The Trials of Frank Carson Los Angeles Times
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- True Crime
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From Christopher Goffard, the Los Angeles Times reporter and host behind the hit podcasts “Dirty John” and “Detective Trapp,” comes a new eight-episode true crime podcast, “The Trials of Frank Carson.” “The Trials of Frank Carson” is a story of power, politics and the law in California’s Central Valley. Frank Carson was Stanislaus County’s most controversial defense attorney, a wizard with juries and a courtroom brawler with an unapologetically caustic style. He racked up legal wins for decades. He was the terror of police and prosecutors, often accusing them personally of corruption. When a small-time thief disappeared, police — some of them Carson’s longtime adversaries — launched a massive investigation into a spectral underworld of street hustlers, junkies and snitches. Carson was charged with murder, accused of masterminding a conspiracy. It would be one of the longest criminal trials in California history, with the flinty veteran of so many courtroom wars on trial for his life. The Trials of Frank Carson was produced by the Los Angeles Times and Western Sound.
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The lawyer and the thief | 1
Introducing Frank Carson, Stanislaus County’s most controversial defense attorney, famous for his high-profile courtroom victories and take-no-prisoners style. A longtime nemesis of local law enforcement, he is representing homicide defendants in the very courthouse where he is on trial for murder himself.
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A disappearance | 2
When a young scrap-metal thief named Korey Kauffman vanishes, local police do not immediately show great interest. Then a parolee named Big Mike Cooley tells a story that gets their attention: Kauffman was last seen venturing onto Frank Carson’s property to steal some pipes. Authorities confront Carson and work to build a case against him.
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The incredible evolving story of Robert Woody | 3
The discovery of Korey Kauffman’s remains gives the investigation new impetus, and a man named Robert Woody offers a methamphetamine-fueled “confession.” Threatened with the death penalty, he cooperates — and becomes the government’s star witness. But his story changes again and again.
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Mugshots | 4
After a three-year investigation, Frank Carson and his co-defendants are arrested, accused of a complicated murder-and-coverup conspiracy. Among the accused are three men who worked for the California Highway Patrol. How did an attorney famous for his distrust of local cops stand accused of conspiring with three of them?
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Prisoners | 5
Frank Carson and his co-defendants confront the charges against them. The government cites years of Carson’s supposedly authority-hating behavior and his “behavioral control issues.” Interviews and wiretap recordings explore how Carson’s wife and stepdaughter, an art student, came to be wrapped up in the case. And former California Highway Patrol Officer Walter Wells endures jail.
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Prelim | 6
As a marathon preliminary hearing continues, the defendants face mounting pressure to climb aboard “the witness bus” and cut a deal. Frank Carson hits rock bottom, and offers his co-defendants a way out. The prosecution belatedly reveals a cache of undisclosed evidence — with major consequences.
Customer Reviews
Amazing
Incredibly captivating tale of a man who was harassed to no end by the police who had no respect for the rule of law
A Frustrating Listen
Laughably one-sided. Like its titular “protagonist” this podcast lacks self-awareness and empathy. Repeated cruel characterizations of the murdered Korey Kauffman as nothing more than a tweaker and a thief make clear Goffard has forgotten that he was the real victim in this case, not the lying defence attorney.
Throw prosecution in Jail
This is a heartbreaking story. Innocent people losing theIr lives, livelihoods, reputations. and freedom because of maliciousness and vindictiveness. You can hear and feel their pain.
I hope they bring down the prosecution. Break them financially.