Crime Story Editor

In Part 71, Judge Mader considers her experiences as a public defender and how they shaped her approach to presiding as a judge. Also, the Judge’s incidental assignment to a civil case leaves her wondering about the norms of the civil trial environment. You can find links to all installments of Inside the Robe here. August 22 Not only is it hard to get trials started around Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter break, but the entire summer should be added to the list. Syncing a prosecutor, defense attorney, defendant, and witnesses is always difficult. Everyone has their own vacation schedules, rendering...

A jury convicted Quintin “QT” Morris on three counts of attempted murder. In January 2019, he was released after serving 27 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

In Part 70, Judge Mader details the essential role of anonymity for potential jurors, and then explores how keeping a defendant in custody can be used as a coercive strategy by prosecutors. You can find links to all installments of Inside the Robe here. July 28 Protecting a juror’s privacy is vitally important to judges. At the end of every criminal case, we tell jurors, “All records concerning your personal information will be sealed until further order of the court.”  In the past, jurors were referred to by their first and last names; today they are referred to by assigned number. Attorneys are...

You can find links to all of CRIME STORY’S coverage of the Robert Durst trial here. This special breaking news edition of Jury Duty discusses how just as the defense was to call defendant Robert Durst to the stand, a positive COVID test has thrown the trial's schedule into question. Host Kary Antholis and co-host Brittany Bookbinder are joined by Charles V. Bagli, who is covering the trial for The New York Times and CrimeStory.com, to get the latest update from the courtroom.

In Part 69, Judge Mader discusses the elements a judge must weigh when sentencing defendants with a mental illness or those who have committed crimes during a psychotic break. The Judge also shares a few courtroom management strategies. You can find links to all installments of Inside the Robe here. July 22 An irate, screaming attorney walked into court as we were beginning to handle his client’s case. His client was already in state prison serving a sixteen-year sentence. Understandably, counsel must have been confused to hear his client’s case being heard by the court without him or his client being present....

You can find links to all of CRIME STORY’S coverage of the Robert Durst trial here. In this episode, The Interview, host Kary Antholis and co-host Brittany Bookbinder examine the very first meeting of Robert Durst and Deputy DA John Lewin: A wide-ranging, Mirandized interview in the New Orleans Parish Prison in March 2015. Over several hours, Deputy DA Lewin interviewed Robert Durst about his favorite subject: Robert Durst. Kary and Brittany are joined by Charles V. Bagli, who is covering the trial for The New York Times and CrimeStory.com, to discuss what can be expected as the prosecution rests their...