Breakdown

S08 Ep20: Jackie Johnson goes to trial Feb 14, 2025

In this special episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, hosts Tamar Hallerman and Shaddi Abusaid look at the trial of former DA Jackie Johnson, who was accused of meddling in the local police department’s investigation of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder five years ago to protect her former employee. In a rare move, the longtime prosecutor was charged by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office with obstructing police and violating her oath of office in the aftermath of the 25-year-old Black man’s killing.

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S10 Ep41: Goodbye For Now May 20, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast looks at the elections of two of the most prominent players in the racketeering conspiracy case against former President Donald Trump.

District Attorney Fani Willis faces a challenge in the Democratic primary and Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is being challenged in a non-partisan race to be decided on May 21.

Episode 41 – “Goodbye For Now” – also takes a brief trip down memory lane, hitting some of the highlights of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment.”

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S10 E40: Hello 2025? May 09, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the ramifications of the Georgia Court of Appeals decision to hear the defense’s challenge to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case.

About six weeks after being asked to decide the issue, the appeals court said it would take it up. This almost certainly means yet another lengthy delay to the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his remaining 14 co-defendants.

Also in Episode 40 – “Hello 2025?” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – former special prosecutor Nathan Wade breaks his silence since he stepped down from the case after Judge Scott McAfee found Wade’s romantic relationship with Willis created the appearance of a conflict of interest.

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S10 E39: The Case is Submitted Apr 30, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast focuses on the presidential immunity arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.

How the nation’s highest court decides the issue – whether former President Donald Trump has absolute immunity from prosecution – directly impacts the election interference case brought against him in Fulton County.

Episode 39 – “The Case is Submitted” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers a highly unusual appearance during oral arguments before the Georgia Supreme Court.

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S10 Ep38: The Appeal Apr 11, 2024

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast focuses on a First Amendment challenge by former President Donald Trump’s lead attorney.

Lawyer Steve Sadow argues at a hearing that Trump should not be prosecuted for core political speech. Fulton County prosecutor Donald Wakeford counters that the former president is not being prosecuted just for what he said, but for engaging in a pattern of criminal conduct to interfere with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Episode 38 – “The Appeal” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also looks at attempts by the defense to get the Georgia Court of Appeals to take a pretrial challenge to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis and her office. And jury expert Denise de la Rue considers the ramifications in Fulton County of the upcoming hush money trial against Trump in New York.

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S10 Ep37: Your Burning Questions Mar 29, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast answers several questions from listeners.

A possible trial date, the ongoing appeal and a potential replacement for former special prosecutor Nathan Wade are among the topics of discussion. Episode 37 – “Your Burning Questions” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also considers the presidential immunity claims being pursued in Washington and in Fulton County by former President Donald Trump.

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S10 Ep36: Merchant Speaks Out Mar 26, 2024

The lawyer who filed the motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sits for an interview for Breakdown.

Attorney Ashleigh Merchant explains her motivations for filing the motion and gives her reactions to Willis’ surprise testimony at the evidentiary hearing. Episode 36 – “Merchant Speaks Out” – is the most recent installment of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast.

The episode also covers a recent decision by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee that allows lawyers for former President Donald Trump and seven of his co-defendants to pursue an appeal of the judge’s recent decision denying the motion to disqualify Willis.

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S10 Ep35: Fani's Choice Mar 16, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers Judge Scott McAfee’s decision as to whether District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the election interference case.

McAfee, in a 23-page order, didn’t decide the issue. Instead, the judge left it up to the district attorney to decide which course to take. And McAfee had a harsh assessment of Willis’ and special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s conduct.

The 35th episode – “Fani’s Choice” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also notes that the day before he issued his disqualification decision, McAfee dismissed six of the 41 felony counts against former President Donald Trump and his 14 remaining co-defendants.

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S10 Ep34: The Cases for Keeping or Disqualifying Mar 11, 2024

Breakdown’s last episode covered the highlights of the closing arguments made by the defense and prosecution as to why Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should or should not be removed from the election interference case.

In Episode 34 – “The Cases for Keeping or Disqualifying” – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast lets two legal experts – Norm Eisen and Andrew Fleischman -- give their own closings as to why they think Willis should remain on the case or be kicked off it.

The latest episode of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also notes that Willis has picked up challengers to her reelection and that Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee also has a challenger.

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S10 Ep33: The Closings Mar 07, 2024

A showdown of closing arguments as to whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should or should not be disqualified from the election interference case is the focus of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s most recent Breakdown podcast.

Episode 33 – “The Closings” – of Breakdown’s 10th season – “The Trump Indictment” – sets up what could be a seminal moment in the case against former President Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants. That’s when Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee decides whether to remove Willis or allow the case to go forward as it has been proceeding so far.

Five defense attorneys argue Willis’ alleged conflict of interest because of her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade warrants her disqualification. Deputy Assistant District Attorney Adam Abbate, arguing with Willis sitting behind him at the prosecution table, contends there has been no proof that Willis financially benefited from the Trump case.

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S10 E32: No Star Witness Feb 29, 2024

The former law partner and divorce lawyer of special prosecutor Nathan Wade takes the witness stand once again after the judge finds he can talk about what he learned about Wade’s and District Attorney Fani Willis’ romantic relationship.

But attorney Terrence Bradley doesn’t say what defense attorneys in the election interference case want to hear. So Episode 32 – “No Star Witness” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast features withering examinations of Bradley by a number of defense lawyers.

The episode also recaps cellphone data analysis that former President Donald Trump’s lawyers seek to get admitted into evidence. The cellphone records raise fresh questions about Willis’ and Wade’s relationship and when it began.

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S10 E31: Under The Microscope Feb 23, 2024

The most recent Breakdown episode by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution dissects the recent evidentiary hearing on the motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from the election interference case.

The hearing has enough twists and turns to be an episode of a telenovela. Episode 31 – “Under The Microscope” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – includes testimony from Willis, special prosecutor Nathan Wade and his former law partner, Terrence Bradley, who had been billed at the defense’s star witness.

Allegations from both sides fly back and forth by throughout the hearing. And it features testimony by a former Georgia governor and Willis’ father, John Clifford Floyd III.

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S10 E30: Fani Willis Takes the Stand Feb 16, 2024

With the future of Fulton County’s election interference case on the line, District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand to fight back against misconduct allegations.

Defiant, emotional, angry and sometimes even funny, Willis’ testimony was both remarkable and surprising as she pushed back against accusations that could disqualify her and her office from prosecuting former President Donald Trump and his 14 remaining codefendants.

The most recent episode, “Fani Willis Takes the Stand,” of Season 10 — “The Trump Indictment” — of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast analyzes Willis’ combative courtroom appearance.

The episode also looks at the testimony of special prosecutor Nathan Wade and Robin Bryant Yeartie, a former friend of Willis and ex-employee of the DA’s office, who contradicted Wade and Willis’ account of when their relationship began.

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S10 E29: Setting the Table Feb 14, 2024

The judge overseeing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 others has cleared the way for what could be an explosive hearing focusing on the personal relationship between the district attorney and her special prosecutor.

The most recent episode – “Setting the Table” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast sets up the upcoming evidentiary hearing.

The episode also focuses on the most recent court filing by defendant Michael Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, and District Attorney Fani Willis’ attempt to quash subpoenas served on her and her staff.

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S10 E28: Getting Personal Feb 08, 2024

The accusations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis continue to get increasingly personal in nature since her acknowledgment of her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

The latest episode of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers more motions that call for Willis’ disqualification from the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 co-defendants.

Episode 28 – “Getting Personal” – also includes interviews with legal experts who give their takes on what has happened since the first motion to disqualify Willis was filed on Jan. 8. And it makes note of the historic ruling by the federal appeals court in Washington, rejecting Trump’s claims of presidential immunity.

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S10 E27: The Response Feb 05, 2024

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the highly anticipated response by the District Attorney’s Office to allegations DA Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade were having an improper romantic relationship.

The court filing is at times pointed and blistering and it is highly critical and dismissive of the motion to disqualify Willis and her office from prosecuting the case against former President Donald Trump and 15 remaining co-defendants. “The Response” is the 27th episode of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment.”

The DA’s response also answers the question as to whether Willis and Wade did indeed have more than just a professional relationship. And it gets a quick – and powerful – reply from Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer who represents defendant Michael Roman and first lodged the allegations.

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S10 E26: Piling On Feb 02, 2024

The most recent episode of Breakdown covers developments inside and outside of court in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants. And the motion to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis because of her alleged inappropriate romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade continues to loom over the case.

Episode 26 – “Piling On” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on motions filed by Trump’s attorney and by attorneys for another co-defendant that join the effort to disqualify Willis.

The episode also includes an interview with the lawyer who represents Wade’s estranged wife and who says a motion to quash a subpoena by Willis’ lawyer was a big mistake.

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S10 E25: Wade v. Wade Jan 25, 2024

A hearing on a motion to prevent Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from giving a sworn deposition in the divorce case involving special prosecutor Nathan Wade is a focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast.

Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson convenes an emergency hearing on the request and also considers a motion to unseal Wade’s divorce file.

The 25th episode – “Wade v. Wade” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also includes interviews of legal experts who weigh in on the allegations Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade had an improper romantic relationship and whether the DA’s office should be disqualified from the election interference case.

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S10 E24: Firing Back From The Pulpit Jan 19, 2024

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gives an impassioned and defiant speech before a congregation at the historic Big Bethel AME Church, defending the man a court motion contends is involved in an improper, romantic relationship with the DA.

Willis’ response to the bombshell allegations is the focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast. Episode 24 – “Firing Back From The Pulpit” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers a court hearing in which the allegations are brought up before the judge overseeing the case.

Also, legal experts give their takes on the court motion filed by attorney Ashleigh Merchant on behalf of Trump co-defendant Michael Roman.

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S10 E23: Bombshell Allegations Jan 11, 2024

The allegations are salacious: arguably the most famous district attorney in the country hired her romantic partner to help prosecute a former president and then profited from the arrangement.

An eye-popping, explosive court motion filed on behalf of one of Donald Trump’s lesser-known defendants is the focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast.

Episode 23 – “Bombshell Allegations” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – explains the court motion filed by attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who represents defendant Michael Roman. It also looks at the fallout after the filing became public, both on the legal landscape and in the political arena.

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S10 E22: Sorry, Not Sorry Dec 21, 2023

Are single-sentence apology letters a sign of true remorse?

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the meaning of apology letters written by three of the four defendants who have pleaded guilty in the Fulton County election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others.

The apology letters were a condition imposed by District Attorney Fani Willis for the plea deals. Two of the letters, written by attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, are just a single sentence.

“Sorry, Not Sorry” – Episode 22 of Breakdown’s Season 10, “The Trump Indictment” – also reports on oral arguments before the federal appeals court in Atlanta, which considered a request from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to transfer his case from Fulton Superior Court to federal court a few blocks away.

And the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, to the surprise of many, handed down its decision just three days after a three-judge panel heard the arguments.

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S10 Ep. 21: A Conversation With DA Willis Dec 14, 2023

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast includes a wide-ranging interview with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Willis shares her thoughts on many aspects of the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others. She also opens up about her possible political aspirations after serving as Fulton’s DA.

Episode 21 – “A Conversation With DA Willis” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also catches listeners up on the ongoing defamation trial filed by two former Fulton County poll workers against Trump’s former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

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S10 Ep20: Election Interference? Dec 06, 2023

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast focuses on the interaction between the judge, Donald Trump’s attorney and the prosecution over the possibility of the trial being held next August.

Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, making his courtroom debut, contends having the trial at that time would constitute election interference. Special prosecutor Nathan Wade disagrees. And Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has questions he wants answered.

“Election Interference?” – Episode 20 of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers social media posts by defendant Trevian Kutti that some legal experts say could get her bond revoked and land her in jail.

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S10 Ep19: Walking the Line Nov 29, 2023

Fani Willis makes a fiery courtroom debut in the latest episode of "Breakdown: The Trump Indictment." In episode 19, "Walking the Line," we'll take you inside the Fulton County courthouse to hear Willis argue that bond should be revoked for a Donald Trump co-defendant who had been repeatedly attacking potential witnesses on social media.

Harrison Floyd has been one of the most combative defendants in the case, and his lawyers argued that while he "walked up close to the line," his posts were protected free speech. Hear what Judge Scott McAfee had to say on the matter and how it could provide a sneak peek of the battle to come with another social media fan - Trump.

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S10 Ep 18: Breakdown Bonus: Thanksgiving Edition Nov 20, 2023

In this bonus episode of “Breakdown,” two legal veterans analyze the latest developments in Fulton County’s election subversion case against Donald Trump and his supporters.

Former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter and Atlanta defense attorney Bob Rubin discuss whether we are likely to see more plea deals. They also give us their opinions of those apology letters the district attorney demanded and tell us what it’s really like to try a long complicated criminal case.

The episode includes an update on Harrison Floyd, who could have his bond revoked because of social media posts and comments prosecutors say amount to threats against witnesses. Could Floyd end up back behind bars at the Fulton County Jail?

In “Breakdown Bonus: Thanksgiving Edition” of Breakdown’s Season 10, “The Trump Indictment” we’ll also answer reader questions, including what happens to Trump’s presidential run if he is convicted in Fulton County and what’s going on with case against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones?

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S10 Ep17: The Proffers Nov 17, 2023

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast focuses on the videotaped interviews with Fulton County prosecutors by the four defendants who had struck plea deals.

After the so-called proffers by Sydney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall became public, the District Attorney's Office called for a sealing of all documents turned over in discovery and suggested one of the 15 remaining defendants was to blame for the leak.

During her lengthy interview, Powell gave some remarkable commentary while Ellis recounted a halting discussion she had with a senior White House aide at a 2020 Christmas party. "The Proffers" — Episode 17 of Breakdown's Season 10, "The Trump Indictment" — also covers a court hearing held following the leaked proffers and which included a startling revelation.

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S10 Ep.16: The Fraud Hunters Nov 09, 2023

The latest Breakdown episode includes an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Niesse, who explains the GBI investigation of the data breach in South Georgia’s Coffee County.

Niesse, who covers voting for the newspaper, recaps a yearlong investigation into the Jan. 7, 2021, data breach. He summarizes highlights taken from an almost 400-page GBI investigative report, which was recently obtained by the AJC.

“The Fraud Hunters” – Episode 16 of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers a recent hearing in which defendant Harrison Floyd’s lawyer said he wants mountainous state and Fulton County voting information to prove that Donald Trump, not President Joe Biden, won the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Floyd, the onetime head of Black Voices for Trump, stands indicted for three felony counts stemming from his alleged role in the harassment of poll worker Ruby Freeman.

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S10 Ep15: Inside the Ellis Plea Deal Nov 01, 2023

The latest Breakdown episode includes an exclusive interview with the lawyer who represents Jenna Ellis, who once represented former President Donald Trump and who entered a guilty plea in the Fulton County election interference case.

Macon attorney Frank Hogue describes how negotiations with Fulton prosecutors transpired before Ellis entered her guilty plea on Oct. 24. She was sentenced to five years on probation and agreed to fully cooperate with prosecutors as the case moves forward.

“Inside the Ellis Plea Deal” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reports on defendant Harrison Floyd’s legal strategy and the recent indictment of an Alabama man accused of threatening Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis and Sheriff Patrick Labat.

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S10 Ep.14: Copping a Plea Oct 25, 2023

This Breakdown episode covers the guilty plea hearings of lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, both of whom were charged with former President Donald Trump in the election interference case.

Chesebro entered his guilty plea – to a felony – the day after co-defendant Sidney Powell struck her plea deal with Fulton County prosecutors. Four days later, attorney Jenna Ellis entered her own guilty plea, also to a felony.

“Copping a Plea” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also examines the implications of these deals, in which the defendants have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

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S10 Ep. 13: The Kraken's Released Oct 20, 2023

The latest Breakdown episode covers the surprise guilty plea of lawyer Sidney Powell, who infamously said she would “release the Kraken” when falsely promising she would produce widespread evidence of election fraud.

Powell entered her guilty plea one day before jury selection was to begin. Instead, fellow attorney Kenneth Chesbro, who like Powell filed a speedy trial demand, will stand trial on racketeering and other charges.

“The Kraken’s Released” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also explains why an obscure ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court earlier this year means time is of the essence to seat a jury in Chesebro’s case.

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S10 Ep. 12: Lights, Camera, Action Oct 13, 2023

When Donald Trump and his co-defendants stand trial for allegedly trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election, the public will be able to watch. Fulton County is the only jurisdiction that’s indicted the former president on criminal charges where cameras are allowed in the courtroom.

Episode 12 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast — “The Trump Indictment” — features a lively debate between two lawyers who disagree on whether that’s a good idea. Steve Brill founded Court TV and has been a vocal proponent of public access to judicial proceedings. Nick Ackerman is a former Watergate prosecutor who’s an attorney in New York and wrote an essay in the New York Times arguing why cameras in the courtroom could lead to juror and witness intimidation.

The episode will also catch listeners up on the latest developments in the case - from Republicans seeking sanctions against Fulton DA Fani Willis to a peek at the witness list for the upcoming trial of Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell.

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S10 Ep.11: Let's Make a Deal Oct 05, 2023

In Episode 11 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast — “The Trump Indictment” — we discuss the first plea deal in Fulton County’s wide-ranging election subversion case and what it could mean for the 18 remaining defendants.

In exchange for testifying for the prosecution, Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall will remain out of jail. He pled guilty to five misdemeanor counts — less severe than the seven felonies he initially faced.

We’ll also dig into the surprise announcement from Donald Trump’s lawyers that they would not try to move his case to federal court.

Atlanta appellate lawyer Andrew Fleischman and defense attorney Rachel Kaufman join us to share their thoughts on the case so far.

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S10 Ep.10: To Remove or not to Remove? Sep 22, 2023

Episode 10 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers two hearings during which lawyers for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and three Republican electors try to remove their cases to federal court in Atlanta.

The hearings were before U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones, who recently denied former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove his case from Fulton County Superior Court.

“To Remove or not to Remove?” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers an interesting pretrial ruling by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee and a motion by prosecutors asserting that six attorneys representing various defendants in the racketeering case may have conflicts of interest.

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S10 Ep.9: Meadows Is Denied Sep 15, 2023

The latest Breakdown episode examines a federal judge’s ruling denying former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove his case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones released his 49-page order late Friday afternoon, and his findings could be bad news for former President Donald Trump, whose lawyers have said they will also seek to move his case out of Fulton County Superior Court.

“Meadows Is Denied” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also covers a sometimes contentious court hearing before Judge Scott McAfee, who has scheduled an Oct. 23 trial for lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell. And, as expected, more and more court motions are being filed with accompanying rulings in the election interference case involving 19 defendants.

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S10 Ep.8: Finally, the Report Sep 08, 2023

The eighth episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution digs into the long-awaited report from Fulton County's special purpose grand jury, which spent eight months investigating Donald Trump and his allies.

Learn about the 39 people who the the special grand jurors recommended face criminal charges - including one current and two former U.S. senators - and why some of them ultimately didn't end up in District Attorney Fani Willis' racketeering indictment.

You'll also get an update on how long prosecutors think a criminal trial against the 19 defendants would take and hear what Willis had to say to a congressman who wants to investigate her office.

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S10 Ep.7: The Architect Sep 07, 2023

The latest episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contains an exclusive interview with the lawyers for Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 19 defendants charged in the Fulton County racketeering case.

Atlanta attorneys Scott Grubman and Manny Arora make state their case as to why they believe charges should not have been brought against their client. Chesebro, a lawyer, has been described as the architect for the slates of alternate electors who cast Electoral College votes for then-President Donald Trump on Dec. 14, 2020.

“The Architect” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also includes coverage of a press conference by Gov. Brian Kemp and his thoughts about proposals to reprimand District Attorney Fani Willis for obtaining the indictment against Trump and his allies.

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S10 Ep.6: Meadows’ Gambit Aug 31, 2023

The sixth episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps former chief of staff Mark Meadows’ attempt to transfer the sweeping racketeering case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

During a daylong hearing, Meadows was the first witness called to the stand. He testified for four hours, including a lengthy cross-examination by special Fulton County prosecutor Anna Cross.

“Meadows’ Gambit” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also recounts the strange saga of defendant Harrison Floyd, head of the political group Black Voices for Trump during the 2020 election.

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S10 Ep.5: Trump Surrenders Aug 25, 2023

The latest episode of Breakdown from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps former President Donald Trump’s historic surrender at the Fulton County jail.

“Trump Surrenders” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also recounts a flurry of breaking news in just the past few days: the spectacle of Rudy Giuliani’s surrender, Trump gets a new lawyer, a speedy trial demand is made and District Attorney Fani Willis proposes a new trial date for October.

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S10 Ep.4: Show Time at Rice Street Aug 23, 2023

The fourth episode of this season’s Breakdown podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recounts a busy week where lawyers met with prosecutors to get bonds for their clients, including a $200,000 bond for former President Donald Trump.

“Show Time at Rice Street” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers one of the 19 defendants charged in the racketeering case after another surrendering at the Fulton County jail on Rice Street.

The episode also includes a roundtable discussion with two Breakdown regulars – former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter and New York attorney Nick Akerman who is a former federal prosecutor who successfully used racketeering indictments against crime families.

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S10 Ep.3: The Chaos Arrives Aug 18, 2023

The third episode of this season’s Breakdown podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines the chaotic aftermath of the sweeping racketeering indictment against former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants.

AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, and Shannon McCaffrey explore one attempt — and at least two others that are expected — to move the case from Fulton Superior Court to the U.S. District Court just a few blocks away.

The episode includes reactions from three of the special purpose grand jurors who heard from almost 75 witnesses, recommended charges and collected evidence that was used as the foundation of the racketeering indictment. And it introduces listeners to the 34-year-old judge who was randomly assigned the case.

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S10 Ep.2: The Enterprise Aug 15, 2023

At the end of a very long day, a Fulton County grand jury returned a 97-page, 41-count indictment against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies.

Episode 2 – “The Enterprise” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast takes a look at the sweeping racketeering indictment and who is charged.

Some of the defendants are extremely well known, such as a former mayor of New York and a former White House chief of staff. But a few others – such as an Atlanta bail bondsman and a Republican strategist – were not on most legal experts’ radar.

This Breakdown episode also looks ahead at what is to come – the surrender of Trump and his 18 co-defendants to Fulton County authorities in the days ahead and possible legal strategies that will come into play.

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S10 Ep.1: How We Got Here Aug 09, 2023

The first episode of the new season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast will catch listeners up on how Fulton County prosecutors have accumulated evidence against Donald Trump and his allies.

‘How We Got Here’ of Breakdown’s Season 10 – ‘The Trump Indictment’ – also looks ahead as to what kind of indictment a seated grand jury could hand up in the days ahead. It is widely expected that District Attorney Fani Willis will ask the panel to issue a racketeering indictment against Trump and others for alleged criminal interference with the 2020 presidential election.

All signs point to charges being brought very soon. Orange barricades have been installed around the Fulton courthouse. Intersections have been blocked off. And local officials have been warned to get ready.

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S10 Ep. 0: The Trump Indictment - Coming Wednesday Aug 08, 2023

The barricades around the Fulton County courthouse are up. Intersections are blocked off and officials in Atlanta have been warned to get ready.

For more than a year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and its award-winning podcast Breakdown closely followed the special grand jury that accumulated evidence against former president Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia follow the 2020 election.

Breakdown will turn a new page on Wednesday when we release the premiere episode of Season 10: The Trump Indictment, which will focus on the criminal case.

Any day now, we are expecting a racketeering indictment against the former president, who is leading all of his GOP contenders in race for the 2024 nomination.

Overseeing the case is Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. She is an experienced prosecutor who used the state’s racketeering law to convict teachers and educators in one of the most widespread test-cheating scandals in U.S. history. She has also recruited one of the country’s top experts on RICO to join her office and who will almost certainly draft the Trump indictment.

Very soon we expect to see Willis’ version of events.

So to hear our in-depth report of this historic case, please follow Breakdown on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite podcasting platform.

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S9 Ep. 31: What’s next? Aug 03, 2023

In the final episode of this season’s “Breakdown” podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman examine the recent federal indictment against former President Donald Trump in Washington and look ahead to what is about to happen in Fulton County.

Episode 31 notes how much of what the podcast previously reported as to what happened in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election is part of the indictment obtained by special counsel Jack Smith.

And the episode explains how the upcoming indictment in Fulton could be, in the long run, more consequential than the classified documents case in South Florida and the election interference case in Washington. That’s because if Trump is convicted in one or both of them, he could try to pardon himself if he is reelected to the presidency or he could be pardoned if another GOP contender is voted into the White House. That would not apply to the case being brought in Georgia.

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S9 Ep. 30: We’re Still Waiting Jul 05, 2023

The latest Breakdown episode catches listeners up on developments since former President Donald Trump was indicted in Miami in the classified documents case.

A day after that indictment was unsealed, Trump returned to Georgia to address a gathering of the state Republican Party. He used the occasion to insult Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and repeat his false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

A few days later, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a challenge to the former president, suggesting they have a debate about what really occurred in Georgia.

Episode 30, “We’re Still Waiting,” of Breakdown’s Season 9, “The Trump Grand Jury,” explores disclosures involving data firms the Trump campaign hired after the 2020 election and the slate of “alternate” Georgia GOP electors who cast Electoral College votes for Trump.

The episode also provides a final update on Breakdown’s popular Season 2, “Death in a Hot Car – Mistake or Murder?” That is the sensational case where Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son Cooper to die in his hot SUV.

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S9 Ep.29: Save the Date Apr 28, 2023

We finally know when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will announce her charging decisions in her investigation of possible criminal meddling with the 2020 election. Even though Willis said in January those decisions were “imminent,” it hasn’t turned out that way.

In letters to local law enforcement, Willis said there will be a need for heightened security and preparedness due to this pending announcement. Her letters were also written in a way that it seems certain Willis will seek an indictment against former President Donald Trump.

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the ramifications of Willis’s revelations. Episode 29, “Save the Date,” of Breakdown’s ninth season, “The Trump Grand Jury,” also considers two pending court motions that could have far-reaching consequences in the case.

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S9 Ep.28: Donald Trump’s NY indictment and what it means for Georgia Apr 07, 2023

In this special podcast crossover edition, Politically Georgia host Patricia Murphy joins Breakdown hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman to discuss the first indictment of a former president and what it means to the Fulton County investigation into alleged criminal meddling with the 2020 election.

The group dissects the 34-count felony indictment and recounts the surreal scene surrounding Trump’s surrender at the Manhattan courthouse. Also reviewed is Trump’s address hours later to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort. In an inflammatory speech, Trump took aim at the Fulton County investigation and called District Attorney Fani Willis “racist.”

New York attorney Nick Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor who has closely followed the cases in Manhattan and Atlanta, also give his perspective on the historical context of the first indictment of a current or former president.

Listen and subscribe to Breakdown for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform.

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S9 Ep 27: Inside the Special Grand Jury Mar 20, 2023

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast recaps exclusive interviews with five of the special purpose grand jurors who investigated possible criminal meddling with the 2020 presidential election.

The jurors — three men and two women — shared previously unknown details about the investigation, including witnesses and pieces of evidence that were previously unreported.

Episode 27, “Inside the Special Grand Jury,” of Breakdown’s ninth season, “The Trump Grand Jury,” also includes recent comments made by former President Donald Trump about the Fulton County criminal investigation.

The five special grand jurors shared stories about what it was like to serve anonymously on one of the most closely watched grand juries in U.S. history. They said it was overwhelmingly educational and at times tedious and emotionally wrenching.

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S9 Ep. 26: The Forewoman Emerges Mar 01, 2023

In a lengthy interview, Emily Kohrs, forewoman of the Fulton County special purpose grand jury, says the panel has recommended indictments.

“It’s not a short list,” Kohrs, 30, said.

Kohrs first emerged in an article published by The Associated Press the morning of Feb. 21. Hours later, she sat down for an interview at the offices of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She would later sit for TV interviews.

In Episode 26 – “The Forewoman Emerges” – of Breakdown’s ninth season – “The Trump Grand Jury” – we hear Kohrs discuss the special grand jury investigation of possible criminal meddling with the 2020 presidential election.

Kohrs talks about certain witnesses who appeared before the panel and reveals information never made public before.

Drew Findling and Jennifer Little, Atlanta lawyers representing former President Donald Trump, also sit for an interview and criticize Kohrs for the comments she made and District Attorney Fani Willis for the way she has conducted the investigation.

“This type of carnival clown-like atmosphere that was portrayed over the course of the last 36 hours takes away from the complete sanctity and the integrity and, for that matter, the reliability,” Findling said of the special grand jury.

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S9 Ep. 25: Reading Between the Lines Feb 22, 2023

After mulling it over for three weeks, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney decided to release three sections of the report, concluding "the compelling public interest in these proceedings and the unquestionable value and importance of transparency require their release."

The special grand jurors reveal they have included vote tallies on each recommendation included in the report and they say they suspect one or more witnesses may have lied under oath while testifying.

In Episode 25 legal experts discuss what was made public and also what was not made public. So far, only about one-third of the nine-page document has been released.

Shortly after the release of the three portions of the final report, former President Donald Trump posts "total exoneration" on his social media site. But legal observers tell Breakdown it is far too early for the former president to be claiming such a thing.

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S9 Ep. 24: The Fulton special grand jury report Feb 17, 2023

In this special crossover edition of the Politically Georgia and Breakdown podcasts from The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, AJC journalists Patricia Murphy, Bill Rankin, and Tamar Hallerman explain the final report released Thursday from the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Our hosts will explain what we now know and what we have yet to learn from the nearly eight-month investigation into whether crimes were committed when the former president said in a phone call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that he wanted to find 11,780 votes in Georgia in order to defeat Joe Biden.

Plus, a look at who might be exposed after this grand jury investigation and what charged the could be facing.

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S9 Ep. 23: Decisions Are Imminent Jan 27, 2023

A court hearing is held as to whether the Fulton County special purpose grand jury’s final report can be made public right now.

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the hearing. Episode 23 – “Decisions Are Imminent” – also includes an interview with a former Atlanta prosecutor who explains why he thinks bringing indictments would set a dangerous precedent.

At the hearing, Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis has the first word, asking Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney to keep it under seal, at least for the time being.

Atlanta lawyer Tom Clyde, representing The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and more than a dozen other major news outlets, tells McBurney he should release the report immediately.

Before the hearing, former President Donald Trump’s lawyers make their first public statement in months and Trump himself posts on social media condemning the investigation and insisting once again he did nothing wrong.

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S9 Ep. 22: Its Work Is Done Jan 17, 2023

The Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies has finished its work.

In an order signed Jan. 9, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said the special grand jury had finished writing its final report – which, if it recommends bringing charges against the former president, could be one of the most consequential legal documents in recent U.S. history.

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the ramifications of the dissolution of the special grand jury. It also ponders the question as to when the final report could be released and, if so, whether some information will have to be redacted before it is made public.

The special grand jury, which cannot issue indictments, has been investigating whether possible crimes were committed here in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election.

Episode 22 – “Its Work Is Done” – of Breakdown’s ninth season – “The Trump Grand Jury” – includes interviews with three former district attorneys who oversaw special purpose grand juries and who explain the statutes and case law governing them. And one thing becomes clear: because special grand juries are so rarely used, the process of what happens once one finishes its work is not at all that straightforward.

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S9 Ep. 21 Presentments Dec 23, 2022

As the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigation winds down, it’s highly likely it is putting together its report and recommendations, formally called a presentment.

The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores prior presentments issued by special grand juries and explains how the process plays out.

Fulton’s special grand jury is investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies for possible criminal interference with the 2020 presidential election. It is not required to write up a presentment, but if it does, will it recommend criminal charges be brought?

And will the presentment be made public right away? Or will it be delayed, as it was a decade ago over the objections by special grand jurors in neighboring DeKalb County.

Episode 21 of Breakdown’s ninth season – ‘The Trump Grand Jury’ – also reports on the outcome of the legal battle waged by former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who sought to avoid being summoned to Atlanta and testify before the special grand jury.

Bill and Tamar want to hear from you. Call anytime with your questions about the special purpose grand jury at (770)810-5297. We'll play back your question and answer it on a future episode of Breakdown.

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S9 Ep. 20 Breakdown Bonus: It's all politics Dec 06, 2022

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has legal, practical and political considerations to consider as she investigates former President Donald Trump and his allies for alleged meddling with the 2020 election.

To explore the latter consideration, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast turned to Greg Bluestein, the newspaper's politics reporter who broke many of the stories that have become central parts of the special purpose grand jury investigation.

In a far-reaching interview, Bluestein weighs in on the probe in light of Trump's recent announcement to run again for president, the possible impact of the investigation on the Georgia Republican party and the potential fate of the 16 Republicans who cast fake Electoral College votes for Trump when the official slate of 16 Democrats voted for President Joe Biden.

Episode 20 - 'It's All Politics' - of Breakdown's ninth season - 'The Trump Grand Jury - also provides updates on attempts by former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to avoid testifying before the special grand jury.

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S9 Ep. 19: The Referee Nov 22, 2022

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney says his oversight of the special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies has been "quite a ride."

Episode 19 of the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast includes an interview with McBurney, who has now been a judge for 10 years.

The AJC's metro columnist, Bill Torpy, interviewed McBurney because it has seemed the judge is the busiest member of Georgia's judiciary. McBurney ruled on the challenge to Georgia's abortion law; he presides over a state judicial watchdog panel; he oversees a drug court program; and he is the trial judge in the murder case against Tex McIver, the former Atlanta lawyer charged with killing his wife, Diane.

The latest episode of "The Trump Grand Jury" also includes interviews with two authors of a Brookings Institute report on the Trump investigation. And it covers a hearing for Trump's former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, who has been summoned to testify here in Atlanta.

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S9 Ep. 18: Eastman's prophecy Nov 15, 2022

In an email sent Dec. 31, 2020, attorney John Eastman shared a thought with fellow members of then-President Donald Trump’s legal team.

“I have no doubt that an aggressive DA or U.S. Attorney some place will go after both the president and his lawyers once the dust settles on this,” Eastman wrote.

Eastman, a former law school dean, was one of the architects behind the fake elector scheme and he authored legal memos detailing a plan in which Vice President Mike Pence could refuse to count some of President Joe Biden’s votes.

As for his email, Eastman turned out to be right. He, the former president and other members of the legal team now find themselves under investigation by a Fulton County special purpose grand jury.

Episode 18 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the possible ramifications of emails exchanged between Eastman and other Trump lawyers. The emails were turned over to the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and obtained by the news organization Politico.

The ninth season of Breakdown – “The Trump Grand Jury” – is closely following the special purpose grand jury probe of possible interference in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Episode 18 also covers the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision involving South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s attempt to avoid testifying before the special grand jury. And it explains what happened in a Virginia courtroom where former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also sought to avoid traveling to Atlanta to testify.

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S9 Ep.17: What Trump knew Nov 01, 2022

Could testimony from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack help Fulton prosecutors prove criminal intent?

The 17th episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's podcast "Breakdown — The Trump Grand Jury" looks at the testimony from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Could any of the revelations help Fulton County prosecutors prove criminal intent in regards to former Donald Trump's interference with the 2020 elections in Georgia?

The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol produced hours of spellbinding television and its share of shocking revelations.

Legal experts say it has also presented testimony that could help Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, should she decide to press charges against former President Donald Trump and his allies for interfering with the 2020 elections.

Episode 17 - "What Trump Knew", Breakdown explores some of the testimony from the Select Committee hearings and explains why it could help prosecutors prove criminal intent.

Key witnesses have been former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr; former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson; former acting U.S. deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue; Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Alyssa Fara, former White House director of strategic communications.

This season, "The Trump Grand Jury," is closely following the special purpose grand jury in Fulton County that is investigating what happened in Georgia in the weeks following the 2020 presidential election.

Breakdown's latest episode also takes listeners into a South Carolina courtroom where Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff, tried to ward off an out-of-state material witness subpoena seeking his testimony before the special grand jury in Atlanta.

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S9 Ep 16: The Phony Slate Oct 25, 2022

When 16 Georgia Republicans met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, they cast Electoral College votes for Donald Trump, who had not won the state’s presidential election.

The 16th episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast – “The Trump Grand Jury” — revisits what happened that day and the consequences going forward. The false electors cast their votes the same day 16 Democrats, the official Electoral College electors, publicly cast votes for the man who’d been certified as the victor: President Joe Biden.

Fulton County prosecutors heading the special purpose grand jury investigation of former president Trump and his allies have notified the 16 fake electors that they are targets of the probe. This means they could be criminally charged for what they did.

In the episode “The Fake Electors,” Breakdown hears from three reporters — the AJC’s Greg Bluestein, Channel 2 Action News’ Richard Elliot and independent journalist George Chidi — who stumbled across the GOP meeting where the GOP “electors” cast votes that were later sent to Congress and the National Archives. The podcast also interviews legal experts who are closely following the case and who give their takes on what occurred.

Among those members of the phony slate of Republican electors trying to overturn Biden’s victory was state Sen. Burt Jones, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor.

This summer, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney handed Jones a victory by disqualifying the Fulton DA’s office from further investigating him because District Attorney Fani Willis hosted a fundraiser for Jones’ opponent, Democrat Charlie Bailey.

But Jones is not in the clear yet. The Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia now has jurisdiction and could appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Jones. This means Jones, who is leading in the polls in the race for lieutenant governor, could face a possible indictment.

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S9 Ep 15: It's Newt's turn Oct 18, 2022

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast focuses on new out-of-state material witness subpoenas issued by the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies.

The most notable to receive them are former national security advisor Michael Flynn and former Georgia congressman and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Also on the list are one of Trump’s former senior advisors, a cyber investigations consultant and a police chaplain from Illinois.

The special purpose grand jury, which convened in May, is investigating alleged interference with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Gingrich has been an election denier since shortly after the 2020 election as evidenced by an interview he gave to Fox News.

Democrats stole “five or six states,” Gingrich said. “In Fulton County, Georgia, we believe these people are thieves. We believe the machines are corrupt.”

Gingrich’s subpoena says he was involved with the Trump campaign in a plan to air TV ads that “repeated and relied upon false claims about fraud in the 2020 election” and which encouraged viewers “to contact their state officials and pressure them to challenge and overturn the results of the election.”

In November 2020, Trump pardoned Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to giving false statements to the FBI during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Just weeks later, Flynn appeared on Newsmax and said Trump won the 2020 election. Flynn also said Trump “could take military capabilities and he could place them in states and basically rerun an election in each of those states.”

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S9 Ep 14: Breakdown Bonus with the AJC's Bill Torpy and Patricia Murphy Oct 11, 2022

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores court filings that suggest a criminal investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies has reached a new, more sensitive stage.

The bonus episode also includes podcast hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman interviewing the AJC’s metro columnist, Bill Torpy, and the newspaper’s political columnist, Patricia Murphy. They both have been keeping up with the special purpose grand jury investigation and give some interesting observations on what has happened so far and what may happen in the coming months.

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S9 Ep 13: Who's Rico? Oct 04, 2022

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act has been on the books for more than half a century, and Georgia’s version was enacted in 1980.

The 13th episode of Season Nine of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast — “The Trump Grand Jury” — takes a deep look at RICO. The episode traces its origin as a prosecutorial weapon to take Mafia dons off the streets. It also looks at how RICO has been used in recent years against schoolteachers, a metro Atlanta sheriff and street gangs.

Legal experts following the Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigation into what happened here after the 2020 presidential election say that racketeering charges could ultimately be brought in this case.

Episode 13 — “Who’s Rico?” — also looks at a key member of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s legal team: Don McGahn. McGahn is one of three lawyers hired by Graham who contends the U.S. Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause protects him from having to honor his out-of-state material witness subpoena and testify before the special grand jury.

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S9 Ep 12: Breakdown Bonus: What happened in Coffee County, Georgia Sep 27, 2022

The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast takes a close look at the data breach at the Coffee County elections office which occurred one day after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Podcast hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman interview Mark Niesse, the AJC’s elections and voting rights expert.

Niesse has covered the wild developments surrounding the Coffee County data breach on Jan. 7, 2021, since news of it first surfaced. He explains how it happened, why news of it first came to light this past May and why state elections officials should be alarmed.

The Fulton County special purpose grand jury, which is investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies, has issued subpoenas to Sidney Powell and the data firm SullivanStrickler. Powell, who was once a lawyer for the Trump campaign, oversaw the breach and hired the data firm.

Niesse, who was at the Cobb County audit of absentee ballots, also recalls the unusual and sudden visit by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Meadows was told he could not go inside to see what was going on. And Niesse also discusses the state legislative hearings he covered in December 2020 when Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani testified and presented now-debunked evidence of voter fraud.

Separately, the 12th episode of “The Trump Grand Jury” also explains why the Fulton special grand jury may be interested in hearing from former Georgia congressman and House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

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S9 Ep. 11: Will Trump be invited? Sep 16, 2022

Will Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis subpoena former President Donald Trump before the special purpose grand jury?

So far, Willis has sent out-of-state witness subpoenas to Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows; close ally Lindsey Graham, the U.S. senator from South Carolina; and his inner circle of lawyers who tried to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Episode 11 of “The Trump Grand Jury” includes interviews of criminal defense lawyers, law professors and former prosecutors who weigh the pros and cons of trying to compel the former president to come to Atlanta and testify.

Since convening in May, the special purpose grand jury has heard testimony from more than 30 witnesses in its investigation of what happened in Georgia in the weeks and months after the 2020 presidential election.

In light of recent public comments made by Trump, Episode 11 also revisits another hotly disputed presidential election: the 2000 contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore. This race, like the 2020 election, was decided long after election night and only after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Bush v. Gore.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer above.

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S9 Ep 10: Closing In Sep 07, 2022

The Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigation is closing in on former President Donald Trump.

Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff and close advisor, has been served an out-of-state witness subpoena to appear before the grand jury. The 10th episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, explores the ramifications of Meadows’ subpoena.

The special purpose grand jury has been meeting since May to investigate Trump and his allies over what happened in Georgia in the months following the 2020 presidential election.

Others, including lawyer Sidney Powell, who briefly represented the Trump campaign, have also been served out-of-state subpoenas.

All the while, District Attorney Fani Willis continues her string of courtroom victories against witnesses who have tried to assert privileges and immunities as a way of not appearing before the 23-person special purpose grand jury.

Episode 10 covers a court hearing pitting lawyers for Gov. Brian Kemp against Fulton prosecutors as well as Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney’s cleverly written ruling that is issued just a few days later. The episode also covers developments in the subpoenas issued to Trump’s inner circle of attorneys and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9 Ep 9: The Pinball Machine Aug 25, 2022

AJC journalists Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman focus on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's grand jury appearance and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's attempts to avoid his testimony by the Fulton County special purpose grand jury of former President Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani, who has been Trump's personal lawyer, showed up at the Fulton courthouse to testify before the grand jury after his lawyers had tried unsuccessfully to postpone it.

Graham, who placed two phone calls to the Secretary of State's office in the weeks after the election, was scheduled to testify before the special grand jury on Tuesday. But the federal appeals court in Atlanta - the fifth court so far to be involved in Graham's case - stepped in two days before the South Carolina senator was to appear and delayed his appearance.

Rankin and Hallerman also cover the dustup between Gov. Brian Kemp and the Fulton District Attorney's Office and decisions by judges in Colorado and New Mexico ordering two other lawyers who represented the Trump campaign to come to Atlanta and testify before the grand jury.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9 Ep 8: Trump’s new legal team Aug 17, 2022

Former President Donald Trump has assembled a legal team to defend him before the Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating possible meddling that occurred in Georgia after the 2020 presidential election.

The eighth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast, introduces listeners to Trump’s new attorneys.

Atlanta lawyer Drew Findling is nationally known for representing hip-hop superstars and, in the past, has been a strong critic of the former president. Jennifer Little is a former prosecutor who has helped targets of criminal probes get out of jams. And Decatur lawyer Dwight Thomas is considered to be an expert on special purpose grand juries, having represented clients before three of them.

The episode also covers former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s attempt to delay his testimony before the Fulton grand jury. And it notes that Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, learns he is a target of the investigation.

There is also a court battle waged by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to quash his material witness subpoena. His lawyers, including former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn, appeared in Atlanta before U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May to argue the senator’s case.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9 Ep 7: Planting the seeds of truth Aug 01, 2022

The public release of the recording of the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call from then-President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was the impetus for what is now an ongoing special purpose grand jury investigation.

Raffensperger and a top aide, Gabe Sterling, sit for an interview and talk about the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.

During the phone call, Raffensperger disagreed with Trump’s assertions that he had won Georgia by hundreds of thousands of votes, not lost the election by 11,779 votes. And even though Trump alternately pleaded, insulted and threatened Raffensperger, the secretary held firm.

The episode also examines a surprise ruling by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney that bars District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from calling lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones before the grand jury or considering him to be a target of the investigation. Jones was one of 16 alternative electors who cast votes for Trump during a meeting in the state Capitol.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9 Ep 6: One for the history books Jul 25, 2022

One sitting president was placed under arrest for speeding. Two former presidents came extremely close to being indicted, one from an investigation arising from the Watergate scandal, the other from the Whitewater controversy.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman examine past criminal cases involving presidents and vice presidents.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is overseeing the special purpose grand jury investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies for what happened here following the 2020 presidential election. But she does not have much of a playbook to follow because no president or former president has ever been indicted.

The episode also recaps a busy week of developments in the grand jury investigation. This includes the outcomes of subpoenas being issued to Trump’s former personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9, Ep 5: The out-of-state witness subpoenas Jul 18, 2022

The fifth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, recaps a busy period for the special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies.

There are a flurry of witnesses coming in to testify about what happened at the state Capitol in the weeks after the November 2020 presidential election. There is a courtroom scuffle over legislative immunity. And there is the issuance of seven out-of-state material witness subpoenas that penetrate former president Trump’s inner circle.

Recipients of the subpoenas include attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Cleta Mitchell. Also on the receiving end was U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

In an interview with Breakdown, District Attorney Fani Willis said the pushback was expected.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9, Ep. 4: A Guilty Mind? Jul 11, 2022

The fourth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on criminal intent as part of the podcast’s continuing coverage of the Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating what Donald Trump and his allies did in Georgia following the 2020 president election.

If a criminal indictment is ultimately brought, prosecutors must show criminal intent – that Trump and others knew what they were doing was illegal and that they meant to break Georgia law.

During a phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, Trump said he needed to “find 11,780 votes.” That was exactly how many he needed to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia.

Trump also told Raffensperger “there’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, that you’ve recalculated” the vote totals.

But Raffensperger held firm, saying he believed in the official vote count, which showed Trump had lost in Georgia.

This phone call is at the heart of the special purpose grand jury’s investigation and legal experts are divided on whether it shows Trump had criminal intent. And, somewhat surprisingly, it is not a matter that falls neatly along party lines – even some of Trump’s harshest critics say they don’t see a crime.

Breakdown’s fourth episode also looks at the possible defenses the president could raise if an indictment is returned. No president or former president has ever been indicted. So if this happens the prosecution, the defense and the courts will be breaking new ground.

“There are all kinds of hurdles the prosecution would have to overcome with prosecuting an ex-president,” Atlanta criminal defense attorney Don Samuel says on the podcast. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that ends up in the U.S. Supreme Court before it ever ends up in a courtroom.”

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S5, Ep. 12 The Tex McIver Case: Georgia Supreme Court strikes again Jul 08, 2022

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast drops a special episode on Friday for Season 5: “The Tex McIver Case.”

McIver, an Atlanta lawyer, was convicted of murder during a trial in Fulton County for killing his wife on Sept. 25, 2016.

The killing happened when Tex and Diane McIver returned home to Atlanta from their 84-acre ranch in Putnam County. Diane McIver’s best friend, Dani Jo Carter, was driving the Ford Expedition. Diane McIver was sitting in the front passenger seat, her husband sitting behind her in the back seat.

After they exited the downtown connector on Edgewood Avenue, Tex McIver asks for his .38-caliber handgun that’s in the center console. He later says he thought they had come upon a Black Lives Matter protest.

They leave the area without incident and drive along Piedmont Avenue toward Buckhead, with McIver still holding the revolver in his lap. When they get to an intersection, McIver fires a bullet through the backseat. It hits his wife in the back and she later dies during surgery at Emory University Hospital.

McIver tells police that it was a tragic accident, that the gun went off after he had fallen asleep and was suddenly awakened. But he is eventually indicted for murder and convicted of it during a 2018 trial.

Returning to Breakdown’s fifth season, Episode 12 follows the McIver case through its appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court which issued its opinion on June 30. Just eight days before, the state high court had reversed another high-profile murder case against Justin Ross Harris who had left his 22-month-old son Cooper in his hot car to die.

This time, the court overturns McIver’s conviction in another momentous decision.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9, Ep. 3: Is there a criminal case? Jul 04, 2022

Is there a criminal case to be brought against former President Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia following the 2020 presidential election?

The third episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, explores that possibility. A Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating the issue will ultimately recommend whether criminal charges should be brought.

In a letter to top state officials, District Attorney Fani Willis listed a half dozen laws the former president and others may have broken. They are: solicitation of election fraud, giving false statements, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and making threats related to the administration of the state’s elections.

In Breakdown’s third episode – “Is There A Criminal Case?” – legal experts discuss a number of incidents, including Trump’s Jan. 2, 2020, call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; his lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s testimony before state legislative committees; and the slate of fake electors who met in secret at the state Capitol the same day Democrats cast Georgia’s 16 Electoral College votes for Biden.

As to whether Trump broke the law, it depends on who you ask.

John Banzhaf, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University, doesn’t think it’s a close call.

“Looking specifically at the Trump situation, when I read and then heard the actual tape recording of the conversation, it jumped out at me as being about as clear and specific and unambiguous evidence of a crime,” he said.

But Atlanta lawyer Randy Evans, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Luxembourg, doesn’t see it that way.

“If we narrow down to the particulars of what I understand the DA to be looking into, which is whether there’s any criminal or illegal conduct, I don’t even think it’s really close, to be fair,” he said.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S2 Ep. 18: A Momentous Decision Jun 30, 2022

This is the murder case against Justin Ross Harris, who left his 22-month-old son Cooper to die in a hot car on June 18, 2014.

Harris, a Home Depot web developer, took Cooper that morning to Little Apron Academy, the in-house daycare center at work. They stopped at a Chick-fil-A for breakfast. But when they leave, Harris doesn’t make the turn to the daycare. Instead, he drives to work, parks his car and walks in to the office. Within hours, Cooper is dead of hypothermia.

The intense publicity of the case went worldwide when it was disclosed at a preliminary hearing that Harris was sending sexually explicit texts to other women shortly before and after he left Cooper in the parking lot. It would be disclosed he was having extramarital affairs, sleeping with prostitutes and exchanging graphic texts with underage girls.

Harris would be indicted for Cooper’s murder and other crimes. Because of intense pretrial publicity, the trial was moved from Cobb County to Glynn County in coastal Georgia. The jury in Brunswick would convict Harris of Cooper’s murder and he would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Before and during the trial, Harris’ defense lawyers said what Harris did was a tragic mistake because he loved his son. They also tried to keep evidence of Harris’ deviant sexual behavior from being presented to the jury, arguing it was unfairly prejudicial. Prosecutors contended it showed Harris’ motive — to life a child-free life so he pursue sexual relations.

Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark sided with prosecutors and let it all in. The jury heard days of testimony about the affairs, the graphic texts and the prostitutes.

This became a major thrust of Harris’ appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court in his bid for a new trial. The case was argued this past January and the court released its decision on June 22.

Breakdown’s Episode 18 of “Death in a Hot Car; Mistake or Murder?” covers the court’s momentous ruling and the aftermath.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer from ajc.com.

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S9, Ep. 2: A force of nature Jun 27, 2022

The second episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on the woman who is overseeing the investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis grew up in courtrooms, tagging along with her father, an attorney. When Willis became a prosecutor, she rose through the ranks at the Fulton DA’s Office prosecuting homicide and sexual assault cases.

In 2014, Willis oversaw one of the most high-profile cases in state history: the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating scandal. Thirty-five educators were indicted under the state’s racketeering laws. Many pleaded guilty and of the 12 who went to trial, 11 were convicted.

“I’m still not totally sure how she did it, but she did it,” said Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, a racketeering law expert who assisted Willis in the test-cheating trial. “She was a bit of a force of nature in the sense that she was completely committed to the case.”

Episode 2 will also explain exactly how a special purpose grand jury operates and what it can and cannot do. It will also tell listeners how they will know if, after it adjourns, it is recommending criminal charges be brought.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer in the player above.

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S9, Ep. 1: The January 2nd phone call Jun 20, 2022

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was sitting in his kitchen on the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2021, when he received a phone call from the White House.

President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and some of his lawyers were on the line. During the conversation, Trump told Raffensperger to “find” him 11,780 votes to overturn the election results. That was one more than the 11,779-vote margin that gave Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes to President Joe Biden and turned Georgia Democratic for the first time since 1992.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s award-winning Breakdown podcast returns for its ninth season — The Trump Grand Jury — to cover an investigation into that hourlong phone call as well as other events in Georgia that happened in the weeks following Election Day.

Episode One explores what happened during the phone call between Trump and Raffensperger as well as another call made to Frances Watson, the Secretary of State’s lead elections investigator. Both conversations were recorded.

The AJC’s legal affairs reporter, Bill Rankin, returns as the host of Season 9 of the Breakdown podcast. He is joined by senior reporter Tamar Hallerman, who covered the Trump White House when she was the newspaper’s Washington correspondent.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting platform. You can also stream it on your computer in the player above.

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S9, Ep. 0: Breakdown Season 9 - Coming June 20th Apr 29, 2022

The phone call from the White House came in at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2021. Then President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and his lawyers were on the line talking to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and members of his staff.

During the recorded phone call, Trump asked Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” which would give him one more vote than he needed to flip the outcome of Georgia’s presidential election.

On Monday, a special purpose grand jury will convene in Fulton County to investigate what transpired during this phone call and others the former president made to officials in Georgia in the weeks following the 2020 election. The extraordinary proceeding will be the focus of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s award-winning podcast “Breakdown”.

Episodes of the podcast’s ninth season — The Trump Grand Jury — will be released in the coming weeks. It will be hosted by Bill Rankin, the AJC’s legal affairs reporter, and Tamar Hallerman, a senior reporter who covered the Trump administration when she was the AJC’s Washington correspondent.

To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to “Breakdown” anywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Sitcher

For more information on this case and the other eight series of the podcast, go to ajcbreakdown.com.

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S08, Ep. 19: Life in prison Jan 16, 2022

In an emotional hearing, Judge Timothy Walmsley has the last word as he sentences Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and Roddie Bryan for killing Ahmaud Arbery.

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S04, Ep 7: Devonia Inman is a free man Jan 09, 2022

After 23 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction, Devonia Inman is finally free. Here are the improbable events that led to his release, and what Inman has to say about his experience. Plus, the new Cook County district attorney doesn't mince words about how the case went to trial two decades ago.

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S08, Ep. 18: 'We have a verdict' Nov 29, 2021

After about 10 hours of deliberation, the jury hearing the case against the three men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery reached its verdict. The 18th episode of Season 8 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the verdict’s outcome and its aftermath.

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S08, Ep. 17: Ahmaud Arbery's killer takes the witness stand Nov 22, 2021

It isn’t often a defendant takes the witness stand with his life on the line. But Travis McMichael did just that last week. He might as well have had the life of his father, Greg McMichael, on the line, too.

The 18th episode of the Eighth Season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast focuses on what happened inside the courtroom and outside of it as the trial for the McMichaels and William “Roddie” Bryan near an end. All three men are being tried for the alleged murder of Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020.

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S08, Ep. 16: 'We don't want any more Black pastors' Nov 15, 2021

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution's Bill Rankin, Asia Burns and Shaddi Abusaid are in Brunswick to follow developments in the first full week in the trial of the three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's killing. The jury heard from the owner of the home under construction that Arbery visited before he was killed. And a defense lawyer makes a widely condemned statement regarding the Rev. Al Sharpton's presence at the trial.

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S08, Ep. 15: 11 white jurors, one Black juror Nov 08, 2021

Jury selection in the trial of three men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery concluded amid controversy inside and outside the courtroom. Following that, the state and lawyers for Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael gave powerful opening statements. Join host Bill Rankin as he explores these developments and looks ahead in the trial.

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SO8, Ep. 14, We’re almost there Nov 01, 2021

The second week of jury selection ended with the end in sight. It is expected that 64 Glynn County residents will be qualified into a pool from which 12 jurors and four alternates will soon be chosen.

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SO8, Ep. 13, Jurors express some strong opinions Oct 25, 2021

Jury selection for the murder trial of the three men charged in Ahmaud Arbery's death is underway in Brunswick and many prospective jurors have expressed very strong opinions. Join host Bill Rankin as he unpacks the first week of jury selection and what it could mean for the upcoming trial.

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SO8, Ep. 12, The Ahmaud Arbery murder trial begins Oct 17, 2021

The trial for the three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery will begin Oct. 18, almost 20 months to the day after he was shot and killed. Join host Bill Rankin ahead of what is expected to be one of the most closely followed trials in Georgia history.

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SO8, Ep. 11, A fourth defendant is indicted Sep 20, 2021

A grand jury has indicted a former Glynn County district attorney, saying she violated her oath of office while responding to Ahmaud Arbery's death. Join host Bill Rankin as he takes a closer look at the indictment and explores the events of a pre-trial hearing in the case.

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SO8, Ep.10: The defense makes its case Jun 02, 2021

During a hearing, the attorneys for the men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery formally asked a judge to allow evidence about the slain man's past before a jury. But that's not the only major update in the case. We have a federal hate crimes indictment, a change to Georgia's Citizen's Arrest Law, and a trial date.

Join host Bill Rankin as he recounts the latest on the case.

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S08, Ep. 9: Is Ahmaud's imperfect past relevant? Apr 21, 2021

The lawyers for one of the three men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a judge to allow information about Arbery's past run-ins with the law to be entered into evidence. Join host Bill Rankin as he explores what this 404(b) could mean for the trial.

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SO8, Ep.8: He ran. And ran. And ran. Feb 23, 2021

Join host Bill Rankin on the one-year anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery's death as he explores who the man was in life.

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S08, Ep. 7: The immediate aftermath Jan 18, 2021

Just moments after Travis McMichael killed Ahmaud Arbery with three shotgun blasts, one Glynn County police officer after another arrived at the bloody scene.

The seventh episode of Season 8 of the AJC’s “Breakdown” podcast focuses on recently released bodycam footage taken by some of those officers. They are seen securing the scene and, most importantly, interviewing McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and Roddie Bryan.

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S08, Ep. 6: The McMichaels plead for bond Nov 24, 2020

Father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael were denied bond after a two-day hearing in Brunswick, Ga. Join host Bill Rankin as he recounts what happened at the hearing -- and explores what led the judge to deny bond for the two men.

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SO8, Ep5: The Elephant in the Room Oct 19, 2020

Prosecutors building a case against the three men accused in the death of Ahmaud Arbery have passed several motions regarding what evidence can be submitted in court.

Meanwhile, the contention that gunman Travis McMichael uttered a racial epithet while standing over Arbery's body remains the most explosive element of the case. However, jurors may never hear about it.

Join host Bill Rankin as he explores how issues raised now could shape the outcome of a trial.

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SO8, Ep.4: Father and Son Sep 21, 2020

Since Ahmaud Arbery's death, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael have been condemned by many as racist vigilantes who targeted a Black man running down their street. Attorneys for the men claim that is far from true. Join host Bill Rankin as he explores the McMichaels' history prior to their fateful meeting with Ahmaud Arbery.

Nothing could be further from the truth, lawyers for both Travis and Greg McMichael recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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S08, Ep3: How Georgia lets citizens arrest fellow citizens Aug 24, 2020

An attorney for one of the three men accused of chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery in February says the group's actions are legally justifiable by a law dating back all the way to the 1860s. Meanwhile, Georgia's legislature is considering repealing the law because of the case. Join host Bill Rankin as he examines what Georgia's citizen's arrest law says and how it may impact the Arbery murder case.

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S08, Ep2: Preliminary Hearing Jun 11, 2020

Protests in Atlanta attract national attention as a preliminary hearing in Brunswick begins. During the probable cause hearing, there is only one witness: the lead investigator on the case.

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S08, Ep1: The Ahmaud Arbery case May 27, 2020

A tragic shooting has thrust coastal Georgia onto the national scene. On Feb. 23, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American man, was shot three times in a neighborhood near Brunswick, where he was confronted by two white men. The video of the shooting has now been seen by millions.

In this special episode of Breakdown, hosts Bill Rankin and Greg Bluestein examine what is known about the case, and what’s to come. You’ll hear from officials down in Brunswick as well as former AJC managing editor, Bert Roughton, who lives in nearby St. Simons and has covered the case, as well as Brad Schrade, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who has investigated police shootings for the AJC and has also covered the Arbery shooting.

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Bonus: The Imperfect Alibi May 23, 2020

In this special episode of Breakdown, AJC reporter Joshua Sharpe decided to take a close look at a 35-year-old double murder case. An African-American couple was shot and killed inside Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Camden County, Ga. Dennis Perry was convicted of the killings and has been in prison for 20 years for them.

What Sharpe found out is stunning. And we’re going to let him tell you about it, from beginning to end. In this episode, he reads his story, “The Imperfect Alibi: the forgotten suspect, the DNA and the church murders that haunted a detective.”

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S07, Ep9: The verdict Nov 18, 2019

Chip Olsen's fate is now in the hands of the jury. Will the ex-cop end up behind bars? We take you through the murder trial's dramatic conclusion and its aftermath.

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S07, Ep8: The State Strikes Back Nov 12, 2019

After a rocky start, prosecutors come out swinging in the murder trial of Chip Olsen. One of their star witnesses: Olsen's own police academy instructor.

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S07, Ep7: Three eyewitnesses Nov 04, 2019

Testimony begins in the murder trial of Robert "Chip" Olsen and a trio of witnesses who saw Anthony Hill's final moments take the stand for the state. But do they help or hurt the prosecution's case?

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S07, Ep6: Unarmed. Unclothed. Unable to Harm? Oct 29, 2019

A jury is seated and Chip Olsen's murder trial is finally underway. The ex-cop's defense lawyer said he fired at Anthony Hill because he was terrified as the naked man ran at him. But the prosecution offers a surprising new theory.

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S07, Ep5: A trial run Oct 21, 2019

Chip Olsen's legal team turns to a mock jury to road test their defense strategy. Jurors had a lot of questions and some strong opinions. And what will the lawyers be looking for when they select a real jury? This murder case could turn conventional wisdom on its head.

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S07, Ep4: Policing a mental health crisis Oct 15, 2019

When Anthony Hill was killed by DeKalb County Police Officer Robert “Chip” Olsen in 2015 he became the latest casualty in a growing crisis: One in every four people shot and killed by police is suffering from mental illness. Why do police encounters with the mentally ill turn deadly so often? And would Hill be alive today if DeKalb had done more to train its officers?

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S07, Ep3: 'Impervious to pain, superhuman strength' Oct 08, 2019

Former Police Officer Chip Olsen takes the stand in a risky gamble to try to get the murder charges against him dismissed. Does it pay off? And his lawyers push a controversial defense used by cops to justify the use of force.

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S07, Ep2: The road to indictment Oct 01, 2019

Who is Chip Olsen? The cop who shot and killed Anthony Hill followed an unusual path to the force. We’ll tell you why it’s so rare to indict police officers who kill in the line of duty. And we’ll take you inside the surprising revelation that convinced the DeKalb DA to not only charge Olsen, but to charge him with murder.

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S07, Ep1: 'They're here to help me' Sep 27, 2019

On March 9, 2015, the manager of the Heights at Chamblee apartment complex called 911 to report that a man was wandering the grounds naked in the middle of the afternoon. Soon afterward, he was dead, shot and killed by the DeKalb County police officer who arrived at the scene. Who was Anthony Hill, the 26-year-old Afghanistan war veteran whose life ended that day? And how did he end up dead at the hands of police? We introduce you to Hill's life — his music and his family — as well his struggles with mental illness.

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Coming soon: The 7th season of Breakdown Sep 02, 2019

Anthony Hill was a loving son, talented musician and an Afghanistan War veteran. In 2015, Hill was shot and killed by DeKalb County Police officer Chip Olsen, who was responding to a 911 call of a naked man wandering an apartment complex. Hill was unarmed and off of his medications. Olsen claims he acted in self-defense. In our new season of Breakdown, hosts Bill Rankin and Christian Boone tell the story of Hill's life and death, and will follow the trial of Officer Olsen, who is charged with murder.

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S05, Ep11; The verdict on Tex McIver Apr 26, 2018

The jury in the McIver murder case finally comes back -- after four days -- and delivers a confusing verdict that appears to say McIver intended to shoot his wife, Diane, but didn't intend to kill her. The closing arguments, four separate addresses by some of the best lawyers in Georgia, were every bit the spectacle that you'd imagine.

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S05, Ep10.5 The jury is out Apr 23, 2018

The jury in the Tex McIver murder case gets the case and deliberates, and deliberates, and deliberates. One of the last things the jury asked for was permission to see, for a second time, the SUV in which Diane McIver was shot, AND they ask to take the .38 revolver with them to the car. So some of them sat where Tex sat and pulled the trigger that Tex pulled.

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S05, Ep10: Surprises from the defense Apr 16, 2018

The state rests after putting up more 70 witnesses. The defense case-in-chief takes only 2 1/2 days. The mysterious masseuse, Annie Anderson, takes the stand. And the executor for Diane McIver's estate has a surprise in store for the prosecution. Then the defense rests, and we're down to couple of rebuttal witnesses from the prosecution.

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S05, Ep9 The cops vs. the DA Apr 09, 2018

The prosecution puts up the chief homicide investigator in the Tex McIver murder case and then tries its best to show how deficient the police investigation was. Normally, the district attorney and the police are on the same side. But not this time. The police charged McIver with involuntary manslaughter, but the DA went with malice murder -- convinced that the Atlanta Police Department was letting McIver off too easy.

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S05, Ep8: Killer, or just not a nice guy? Apr 02, 2018

The prosecution in Tex McIver's murder trial completes its third week -- a sometimes grueling slog in which the state seemed to be throwing just about everything it can find at McIver. Some if it may not be provable, but none of it looks good. And that seems to be the point. If prosecutors can't prove McIver is a cold-blooded killer, can they sway the jury by suggesting that McIver is a man you can neither trust nor like? And, of course, Tex is helping the state build its case by doing the things he did after Diane McIver died.

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S05. Ep7: Dani Jo testifies Mar 26, 2018

The state calls Dani Jo Carter -- the only witness to the shooting of Diane McIver. She is on the stand for more than two full days. She tells the prosecution that Tex McIver asked her to lie about being in the SUV that night. But she tells the defense that she stands by her earlier statements to police that Tex was asleep before the gun went off.

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SO5, Ep6: McIver goes to trial Mar 19, 2018

The state opens the Claud "Tex" McIver murder trial by detonating some new bombshells. McIver, the prosecution says, provided six different versions of what happened to his wife on the night she was shot. Or did he? Among the first prosecution witnesses was Emory University Hospital ER physician Suzanne Hardy, who treated Diane McIver the night she died. Yes, Hardy testified, Diane told her the shooting was an accident. And no, Hardy testified, Diane did not want to see her husband before she was intubated and rendered unable to speak. Diane McIver died shortly afterward.

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S05, Ep5: Prospective jurors: He did it Mar 12, 2018

One prospective juror after another is dismissed for cause because he or she believes Tex McIver intended to kill his wife. At the end of a long week of jury selection, the parties are finally able to qualify a pool of sufficient size that they can select 12 jurors and four alternates from it. But the defense must be troubled by the sheer number of people who had already made up their minds.

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S05, Ep4: Legal strategy Mar 05, 2018

Both the prosecution and the defense have enormous challenges facing them as the trial begins. For the prosecutors, it's a question of motive. For the defense, it's the defendant himself.

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S05, Ep3: Muddy Waters Feb 26, 2018

A hard-charging prosecutor goes up against a famed duo of defense attorneys as Claud "Tex" McIver's murder trial begins in one week. Chief Assistant DA Clint Rucker can dominate the courtroom by sheer force of his personality. Bruce Harvey and Don Samuel have a long history of (successfully) defending high-profile clients, from NFL stars to rappers to strippers.

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Coming soon: Back to the Tex McIver murder case Feb 19, 2018

After a long winter’s delay, the murder trial of The State v. Claud “Tex” McIver is to begin on March 5. Tex says his wife Diane’s death was a tragic accident; the district attorney says he intentionally shot her in the back. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Bill Rankin returns to bring you Season 5 of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.

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S06_Ep5: The Verdict Dec 18, 2017

The jury in the double-murder case of Nicholas Benton could not hang the verdict on any single piece of evidence or testimony. That is, nothing that came up in court was so compelling that it enabled the jury to declare "guilty" or "not guilty." But what about something that came up outside of court? AJC Editor Kevin Riley wraps up his insider's account of being foreman on the jury in a murder trial.

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S06_Ep4: Deliberation Dec 11, 2017

The jury elects a foreman and begins its deliberations. The cellphone evidence is strong, but jurors are concerned about the lack of physical evidence: no murder weapon, no getaway car, no fingerprints, no DNA. And the state's star witness may or may not be believable.

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S06_Ep3: A trial by jury Dec 04, 2017

Nicholas Benton's murder trial gets underway. The state puts on a formidable case -- albeit with some big holes in it -- and then rests. Here comes the defense, and the jury can't wait to hear what Nick Benton will say when he gets to the stand. Meanwhile, if you'd like to talk with us about this case, join the AJC Breakdown Facebook group.

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S06_Ep2: Voice of a Killer? Nov 27, 2017

First contact: An Atlanta homicide investigator goes to the home of the man who has emerged as his suspect. The man lives with his mother, and the detective winds up interviewing both. A year later, AJC Editor-in-Chief Kevin Riley gets his first indication that he will become deeply engaged in the outcome of this double homicide investigation.

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S06, Ep1: A Jury of His Peers Nov 20, 2017

Kevin Riley, editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, goes deep inside a double-murder in Atlanta. With extraordinary access to key players in the case, Riley and longtime Breakdown host Bill Rankin explore the sudden and vicious killings of Reggie Coicou and Quincy "Fat" Wytche.

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Coming soon: The next season of Breakdown Nov 11, 2017

Reginald "Reggie" Coicou was 24. Quincy "Fat" Wytche was 22. Both were killed in a sudden outburst of gunfire in the parking lot of an Atlanta Burger King in the spring of 2016. Kevin Riley, editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, gives you an extraordinary inside view of this horrific double homicide, the investigation by the Atlanta police and the prosecution of the man accused of pulling the trigger.

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Season 5, Episode 2.5 Oct 30, 2017

Neither the prosecution nor the defense is ready. The prosecution asks for a continuance, saying it would be unfair to proceed because the defense is unprepared. The defense calls the move "transparently disingenuous," saying it's really the prosecution that wants more time. Meanwhile, prosecutors get slammed for continuing to search for a motive long after they indicted Tex McIver for murder.

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S05, Ep2: The courtship of Tex and Diane McIver Oct 23, 2017

Tex McIver couldn't get the new resident of the luxury condo complex out of his mind. She ignored all his entreaties to meet him, and he finally contrived to "bump into" her at the complex's gym early one morning. Diane was a powerful and successful businesswoman who eventually would marry Tex. But on a sultry September night a year ago, he killed her.

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S05, Ep1: The McIver Murder Case Oct 16, 2017

Insisting it was an accident, Claud "Tex" McIVer will soon stand trial for the murder of his wife, Diane. Although Diane told ER surgeons it was an accident just before she died, the state has indicted Tex with malice murder. The year since Diane died has seen some extraordinary and often bizarre turns. This first episode of the new season of Breakdown will set the stage for the upcoming trial.

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Coming soon: The next season of Breakdown Oct 06, 2017

Coming soon: Season 5 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast. This season, the AJC's Bill Rankin and Craig Schneider take you deep inside the case against Atlanta lawyer Tex McIver. He says his wife's death was a tragic accident; the district attorney says it was murder.

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S04, Ep6: The murdered woman Aug 21, 2017

Before she was killed that night at the Taco Bell in Adel, Donna Brown was a hardworking restaurant manager. a beloved sister and a completely devoted mother. And if we are to seek justice for Devonia Inman, we must also seek it for Donna Brown.

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S04, Ep5: Yet another bombshell Aug 14, 2017

In the hearing on Devonia Inman's "extraordinary motion" for a new trial, another giant piece of the case against Inman seems to crumble and fall away. Did Inman commit the murder of which he was convicted? Was he even there when it happened?

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S04, Ep4: Burying the lede? Aug 07, 2017

If Hercules Brown committed the murder of Taco Bell's night manager in 1998, then the authorities have put the wrong man, Devonia Inman, behind bars. But it gets worse than that. Much worse.

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S04, Ep3: The mask Jul 31, 2017

Did somebody else commit the murder of which Devonia Inman was convicted? He has always said so, Bill Rankin talks to witnesses who saw completely different things and zeroes in on a mask that police said was used in the crime. It wasn't a ski mask, says Rankin, it was an up-to-no-good mask.

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S04, Ep2: The prosecution Jul 24, 2017

The jury that hears the case against Devonia Inman must go through the peculiar process of becoming "death qualified." Meanwhile, some key witnesses take the stand and say they really didn't see what they told police they saw.

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S04, Ep1: The crime Jul 17, 2017

A vicious murder on a hot South Georgia night outside the local Taco Bell. The police build an impressive case against young Devonia Inman. Now it's 20 years later, and a law professor in Atlanta is determined to take that case apart and win Inman's freedom.

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Coming Soon: A New Season of Breakdown Jul 05, 2017

On July 17, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will launch Murder Below the Gnat Line, season four of our award-winning Breakdown podcast. Bill Rankin returns to explore a murder case with many unresolved questions.

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S03, Episode 6: Banishment Apr 24, 2017

A judge in Georgia signs off on a plea deal for Dr. Narendra K. Gupta, who admits to three counts of sexual battery against patients. No jail time, but he agrees to leave the country, surrender his license and never practice medicine again. Well, two out of three . . .

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S03, Episode 5: Punishment Apr 17, 2017

In late 2011, Dr. Narendra K. Gupta stood before a Fulton County judge and pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. The conditions of his sentence were unusual: He didn’t have to go to jail. He did have to leave the country.

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S03, Episode 4: Arrested Apr 10, 2017

An Ohio doctor has left his practice in the small city of Lima and moved to Atlanta. Also left behind in Ohio: the lawsuits and complaints that piled up against him, many of which were related to sexual abuse.

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S03, Episode 3: Compulsion Apr 03, 2017

Why would a doctor jeopardize his career by subjecting patients, nurses, even office staff, to repeated sexual abuse? In many cases, the physician doesn’t recognize boundaries because he doesn’t believe they apply to him.

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S03, Episode 2: Prey Mar 27, 2017

Dr. Narendra K. Gupta had a history of allegations of attacking and harassing nurses. Instead of reporting him to police, the medical community shielded him.

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S03 Episode 1: Predator, M.D. Mar 20, 2017

Breakdown: Predator, M.D., follows the fortunes of Dr. Gupta and many of the 18 women who claim the doctor abused them.

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S02, Episode 17: Postscript Dec 09, 2016

Justin Ross Harris returns to Cobb County and is sentenced for the murder of his 22-month-old son Cooper. We delve into the contradictions in the jury's verdict. We also hear from some Breakdown listeners who seem to know as much about the case as anyone -- and have completely divergent views on the outcome.

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S02, Episode 16: We have a verdict Nov 20, 2016

After four days of deliberations, the jury in Brunswick returns with a verdict in The State of Georgia v. Justin Ross Harris. Cobb County's district attorney says this is no time for a celebration. Harris's lawyers, in an emotional interview, say they are stunned by the outcome.

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S02, Episode 15: The jury gets the case Nov 14, 2016

The prosecution and the defense give impassioned, powerful closing arguments, wrapping up the trial. Prosecutor Chuck Boring insists Ross Harris lived a double life and intentionally killed his little boy. Defense attorney Maddox Kilgore contends Cooper’s death was a horrible accident and that police rushed to judgment without looking at evidence contrary to their theory. The six-man, six-woman jury then gets the case and, over the next three days, sends a number of questions to Judge Mary Staley Clark.

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S02, Episode 14: Leanna Taylor takes the stand Nov 07, 2016

Ross Harris’ ex-wife, Leanna Taylor, took the witness stand on Monday and repeated her long-held belief that Harris never meant to leave their 22-month-old son Cooper to die in his overheated SUV. Taylor spent an emotional two days on the stand, ending her testimony with a dramatic flourish. Some of Harris’ relatives and closest friends then followed her and testified Harris loved his little boy. But in the end, Harris chose not to testify in his own defense, and both the defense and the state rest their cases.

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S02, Episode 13: The State Rests Oct 31, 2016

Lead Detective Phil Stoddard ended his testimony after four days on the witness stand. Under cross-examination, Stoddard took some punches, but also delivered some blows. On Friday, the state rested its case after calling 51 witnesses to the stand over the course of 16 days of testimony. They presented no eyewitnesses, no DNA on a murder weapon, no irrefutable video. Instead, prosecutors put into evidence a mountain of circumstantial evidence and a pile of filth – being Harris’ deviant sex life. The defense then started presenting its case, trying to show the jury that Ross Harris was thinking of a life with his son Cooper long after the day he was left in his father’s SUV to die.

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S02, Episode 12: From the gutter to the homicide file Oct 24, 2016

Prosecutors open a new week of testimony by calling one woman after another to the witness

stand. Harris pursued all of them – including two teenagers – over sexually

explicit online chats. Finally, lead detective Phil Stoddard takes the stand

and prosecutors play the detective’s interview of Harris at the police station

the day of Cooper’s death. They also play the recording of Harris’ emotionally

charged meeting with his wife when she comes to see him at police headquarters.

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S02, Episode 11: Shelter from the storm Oct 17, 2016

The judge, lawyers and jurors return to Brunswick after Hurricane Matthew. The

trial starts back up with the initial focus on little Cooper Harris. Prosecutors

introduce testimony about the “smell of death,” and the jury hears from a

hooker who said she had sex with Harris weeks before Cooper’s death.

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S02, Episode 10: Game on Oct 10, 2016

The murder trial against Justin Ross Harris is finally underway. The prosecution opened with a

blistering opening statement, while Harris’ defense attorney countered with an

emotional and powerful opening of his own. After that, the first prosecution

witnesses took the stand, and some of them gave testimony prosecutors wanted to

hear, while some of them said things the defense wanted to hear. Then, three

days into the trial, Hurricane Matthew started its destructive path through

Florida and toward Georgia. That meant the trial of stops and starts stopped

once again.

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S02, Episode 9: It’s time to go to trial: Will Harris testify? Sep 29, 2016

We’re just a few steps from the starting gate. In a matter of days, the 12 jurors will be seated, the lawyers will make their opening statements, and the murder trial of Justin Ross Harris will begin. Will he testify?

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S0 2, Ep 8: The jury panel is assembled Sep 22, 2016

Jury selection isn’t fast, but it is fascinating. Prospective jurors in the Harris case speak of magical powers, preconceived notions and their favorite TV shows.

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S02, Episode 7 - Harris trial moves to Georgia's Golden Isles Sep 08, 2016

The Ross Harris trial heads to Brunswick after a four-month hiatus. What sort of jury will Judge Mary Staley Clark find on Georgia’s coast? Here’s why the trial’s new venue could be called a prosecutor’s dream.

To learn more about this case, visit AJCBreakdown.com.

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S01, Episode 8 - After a year’s wait, a concluding decision Jul 05, 2016

Justin Chapman awaits the all-important decision from the state's prosecutors: will they put him back on trial for murder and arson or end the long-running legal drama that put him in state prison for eight years? This concluding episode has all the answers.

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S02, Episode6: A sudden change of venue May 10, 2016

The Harris trial was just days away from opening statements and testimony, when the proceedings ground to a sudden and unexpected halt.

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S02, Episode 5.5: A change of venue May 04, 2016

The defense in the hot-car murder trial of Justin Ross Harris surprises everyone by filing for a change of venue almost at the of jury selection. But the judge has her own surprise: she grants it.

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S02, Episode 5: A jury of his peers, with preconceived notions Apr 26, 2016

Jury selection, which may be close to conclusion, has taken an interesting turn. Nearly a third of the jurors qualified for the final panel – the one from which the 12 jurors and a number of alternates will be chosen – say they believe Justin Ross Harris is guilty.

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S02 Episode 4 - Deciding the case before it begins? Apr 19, 2016

The most important moments of the Justin Ross Harris trial may be unfolding right now - even before testimony begins or the lawyers ever state their cases. Welcome to jury selection, where cases are often won or lost.

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S02 Episode 3 - Leanna Harris: Once implicated, never charged Apr 10, 2016

Cobb police insinuated a number of times that Leanna (now Leanna Taylor, since her divorce came through in March) might have helped her husband plan the murder of their son. But those claims faded and then all but disappeared. Taylor was never charged with any crime and is expected to be a witness for the defense in Ross Harris’s murder trial.

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S02 Episode 2: An air-tight case against Justin Ross Harris? Apr 04, 2016

The state’s murder case against Harris is formidable. The lead police investigator has already testified at length in pretrial hearings: some key testimony seems utterly damning, but some seems totally wrong.

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S02 Episode 1 - Death in a Hot Car: Mistake or Murder? Mar 27, 2016

The evidence against Justin Ross Harris, accused of murder in the hot-car death of his son, and how it just seems to keep piling up.

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S01 Episode 0: Before You Listen Feb 20, 2016

A state prosecutor is now deciding whether to put Justin Chapman back on trial for murder. His first trial ended in a guilty verdict after the jury deliberated about 40 minutes.

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S01 Episode 7: A New Trial or a New Life? Jun 28, 2015

The case goes back to the Georgia Supreme Court – and this time there would be a much different outcome.

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S01 Episode 6: Could Justin Chapman Be Guilty? Jun 19, 2015

Justin Chapman tells his side of the story.

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S01 Episode 5: Young Lawyers and Old Hands Jun 12, 2015

Justin Chapman’s new defense team sifts through the evidence and uncovers critical breakdowns in the prosecution of Chapman, including several pieces of evidence that Chapman's public defender Jan Hankins says she never received, and the testimony of witnesses that Hankins never had time to visit.

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S01 Episode 4: The New Team Goes to Work Jun 05, 2015

The Justin Chapman murder case attracts a new defense team full of heavy hitters and colorful characters. In this episode, we take a detour from the case in order to introduce you to some of the players who came to Chapman's aid, and learn why they took on the case for free.

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S01 Episode 3: Let’s Test the Evidence May 29, 2015

Bill Rankin goes to Bremen in the dark of night, and with the help of an Army veteran, tests what you can see from "Stroupe's stoop." Could Gary Allen Stroupe have seen Justin Chapman from his front porch? Plus, Chapman experiences the appeal from hell.

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