Opening Arguments

Latest Episodes:

OA818: Speaker of the House George Santos Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew tackle all the stories in the news, from the dysfunctional House of Representatives to the latest developments in Fulton County, Georgia.

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OA817: CIPA Schmeepa (feat. Kel McClanahan) Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew welcome back friend of the show Kel McClanahan to break down all of the national security developments in the Trump indictments. Find out what might be coming next in the document retention case....

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OA816: Oh, Rudy! Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew try to cover all the breaking news of the past two days, including Trump's civil and criminal trials, good news out of Alabama, and check out the tire tracks on Sidney Powell's back that seem to spell "Trump."

Because it's Listener Friday, the duo answer a question about civil procedure and conflicts of laws that provides the perfect throughline to perhaps the dumbest Rudy Giuliani lawsuit yet. You won't want to miss it!

Notes Trump MTD DC https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.74.0.pdf

Sidney Powell MTD and general demurrer https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23994770/georgia-v-powell-demurrermotion-to-dismiss.pdf

Judge Kaplan Order on Motion in Limine in Carroll III. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.217.0.pdf

Trump-appointed US appeals judge calls social media 'dangerous' https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-appointed-us-appeals-judge-calls-social-media-dangerous-2023-10-03/

Giuliani’s Drinking, Long a Fraught Subject, Has Trump Prosecutors’ Attention https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-drinking.html

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-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA815: Trump Gagged, McCarthy Bagged, & GOP Dragged Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Today, Liz and Andrew tackle the two biggest stories: Matt Gaetz having ousted Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, and Donald Trump’s civil trial in New York. All that AND an Andrew Was Wrong featuring more on the 14th Amendment.

In the Patreon bonus, the two tackle a Liz Was Not Wrong about why Trump doesn’t have a jury trial in New York. Hint: yes you can still make fun of Alina Habba!

Notes Justice Engoron Order https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=op8OyfqVHpc6eGTx9LOw3Q==

OAG v. Trump appellate decision https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=ReQsiVyUL/PE7F5_PLUS_RuqoMw==

CBS News story on Trump conceding to $27 million valuation for Mar-a-Lago https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-mar-a-lago-1-8-billion-own-company-said-it-was-too-high/?espv=1

SCOTUS orders 10/2 https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/100223zor_5368.pdf

Eastman petition for cert https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-1138/267263/20230519131455424_230516%20PWC%20corrected.pdf

Trump Fulton County docket https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/Index/142

FC indictment https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23909542/23sc188947-criminal-indictment.pdf

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Governor Newsom, Laphonza Butler, and the Constitution’s Plain Text,’ New Reform Club (Oct. 2, 2023, 3:54 PM), ;

Josh Blackman & Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Sweeping and Forcing the President into Section 3: A Response to William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen,’ 28(2) Tex. Rev. L. & Pol. (forth. circa Mar. 2024) (posted on: Sept. 12, 2023), .

Is There A Constitutional Right to a Jury Trial of Equitable Defenses in New York?, 74 St. Johns L. Rev. 1 (2000) https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1421&context=lawreview

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA814: Kevin McCarthy Is An Ex-Speaker & Scott Hall Is An Ex-Defendant Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Andrew and Liz explain the recent Congressional funding bill, what it means for the country (good things!) & what it means for Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (bad things). What's a motion to vacate? Listen and find out! Then, of course, the duo return to discuss all the recent developments in the RICO indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, including the plea deal by bail bondsman & former Donald Trump co-defendant Scott Hall. What does it all mean? We tell you! Notes Trump Fulton County docket https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/Index/142 FC indictment https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23909542/23sc188947-criminal-indictment.pdf

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA813: BREAKING - Trump Org Gets Death Penalty, Organs To Be Sold For Parts (feat. Mitchell Epner) Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew record a day early to discuss the breaking news out of state court in New York granting partial summary judgment to New York Attorney General Letitia James's civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, his kids, and his businesses over phony valuation statements. The upshot is that the Trump businesses will be dissolved as a matter of law.

Mitchell Epner guests to help break down the nuances of New York law and procedure.

It's not a criminal conviction, but it's a hell of a start!

Notes Justice Engoron Order https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=op8OyfqVHpc6eGTx9LOw3Q==

-Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter: @Openargs

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA812: Classified Information and Judge Aileen "Loose" Cannon (feat. Kel McClanahan) Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Today, Andrew and Liz welcome back to the show National Security Counselor Kel McClanahan to break down a bunch of filings pursuant to the Classified Information Procedures Act, and tell us how to keep our eyes on Judge Cannon!

Notes Chris Geidner "Law Dork" on the Fifth Circuit https://www.lawdork.com/p/fifth-circuit-adf-training-book-ban-social-media

CIPA - Appendix 13 to Title 18 of the US Code https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18a/compiledact-96-456

Trump’s motion for CIPA Section 4 scheduling https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.160.0.pdf

DOJ CIPA Section 3 Brief https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.162.0.pdf

Nauta/DeOliveira CIPA Section 3 Brief https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654.163.0.pdf

DOJ CIPA Motion Under Seal in DC ( cover page) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/59/1/united-states-v-trump/

-Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/law

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA811: Bob Menendez is NOT Being Indicted For Bribery Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew break down the recent indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez plus much, much more.

Notes Menendez indictment https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-09/u.s._v._menendez_et_al_indictment.pdf

McDonnell v. US, 136 S.Ct. 2355 (2016) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=7646544289520795258

-Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/law

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA810: So Major League Baseball And A Unicorn Walk Into The Supreme Court... Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

Liz and Andrew break down the week's developments before heading into a deep dive about baseball's antitrust exemption and a new petition for certiorari filed by... unicorns? Even if you're not a sports fan, you won't want to miss this one!

Notes OA 696 https://openargs.com/oa696-in-which-james-okeefe-pretends-to-be-a-journalist/

Fulton County GA - DA Willis Motion notifying Judge McAfee of potential conflicts https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23986592/23-0920-notice-of-potential-conflicts-of-interest-concerning-attorneys.pdf

Anna Bower, Fake Crocodiles and Fake Electors in Fulton County https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/fake-crocodiles-and-fake-electors-in-fulton-county

Project Veritas Suspends All Operations Amid Devastating Layoffs and Fundraising Struggles https://www.mediaite.com/news/new-project-veritas-suspends-all-operations-amid-devastating-layoffs-and-fundraising-struggles/

Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore v. National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, 259 U.S. 200 (1922) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=5457794249908053604

Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc., 346 U.S. 356 (1953) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1315902585984637212

Flood v. Kuhn, 407 U.S. 258 (1972) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1568944639886480553

-Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/law

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

OA809: Will This One Weird Trick Keep Trump Out of the White House? (Part 1) Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

In this Episode, Andrew and Liz outline the issues underlying the recent law review article by Professors Will Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen suggesting that Trump can be disqualified from the Presidency by virtue of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

After that, the two return to the linkroll to discuss the many, many developments in and around Trumpworld, including whatever happened to that guy Ray Epps that Tucker Carlson insists is a federal agent plant? (Hint: he's not.)

In the Patreon bonus, Liz and Andrew describe more of the sad legal trevails of David Shafer, cosplay elector.

Notes OA 35 https://openargs.com/oa35-emoluments-clause-wseth-barrett-tillman-part-1/

OA 36 https://openargs.com/oa36-emoluments-clause-wseth-barrett-tillman-part-2/

Baude & Paulsen, “The Sweep and Force of Section Three”, 172 U. Pa. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2024) https://deliverypdf.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=995103073068092081092071118086002065023073053045056031120084030066073022088005028078011036036121038023044082013118012025083101019006033017032126091082092002112010046001043008098085115025107069005116107119092023024116117112126020097081101012025127123&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE

In re Griffin (Griffin’s Case), 11 F. Cas. 7 (1869) https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F.Cas/0011.f.cas/0011.f.cas.0007.html

US v. Ray Epps docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67807327/united-states-v-epps/

Anna Bower, On Clerks and Caimans: Jeffrey Clark’s Removal Hearing https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/on-clerks-and-caimans-jeffrey-clark-s-removal-hearing

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com