Life of the Law

In the U.S., juries are often seen as democracy in action. Twelve men and women are asked to hear an entire case, and ultimately, decide another person’s fate. But in Alabama, the jury’s decision between life and death is only a recommendation. Life of the Law Episode 74 "Overruled" was sponsored by Squarespace. 

On Saturday night, Dec 5, 2015 more than 200 people filled the pews of the Catholic chapel inside San Quentin State Prison for a first-ever uncensored storytelling event behind the prison walls. Together, inmates and volunteers, officers and staff gathered to hear stories about the all-too-secret, often misunderstood community that sustains each of them inside and outside the prison walls.For two storytellers, Troy Williams and Watani Stiner, the night would be the first time they would return to San Quentin after being released a year earlier following decades as inmates.Like those in the audience for Live @ San Quentin, this special episode offers the chance to hear the voices and stories too often silenced by imprisonment.

“I didn’t go to prison because I was a saint. I went to prison because of my lifestyle. Since the age of 13 I was a gangbanger, and did what gangbangers do. I’m 49 years old now. After 20 years of a life sentence, I got paroled. That was a year ago. My name is Troy Williams and this is a diary of my first year as a free man.”

When you look up at the sky the last thing you probably think about is the law. But space is exactly where the next frontier of law is being played out.

Truth or Dare? What's it gonna be? On this episode, we have three stories told live: two truths and a dare.

In real life, the business of jury selection is a 400 million dollar industry. So in a world of high priced jury consultants what does a jury of our peers look like? How do jury consultants work? How do juries even get picked? 

The body of legendary Native American athlete Jim Thorpe rests in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania ... but some members of his family say he should be dug up and reburied on tribal land in Oklahoma. A lawsuit seeking to move his body back to his birthplace shows how difficult it can be for the law to provide justice for Native Americans.

We all know this feeling. You're driving. Maybe you're speeding. Maybe you don't think you're doing anything wrong. All of a sudden blue lights flash in your rear-view mirror. Your stomach drops. You've been stopped. 

Ever committed a crime? Were you caught? Arrested? Maybe not. Between a quarter and a third of all adults in America were caught and arrested. Now they have a criminal record. What about those who got away? 

Laws that required cops to live in the cities they patrolled were common in the early 1900s and still exist in the United States today. However, some law enforcement officials say residency requirements restrict their freedom of movement and the effectiveness of these laws have been questioned and even challenged in the US Supreme Court.  Yet, many citizens still want the police who patrol their communities to live where they work.

On every city block, there are rules. Some are unspoken, some require friendly reminders, some are enforced by the law. Is it ever OK to break the rules in order to prevent others from breaking the rules themselves?

In the Western United States, water law is based on what seems like a simple principle: "first in use is first in right." In other words, first come first served. But take a severe drought, a Native American tribe and a hardscrabble band of ranchers, and it’s actually pretty complicated.

At disciplinary hearings in prison, inmates are not guaranteed the right to an attorney. In fact, they aren't allowed to have one at all. 

What happens when the law changes and people find themselves in legal limbo in a foreign country?

Frank 'The Bear' Abramovitz lost his wife to cancer. That’s when he took over her business, and became a bounty hunter.