Podcast

The Why of the Where: Mitigation Geo-Narratives with Dr. Julie Urbanik

Where we are born, how many times we were forced to relocate, and the kinds of things happening, or not happening, in our communities, our schools and other institutions in those locations are all important to give context to a client’s life and choices. But how do we tell those stories at sentencing? Thankfully, there’s…

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The BOP Horror Show & What We Can Do About It

It’s not even October yet, but this episode feels tailor made for Halloween.  It’s no secret that the BOP is deeply dysfunctional, dangerous, and dehumanizing.  And the stories of deprivation and death inside the walls of the BOP abound. But lawyers are not telling these stories enough at sentencing, and as a result, Judges often…

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Federal Pre-Trial Diversion With Jon May

Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) can help avoid prison and even a keep a person’s record felony-free.  And, the Biden DOJ has encouraged it’s regional US Attorney offices to devise their own policies for DPAs and to be more liberal with their application. But, local federal prosecutors seem to be ignoring their boss’s mandate.  They’re reluctant…

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On Deaf Ears: When Sentencing Goes Wrong

It’s a gloomy night in Oklahoma City.  I’m holed up in a hotel working on a capital case.  But I’m in a dark place.  Last week I saw a terrible injustice occur in a matter in which I was involved as a consultant.  The lawyers did a fantastic job of making their case for a…

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Psychodrama at Sentencing: (PART TWO)

Psychodrama has been used by trial lawyers for decades. But it hasn’t been effectively deployed for use at SENTENCING…. until now. While psychodrama action therapy requires a trained professional to implement, there good news is there are psychodrama-adjacent techniques that can help any lawyer dig for, develop, and deliver a powerful and persuasive sentencing presentation!…

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Psychodrama at Sentencing (PART ONE)

Psychodrama has been used by trial lawyers for decades. But it hasn’t been effectively deployed for use at SENTENCING…. until now. While psychodrama action therapy requires a trained professional to implement, there good news is there are psychodrama-adjacent techniques that can help any lawyer dig for, develop, and deliver a powerful and persuasive sentencing presentation!…

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The First Step Act (with Walt Pavlo)

The FSA is meant to give non-violent offenders a chance to significantly reduce their term of incarceration through programming and good conduct. But, the BOP is proving to be unwilling or unable to properly implement the law. Helping us get set for sentencing this week is Walt Pavlo, founder of prisonology.com and frequent contributor to…

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Outside the Box Defense with Investigator Justin Yentes

A good investigator can be essential to winning cases at trial or sentencing. They bring a fresh perspective and outside-the-box techniques that help lawyers better communicate the truth of their sentencing story. This week, we’re thrilled to have Justin Yentes, one of the best investigators in the business, on our podcast! Justin’s wealth of experience…

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