Scott Peterson met Laci Rocha in 1994 while Peterson was working in the Pacific Cafe in Morro Bay, California.  They began dating and were married in 1997.  To the outside world, they had a picture perfect marriage.  Scott got a good job with an agricultural products sales company and Laci worked as a substitute teacher. …

By the middle of the year 2000, the Enron corporation was a giant in the energy industry.  The stock price was a whopping $90.56 per share, Forbes magazine had rated it the most innovative company in the country for six consecutive years, and it had a giant market share in the energy field. A lot…

In the wake of the highly public Derek Chauvin trial, people seem to be curious about the guilty verdicts of both murder and manslaughter.  How are they different and when is it appropriate to charge one, the other, or both?  Having discussed murder in several previous cases, we focus on manslaughter in this episode. Shortly…

Charles Manson needs no introduction.  He has become a boogeyman figure in American culture.  Virtually everyone is aware of the brutal murders committed by the Manson “family.”  People recall that during his trial, Manson carved an X into his forehead, and later that X was replaced with a swastika.  He never expressed any remorse whatsoever…

Michael Jackson has been undeniably influential in the entertainment industry since he was eight years old.  The King of Pop has wowed millions with his singing and dancing and was an international sensation for decades. In 1993 that world came crashing down as allegations of child molestation arose and the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office…

Around 30 years ago, on March 2, 1991, Rodney King spent the evening drinking and watching basketball with some friends.  A little after midnight, he got into his car and started driving down the Los Angeles freeway.  When the California Highway Patrol attempted to stop him for speeding, he led law enforcement on an 8…

On March 13, 2006, Crystal Magnum and Kim Mera Roberts were hired by the Duke University Lacrosse team as strippers for a party over spring break.  After the party, Magnum claimed that she had been raped by three of the team members.  Over the next year, the entire country watched with baited breath as the…

I suspect you are not familiar with the name Ross Ulbricht.  But chances are you have heard of his alias, the Dread Pirate Roberts.  The Government claimed that Ulbricht chose the pseudonym from the Princess Bride so that he could anonymously run the Silk Road, an open air online marketplace where anyone could buy or…

Who is Steven Donziger?  Chances are you've never heard of him.  He may be a brave human rights activist or perhaps an exceptionally talented con man.  One thing is for certain, the story of his life is a wild roller coaster.  Donziger is a Harvard Law graduate who sued Texaco/Chevron in 1993 for the pollution…

There is something about political corruption which is especially jarring to the common citizen.  We expect our elected officials to pursue their constituents' interests and to work to improve the quality of life for all.  When they instead seek ways to peddle their influence or abuse their power for personal gain, it draws significant righteous…