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For the Defense with David Oscar Markus — True Crime
For the Defense with David Oscar Markus

David Oscar Markus, a Miami trial attorney, has been called “a reincarnation of the old school criminal defense lawyer” and has represented clients from the head of the Cali Cartel to Fortune 500 companies and their CEOs. David has partnered with rakontur, the lauded storytellers behind Cocaine Cowboys, The U and 537 Votes, on the podcast, For the Defense.

The podcast focuses on the work of the least-respected but perhaps the most important profession in America: the criminal defense attorney. In each episode, Markus will interview a top criminal defense lawyer about one of their most gripping trials.

Sadly, the criminal defense trial lawyer is a dying breed. The Feds have manipulated the system — which was founded on the idea of trial by jury — to force almost everyone (occasionally including the innocent) into pleading guilty to avoid trial. If you dare to go to trial, you risk going to prison for decades longer than had you surrendered and pleaded guilty. The system has shifted from valuing and encouraging trials to punishing those who dare exercise their constitutional right to have a jury decide their guilt. In the 1980s, over 20% of cases went to trial — now less than 3% do so.

Having tried cases all over the United States, Markus is well-positioned to speak to other leading criminal defense lawyers in the country and explore with them the decision they made in a high-profile case to proceed to trial, including their trial strategy, the risks involved, and the clients themselves.

The podcast is currently in Season 6. It has broken news, achieved industry-wide accolades, and is the go to listen for trial lawyers around the country.

CONTACT: info@rakontur.com, DMarkus@markuslaw.com

Copyright: © Copyright 2024 rakontur

Latest Episodes:

Gerry Goldstein for "Deep Throat" Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

Back in the 1970s, prosecutors started to go after what they deemed to be “obscene.” They went absolutely crazy when the movie Deep Throat was released. So they decided to arrest the projectionist, Richard Dexter, to send a message. Gerry Goldstein was a young firebrand lawyer who took on the case to trial and even all the way to the Supreme Court. Listen to him discuss all the twists and turns of the defense with host David Oscar Markus.

Juanita Brooks for John DeLorean Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Everyone knows of DeLorean cars, which were made famous in Back to the Future. What folks may not know is that the car's namesake -- John DeLorean -- was charged in two different federal cases in the 1980s. In one case in Detroit, he was charged with racketeering and embezzlement. Enter Juanita Brooks, who was one of the few women criminal defense lawyers to have her own practice at the time. Juanita is now known as the "jury whisperer" for her ability to convince jurors even in the most difficult cases. She did so here as well. Check out her strategies in jury selection through cross examination through closing argument as she discusses the case with fellow criminal defense lawyer David Oscar Markus.

Mark Geragos for Susan McDougal Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Mark Geragos, trial lawyer and fellow podcaster, discusses the Susan McDougal trials with host David Oscar Markus.

In the 90's, Ken Starr was pursuing Bill Clinton. And anyone who got in Starr's way became a target. This included Susan McDougal, who refused to testify against Clinton because she believed that Starr was pressuring her to lie. Enter Mark Geragos, who was thrust onto the national stage with back to back trials involving McDougal -- one in state court in Santa Monica and one in federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas. The California case involved allegations of embezzlement from a famous conductor and his wife. But many believed that Starr was using this case as pressure to get McDougal to fold in the federal case. He miscalculated both McDougal and Geragos, who proceeded to trial in both cases, and won. Enjoy the discussion between two real trial lawyers -- Geragos and host David Oscar Markus -- who discuss the enormous risks clients face when taking on the government and their strategic decisions along the way.

Bruce Rogow for Luther Campbell and 2 Live Crew Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

Season 4 of For the Defense premieres with Bruce Rogow who sits down with David Oscar Markus to discuss the groundbreaking criminal trial against 2 Live Crew and its front man Luther Campbell.

Bruce Rogow discusses the 2 Live Crew case, an only in South Florida story in which a rap band was prosecuted because of its dirty lyrics. Rogow and David Oscar Markus get into the backstory of the case, how it put 2 Live Crew on the map, and how Rogow ultimately defended 2 Live Crew in the Supreme Court on another matter. Cardi B and other megastars have recently thanked 2 Live Crew for paving the way on the First Amendment's protection of their songs.

Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman on Willy & Sal Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

The trials and tribulations of Willy Falcon and Salvador Magluta are the stuff of legal legend in Miami. Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman of rakontur are the producers of Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami, a six-part documentary miniseries that recently premiered on Netflix. The filmmakers join David Markus on For the Defense to discuss the rise and fall of “Los Muchachos,” the behind the scenes making of the series, and the prosecutors and defense lawyers who appeared on the show.

Judge William Pryor Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

Eleventh Circuit Chief Judge William H. Pryor joins David Oscar Markus on the Finale of Season Three of For the Defense. Judge Pryor brings a totally different perspective to the show, as he is the former Attorney General of Alabama, is on the conservative wing of the Eleventh Circuit, and even made President Trump's short list for the United States Supreme Court. Please join David and Judge Pryor in this engaging, back and forth discussion about the criminal justice system.

Judge Robin Rosenbaum Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

Eleventh Circuit Judge Robin Rosenbaum joins David Oscar Markus in this mini-season of judges in For the Defense. Judge Rosenbaum has a unique perspective on the criminal justice system as she has been a federal prosecutor, a magistrate judge, a district judge, and now an appellate judge. As a member of the more liberal wing of a court that is predominantly conservative, Judge Rosenbaum will also discuss the dynamics of appellate decision-making, reaching consensus, civility, and writing.

Judge Charles Breyer Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

Northern District of California Judge Charles Breyer joins David Oscar Markus in the premiere episode of Season 3 of For the Defense to discuss how the criminal justice system works from the perspective of a federal trial judge.

In this mini-season, David will speak to three judges, including Breyer, the younger (and much cooler!) brother of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and two 11th Circuit Court of Appeals judges -- Robin Rosenbaum and William Pryor. These follow up on the well-received bonus episode with SDNY Judge Jed Rakoff.

Judge Jed Rakoff Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

Southern District of New York Judge Jed Rakoff has been a prosecutor, a defense lawyer, and a federal judge, so he has a unique perspective of the criminal justice system. He has written a fascinating book about the system and its issues. In this bonus episode, David Oscar Markus discusses some of the main problems with the system and how to fix them.

Michael Tigar for Terry Nichols Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

The Oklahoma City Bombing is one of the deadliest domestic terrorism cases in U.S. history and it struck right at the heart of the criminal justice system. Would anyone represent Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols? Not only did Nichols get a lawyer, he got one of the very best in history, Michael Tigar. Tigar is a renowned trial lawyer, appellate lawyer, scholar, and author. His memoir, Sensing Injustice, is a must read.

Also featured in this episode is original music by Omondi Nyong’o, A Call to Arms. His music can be found at www.omotionmusic.com.

Finally, if you are a Florida lawyer and have listened to all of Season 2, there is a CLE course code at the end of the episode. Thanks for listening to Season 2.

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