named Martin Guerre left his wife and child. Eight years later, a man who called himself Martin Guerre returned. Why would his wife accept her not-quite-the-same husband without raising any questions, and what happened when one member of the family became convinced his nephew had been replaced by an imposter? Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Section 230

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 69:30


    Is the rule that made the modern internet to blame for breaking it? Is a forum legally analogous to a bookstore that might have a dirty book in it somewhere? Who's responsible for all this junk everyone's been putting in the internet tubes? And if we're heading for a massive change in the way we handle illegal content online, are we at risk of destroying the best parts of the system we're trying to fix? Content note: This episode contains discussion of illegal speech, including hate speech, incitement to terrorism and genocide, child sexual abuse material, and revenge porn. We will not be discussing any graphic details or closely examining the events of any specific case, but we're putting an explicit flag on this episode just to be safe. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai, and Wang Lijun

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 57:32


    We're back with a new recording of one of the first cases we covered on Criminal Records. Bo Xilai was one of the rising stars of China's Communist Party, but his political dreams came crashing down when a close business partner was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Sources and shownotes at this link Support the show and listen to bonus episodes on Patreon

    Bonus Episode: Marie Antoinette (2006)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2023 24:01


    We're out of the country for the week, so we've released one of our Patreon bonus episodes into the regular podcast feed. We've talked about Marie Antoinette's real life and death, but how does the 2006 Marie Antoinette movie choose to frame her story? This is part of a much longer discussion in our bonus episodes about movies depicting (or claiming to depict) historical events. You can find the full series on our Patreon.

    Perkin Warbeck

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2023 62:20


    A half-baked plot to replace the true king of England with an impostor involved mind-controlling ointment, a loyalist uprising that never materialized, and some of the biggest political powers in Europe. Content note: The backstory of this episode involves the likely murder of two children, although the focus of this case is a different crime. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Ovid

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2023 58:10


    One of the western canon's greatest poets was a real horndog. Was his banishment from Rome really about making Rome great again by returning to purity culture, or did Publius Ovidius Naso get caught up in a complicated web of politics at the dawn of the Roman empire? This episode is marked explicit for some seriously steamy poetry quotations. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    James Aitken

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2023 75:04


    One would-be hero of the American revolution wasn't American, heroic, or particularly good at helping the revolution. His plan to burn down the British navy's most strategic dockyards had just one fatal flaw: he wasn't actually any good at starting fires. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Naftaly Frenkel (re-record)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 50:57


    One Soviet convict impressed his own jailors so much that he ended up completely transforming the Soviet Union's gulag system. But how much of what we know about the life of Naftaly Frenkel is real, and how much is a right-wing attempt to link the Communist party to a conspiracy theory about greedy Jews? Content note: Discussion of mistreatment of prisoners and antisemitism. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    Reynard the Fox

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 68:18


    We're exploring the history of crime fiction with Reynard, a rascal whose exploits are definitely not the sort of behavior you'd expect from a cute talking fox today. How did our vulpine antihero go from a murderous rapist to a cuddly kids' character? Why did Walt Disney keep trying to make a movie about one of fiction's nastiest criminals? And how long is Isaac willing to listen to descriptions of medieval butt jokes before he begs Demetria to wrap up this episode? Content note: This episode is marked explicit for discussions of fictional sex, violence, animal deaths/murder, scatological humor, and very crude use of religious symbols. There is a detailed discussion of a trial revolving around a fictional situation that modern audience would probably consider a charge of sexual assault, but medieval audiences may have read as a false accusation. Sources and show notes (and lots of pictures of foxes) at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Women and the Law in the Late Roman Republic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2023 56:41


    We're heading to the Roman Republic for two stories about women getting their day in court. Asking the gods to put a supernatural hit out on your illicit lover, that's a-okay according to the Romans. But being a sugar baby? That's against the law. Show notes and sources at this link Support the show on Patreon

    Hustler Magazine, Inc v. Falwell

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 64:53


    We're starting the year off with a civil law case involving some very uncivil language. One of our nation's most important legal battles over the First Amendment was a battle between a Nyquil-chugging preacher and an American flag diaper-wearing porn publisher. Does the right to free speech protect your right to be really, really gross? Content note: This episode is labeled explicit for graphic descriptions of fictional incest. There will also be some quotes from primary sources containing racist, sexist, homophobic, and antisemitic language. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

    The Pig War

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2022 70:52


    On a lonely island off the coast of North America, one man shot another man's pig for eating his potatoes. The legal question of who had the right to arrest him nearly upset the fragile peace between two nations. Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    The Great Sumo Match Fixing Scandal

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2022 65:26


    While Japanese officials were investigating a case of illegal baseball betting, they uncovered a shocking secret about the integrity of one of the country's most famous sports. Who actually runs the world of sumo, and why would some of the most elite athletes in the world feel so much pressure to fix their matches? Sources and show notes Support the show on Patreon

    The Murder of Pavlik Morozov

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 68:03


    In the Soviet Union, snitches got statues. But was the story of a brave little Communist who was murdered by his own family just a little too good to be true? And if the famous campfire tale was a fabrication, who really killed the Morozov boys? Content note: This episode contains descriptions of the murders of two children, torture of suspects, execution by shooting, and millions of deaths due to famine. Sources and show notes here

    Kinder Egg smuggling

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 57:32


    Are people really being fined thousands of dollars for smuggling a sweet treat across the US border? Demetria goes deep (maybe a little too deep) on an investigation into why American stores can't sell one of Europe's favorite chocolates. Content note: Deaths of children by asphyxiation and poisoning will be mentioned in this story but are not discussed in detail. Sources and show notes here Support the show on Patreon

    Starvation Heights

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2022 55:40


    Was one of Seattle's most notorious killers murdering her patients and stealing their fortunes on purpose, or did she really believe that starvation was the cure for every disease? Welcome to the world of Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, one of alternate medicine's most notorious quacks, who always seemed to end up with power of attorney over her wealthy victims shortly before they died under mysterious circumstances. Content note: This episode involves detailed discussion of disordered eating, medical malpractice, and death by starvation. Sources and show notes here Support the show on Patreon

    seattle starvation heights linda burfield hazzard
    John Spano, Jr.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2022 56:42


    One man lived the dream of every hockey fan when he bought a 50% stake in the ownership of the New York Islanders. There were just a few problems with his plan to save the struggling underdogs: He didn't know anything about how to run a hockey team, he couldn't fulfil any of his grand promises, and he didn't actually have any money. Sources and show notes here Support the show on Patreon

    Roy Olmstead, the Gentleman Bootlegger

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 71:51


    When Washington State went dry, one baby-faced cop decided to start moonlighting as a bootlegger. His alcohol empire involved crooked mayors, bootlegging conventions, airplane engines strapped to boats, and a conspiracy theory about secret messages for rum-runners hidden inside children's bedtime stories. S.A. Chant generously stepped up to guest while Isaac's out sick this week. I highly recommend checking out their work! S.A. Chant on Twitter Buy Peter Darling, Coffee Boy, or Caroline's Heart on Amazon Sources and show notes here Support the show on Patreon

    The Kosher Riots

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 63:43


    On one fateful week in 1902, Old Country systems of oversight of meat production met New Country price collusion. With the price of kosher meat skyrocketing in New York City and the Jewish population entering its hangriest period of the year, tensions spilled over into a pandemonium involving naked butchers, flying fish, and cops getting slapped in the face with raw liver. Sources and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

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