
In Summation - The Final Word
Attorney, host and creator Paul Townsend examines some of the most famous and infamous - and often misunderstood - court cases to make headlines across America. In doing so, he provides listeners with a true and unbiased understanding of the underlying facts as the judge or jury would have heard them at the time, explains what the role of each party was, breaks down the legal arguments presented, and gives the final word on who ultimately prevailed and why.
Episodes
69 episodes
California v. Orenthal James Simpson
OJ Simpson's arrest and trial captivated the country. Dubbed the "trial of the century," the 1995 spectacle grabbed eyeballs with gavel to gavel coverage for approximately 10 months. The trial was packed with celebrity, DNA evidence...
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Episode 66
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1:36:44

In Summation Explains: Collateral Estoppel
Lawyers, like other professionals, tend to use a lot of industry terms which don't make sense to the average person. Sometimes, those terms pop up in artcles and media describing a case, without explanation (often because the journalists ...
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6:24

In Summation Explains: Decriminalization vs. Legalization
Welcome back. In this brief episode, Paul digs into the difference between the terms decriminalization and legalization. They are frequently used interchangeably by people who do not fully appreciate the difference.At the end...
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5:24

In Summation Explains: No Harm No Foul, Right?
In the second installment of In Summation Explains, Paul explains what happens when someone undoes the wrong they caused before they get caught, and whether that is a defense to any potential liability after the fact.If you like this ne...
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8:34

In Summation Explains: Habeus Corpus
What does habeus corpus mean? how does it work? what does it actually do? In this new segment of In Summation, Paul explains specific legal terms and areas of law which confuse people. This is going be based mostly on listener feedb...
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11:51

New York v. Daniel Penny
In this episode, recurring guest Adam Uris and I discuss the recent New York prosecution of Daniel Penny, the 24 year old marine corps veteran who killed Jordan Neely on the subway after Neely was aggressive and threatening to other passengers....
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Episode 65
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1:10:12

Georgia v. Jeffery Williams (aka Young Thug) (part 2)
Hello All,At the end of October there was a whirlwind of activity in the Young Thug trial down in Fulton County Georgia. All of a sudden, in the span of one week, multiple defendants opted to take a plea after nearly two years at ...
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Episode 64
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38:41

Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Corporation (The Hot Coffee Case)
The wait is over and In Summation - The Final Word is back.At the request of a listener (thanks Ben!), in this episode we tackle a case which has really become THE case that people bring up when discussing how litigious American people ...
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Episode 63
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45:01

Georgia v. Jeffery Williams (aka Young Thug)
Hello Loyal Listeners,In Summation returns with a thorough explanation of one of the most truly absurd cases to take place in recent memory. Rapper/Hip Hop artist Young Thug burst into the music industry around 2013 and quickly be...
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Episode 62
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1:02:21

United States v. Donald Trump (The FEDERAL Election Interference Case)
At this point, it's become difficult to keep track of all the different places that former (and possibly future) President Donald Trump has been indicted. To recap: he has been indicted in New York County by District Attorney Alvin Bragg....
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Episode 61
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1:20:45

Michigan v. Jennifer Crumbley (Prosecuting the Parents of a Killer)
Hello everyone, I've missed you.Due to a confluence of factors which I won't waste time or energy going into here, we had a slightly longer hiatus than I expected, but we are back and I expect the content to be a little more regular goi...
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Episode 60
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50:43

Idaho v. Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik
Welcome Back Listeners!In this episode of In Summation, Paul discusses a horror movie turned real life. Inspired by the 1996 horror classic, Scream, Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik donned ghostface masks, black robes, and hunting k...
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Episode 58
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53:14

United States v. Lori Loughlin, et al. (Varsity Blues Scandal)
Remember Full House? Remember how wholesome and family-friendly it was? Remember Aunt Becky? She was married to Uncle Jesse. She was part of that wave of television which instilled good family values and strong moral cha...
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Episode 57
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51:57

California v. Calvin Broadus (Snoop Doggy Dogg)
The 1990's were filled with high profile criminal trials for some of the most famous entertainers in the world. Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson headlined a list of extremely public trials, mostly centered in California.One case whi...
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Episode 56
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52:19

Illinois v. August Spies, Albert Parsons, et al. (The Haymarket 8)
Hello again friends and family,Bucking a recent trend of recent cases, today we head back roughly 140 years to Chicago in the 1880s. This is another case where a person or group's personal ideology was put on trial instead of the ...
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Episode 55
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1:04:15

Florida v. Jamell Demons (YNW Melly)
Greetings friends of In Summation - The Final Word.Today's episode explores the unusual trial of Jamell Demons, aka YNW Melly, who was charged with the double murder of his close friends in what prosecutors claimed was staged to look li...
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Episode 54
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57:22

Wisconsin v. Mark Jensen
Welcome back one and all. In this installment of In Summation - The Final Word, Paul breaks down one of the elements of the 6th Amendment confrontation clause. Generally speaking, a criminal defendant has the right to confront an ac...
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Episode 53
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53:01

Neil Heslin & Scarlet Lewis v. Alex Jones (Defamation)
Greetings and welcome back to In Summation - The Final Word. In this episode, Paul explores one of the select carve outs to the 1st Amendment's guarantee to free speech. With several very high profile cases on this topic in the last...
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Episode 52
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1:16:42

Roe v. Wade & Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
The long hiatus is over. Paul's trial in upstate New York is over and there are many cases to discuss on the horizon. For the grand return after an exhausting and stressful fight over a murder case, Paul is back discussing the two s...
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Episode 51
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1:11:05

Virginia v. John Brown (Slavery on Trial)
Greetings one and all! Thank you so much to the fans and supporters of this fine program as we hit the milestone 50th episode. Paul cannot thank you enough for the comments, the engagement, and the interest. It keeps him going...
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Episode 50
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50:48

South Carolina v. Alex Murdaugh
This episode needs very little introduction. The trial of Alex Murdaugh in the South Carolina Lowcountry was a national phenomenon. All major news outlets covered the story and the trial. Alex Murdaugh came from an inc...
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Episode 49
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59:24

United States v. Philip Esformes
What is "fraud?" How does it work? What are the recourses of someone who has been defrauded? Is fraud always criminal?In today's episode, Paul dives into healthcare fraud. Philip Esformes set up an elaborate sche...
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Episode 48
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56:18

Wisconsin v. Darrell Brooks
Friend of the show Adam Uris returns to discuss the Waukesha, Wisconsin Christmas Parade Tragedy and ensuing prosecution of Darrell Brooks, the man who drove his red Ford Escape right through the parade. Brooks killed 6 people and injured...
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Episode 47
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1:11:25
