Legally Insane - The Law is Funny

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RIP John McCain - Hero Who Took a Bayonet to His Groin! - Episode 46 Aug 30, 2018

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Legally Insane

RIP John McCain - Hero Who Took a Bayonet to His Groin! - Episode 46

On the heels of John McCain's death, the guys decide to record a podcast dedicated to the American Hero. They discuss his families' origins, his career in the armed forces, his 5-year stint in the "Hanoi Hilton", and his career in politics. There are a lot of good laughs in this episode, but one thing is clear. John McCain was an American Hero.

Highlights:

[03:00] – John McCain (not to be confused with John McClane of Die Hard) was most notably known as a US Senator in the state of Arizona.
[09:55] – John McCain was the son and grandson of military royalty. His father and grandfather were both 4 star generals in the Navy.
[10:35] – He didn't take life seriously in his youth and during his time in the Navy he crashed two planes. He was considered a terrible pilot.
[12:00] – McCain may have been responsible for The USS Forresstal Fire in 1967.
[18:01 – Also in 1967 McCain's plane was shot down over Hanoi. He was stabbed in the groin and the leg and was captured by the Vietnamese. He spent 5 years as a Prisoner of War and was beaten and starved regularly.
[21:22] – The camp that McCain was held prisoner in was called deemed "The Hanoi Hilton".
[23:28] – The Vietnamese offered to let him ago but he refused. To honor his word to the military he refused to leave because there were other US Soldiers who were captured before him that didn't have the opportunity to be free.
[32:33] – McCain was part of The Keating Five.
[37:35] – He talked George Bush out of enhancing interrogation and torture techniques during the Iraq War.

The Takeaway – John McCain always tried to right his wrongs and is definitely an American Hero.

Hollywood Improv Ticket Link: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/legally-insane-with-matt-ritter-hollywood-improv-the-lab-tickets/8497065?pl=hollyimprov&REFID=hollywoodimprov&_ga=2.105621379.1209749857.1534904708-TW.1.0.5b69e77d380c3

Twitter:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

Website:

www.cascademedia.com

Dr. Kevorkian aka Dr. Death - Episode 45 Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

Legally Insane

Dr. Kevorkian aka Dr. Death - Episode 45

Today the guys jump into a bit of a heavy topic, but do a great job at keeping it light. They're discussing Dr. Kevorkian and the idea of assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian is most known for championing the cause of physician-assisted suicide. Matt and Tony break down where the idea of assisted suicide came from and discuss the legalities and moral implications of voluntary death.

Highlights:

[02:35] – Assisted suicide is suicide committed with the aid of another person, sometimes a physician.
[05:18] – Dr. Kevorkian drew blood from corpuses and transferred them into hospital staff members.
[07:01] – Kevorkian assisted in the death of 139 people in the 1990's.
[08:10] – 60% of the patients that died with him were not terminally ill and at least 13 of them hadn't complained of any pain.
[18:30] – Dr. Kevorkian went to jail for manslaughter when he administered lethal injection.
[23:58] – France legalized suicide in 1790.
[28:04] – Assisted suicide is legal in 5 states and the District of Columbia.

The Takeaway – If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide please get help and call the suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255.

Twitter:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

Website:

www.cascademedia.com

Military Tribunals – A Few Good Men - Episode 44 Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

Legally Insane

Military Tribunals – A Few Good Men - Episode 44

Ever wonder how enemy combatants who commit war crimes are prosecuted? They're tried in Military Courts and these trials are known as Military Tribunals. Military Tribunals operate outside the scope of criminal and civil jurisdictions. The jury and judges are military officers. In today's episode you'll learn how and why these tribunals were started and how Presidents began trying some civilians under Military law. You'll also get Matt and Tony's take on Guantanamo and why it might be ok to make enemies drink pee.

Highlights:

[04:22] – Military Tribunals operate completely outside of our legal system.
[06:46] – The alleged reason they don't operate within our legal system is because these crimes typically take place during war on a site where there is no functioning legal system.
[09:12] – George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and The Union (during the Civil War) all used Military Tribunals.
[10:49] – Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus, which is the right to a free trial.
[15:09] – The US invents "The Water Cure".
[17:14] – Operation Pastorius; The failed German plan for sabotage inside the USA during World War 2.
[27:02] – Boumediene vs. Bush 2008.
[29:00] – Guantanamo Bay moral dilemma's.
[34:04] – Trump wants to try more people under military tribunals.

The Takeaway – There's a lot of executive overreach. During wartime or emergency situations be weary of presidential power.

Hollywood Improv Ticket Link:

https://www.ticketweb.com/event/legally-insane-with-matt-ritter-hollywood-improv-the-lab-tickets/8497065?pl=hollyimprov&REFID=hollywoodimprov&_ga=2.103165440.1280431253.1533667202-1318376055.1531430133

Twitter:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

Website:

www.cascademedia.com

3D Guns For Everyone? - Episode 43 Aug 01, 2018

Show notes

Legally Insane

3D Guns For Everyone? - Episode 43

Today Matt and Tony jump into a hot topic that's been circulating in the news recently; the printing of 3D guns. The 3D gun known as the "Liberator" was created by radical Cody Wilson. Cody Wilson is a self proclaimed "Crypto Anarchist" and the founder of Defense Distributed. In 2013 Cody posted the blueprints to make these digital weapons. Within days of posting, the US Department of State demanded they be removed from the Internet. Just this past week, the ban on releasing the blueprints to build these guns was overturned.

Highlights:

[05:34] – The files to build the 3D gun were originally released on the website Defense Distributed. The file is only of use if you have a 3D printer.
[07:50] – The Undetectable Fire Arms Act of 1988 banned any firearm that is not detectable from a walk-through metal detector. Glock's in the mid 80s were made from a lightweight polymer. You could bend them into different shapes, making them undetectable.
[14:55] – Cody Wilson was listed as the 14th most dangerous person in the world.
[15:40] – The 3D gun the "Liberator" is named after The Liberator guns in World War 2 that were known as single shooter guns.
[20:04] – 10,000 people have downloaded the blueprints to make this gun.
[22:25] – Psychological Reactance (The Streisand Effect).

The Takeaway – Technology is evolving quicker than our laws.

Hollywood Improv Ticket Link:

https://www.ticketweb.com/event/legally-insane-with-matt-ritter-hollywood-improv-the-lab-tickets/8479625?pl=hollyimprov&REFID=hollywoodimprov&_ga=2.258972425.2070421175.1532556952-1318376055.1531430133

Twitter:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

Website:

www.cascademedia.com

Sexual Harassment Laws – Better Late Than Never (w/ Special Guest Ana Kasparian) - Episode 42 Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

Legally Insane

Sexual Harassment Laws – Better Late Than Never - Episode 42

In this episode Matt and Tony sit down with Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks. Ana is an accomplished Journalist, Speaker, Writer and Educator. The conversation today is about sexual harassment. The trio discusses how sexual harassment is becoming more and more common in the news and they get a dialogue going about how to raise more awareness to ultimately lead to change.

Highlights:

[07:30] – Ana talks about her own experience with sexual harassment.
[12:25] – The age of sexual consent in most states gets raised from age 7 to between 16-18.
[18:33] – In the 1964 Civil Rights Act, sex was added in at the last minute (it was seen as a joke).
[20:48] – The Violence Against Women Act.
[24:54] – Women's role in the workplace and the pressure on men to be breadwinners.
[28:52] – Barnes v. Train, the first sexual harassment case.
[35:00] – 1986 was the first time the Supreme Court addressed anything related to sexual harassment.
[41:40] – Long Dong Silver
[63:22] – Al Franken steps down
[71:14] – Settlement Disclosure

The Takeaway – While we've progressed when it comes to gender dynamics in the workplace, there's still a lot more room to grow.

Hollywood Improv Ticket Link:

Twitter:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

Website:

www.cascademedia.com

Trump's New Tariff Wars - Episode 41 Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

This week Matt and Tony talk about Trump's new and potentially disastrous tariff wars. Matt takes us on a journey through the tariff history of our country. Specifically, 1929, a year of infamy, that started the Great Depression. Apparently, two Congressman named Smoot and Hawley had the idea to take a thriving economy with low unemployment and start applying tariff's. The problem is like Pringles, once you pop you can't stop. Every business wanted a piece of the action and in a matter of time there were 20,000 goods with tariffs, which started a global trade war that took decades to climb out of. Are we on the same path now? Only time will tell. We do know that Smoot and Hawley did NOT get re-elected. We also address why in the heck Trump has this unilateral power. Hint - he likes to play with his toys.

Listen, learn, laugh on Legally Insane - and come to the next live show Thursday, Aug 2 at the Hollywood Improv at 730. Tickets available online! As always you can follow the guys online: @mattritter1 @toekneesam @legallynsanepod cascademedia.com

Robots and the Law - Should Skynet Be Tried or Their Creator - Episode 40 Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

This week Matt and Tony are reveling in being the #1 Mover on all of Stitcher! We start with Matt talking about becoming an old man yelling at punk teens for picking up those Bird scooters. Then they get into the topic of the day: Robots and The Law. They discuss who would be to blame if Johnny Five from Short Circuit killed someone. Fisher Stevens, or the maker of the machine or Johnny himself. Serious discussion of the culpability of robots ensues as we soon will be living in a world riddled with Robot Crime! How do we decide on the men rea "guilty mind" of a talking BOT! And of course how every movie about robots has the same issues: anomalies. Listen, learn, laugh on Legally Insane - and come to the nexst live show Thursday, Aug 2 at the Hollywood Improv at 730. Tickets available online! As always you can follow the guys online: @mattritter1 @toekneesam @legallynsanepod cascademedia.com

The Black Sox Scandal - There Was a Ridiculous Trial Too - Episode 39 Jul 07, 2018

Show notes

This week Matt and Tony get into one of the craziest baseball scandal's ever: The fixing of the 1919 World Series. The Black Sox Scandal. It turns out there was a big trial where many of the players careers were on the line. Craziness ensued: Player confessions were literally stolen from the courtroom. In the end, there wasn't enough to convict them, or maybe there was. Hard to say when you have a jury so biased that they "carried players on their shoulders in celebration" after the verdict was announced! The Commissioner still banned everyone anyone, including Shoeless Joe, who it turns out did wear shoes.

Listen, learn, laugh on Legally Insane - and come to the live show this Thursday at the Hollywood Improv at 730. Tickets available online!

As always you can follow the guys online:

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

@legallynsanepod

www.cascademedia.com

Sanctuary Cities - What The Heck Are They? - Episode 38 Jul 07, 2018

Show notes

Tony and Matt take a deep dive into a topic that's really got everyone charged up - Sanctuary cities. What's true what's media spun, what's urban legend? Where did these policies come from, you'd be shocked to know that the same people that are bashing them now may be responsible for their rise!

Listen, learn, laugh on Legally Insane

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

@legallynsanepod

www.cascademedia.com

Is ICE Breaking Up Families, Sending them to "Foster Care or Whatever" - Episode 37 Jul 07, 2018

Show notes

This week Matt and Tony try to get serious, well as much as they can. First Tony tells us about how he accidentally ate cat poop. Then we take a deep dive into what the hell is actually going at the Southern Border. According to Chief of Staff John Kelly the kids are going to "foster or whatever" And who the hell is ICE anyway? And where the heck does our immigration policy even come from? Well, funny you should ask, Matt and Tony take us all the way back to the beginning of our nations interesting and dark history of dealing with immigration. But first they talk about how ICE apparently put up a flier for parents with the wrong number to call to find out where their kids are. Then they find out gummy bears may have been made by slave labor. They discuss the horrible use of Holocaust references to this "camp" atmosphere. What a time we are going through. Listen, learn, laugh on Legally Insane

@mattritter1

@toekneesam

@legallynsanepod

www.cascademedia.com

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