Gavel Gavel

Thomas Smith and Lydia Smith
  • 4.5 (96)
  • True Crime

Gavel Gavel is the podcast that takes you inside the courtroom. Co-hosts Thomas and Lydia Smith ask the questions you're actually thinking, crack the jokes the case deserves, and cut through legal jargon — while real legal experts with actual trial experience bring the analysis that makes sense of it all. Sharp, funny, and genuinely informative, it's for anyone who's ever watched a trial unfold in the news and wanted someone to explain what's really going on.

  1. 1d ago

    GG90: "You Gotta Spend Voter Fraud to Make Voter Fraud" - James O'Keefe

    Back in August, James O'Keefe's rebranded operation, now calling itself the Citizen Justice League, sent people dressed in racist Muslim garb into Minneapolis polling places to test Minnesota's voter "vouching" law. Does the full footage actually show what the viral clips claim, or do the poll workers do exactly what they're supposed to? And what happens when the "random" names O'Keefe and Cameron Higby used to vouch for strangers turn out to belong to real, very surprised Minnesota voters? Thomas and Lydia go through the new documents and the county attorney's press conference, line by line. Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  2. Oct 16

    GG89: NY Defense Attorney Calls the Tompkins County DA's Cornell Decision "Truly Stunning"

    Part 3. Thomas and Lydia welcome back criminal defense attorney Liz Skeen to break down the Tompkins County DA's decision not to prosecute the Cornell Chi Phi case, line by line. Why did the DA's own press release say his office "confirmed" with campus police that there was no crime, instead of investigating it themselves? What does a six page, hand-corrected witness statement actually prove, and why did nobody ever sit down with Jane Doe to ask a single follow-up question? Liz walks through New York's three degrees of rape, the strange voluntary-versus-involuntary intoxication rule, and whether a motion to remove Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor has any real teeth. Content note for sexual assault throughout. Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  3. Oct 5

    GG88: The Cornell Chi Phi Gang Rape Lawsuit, Part 2

    Part 2. It's time to talk about the disgusting Snapchat convo that really is the foundation of this entire case. In a group of 57 people, only 1 to possibly 3 people did the right thing and reported it and/or gave it to Jane Doe. Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  4. Oct 5

    GG87: The Cornell Chi Phi Gang Rape Lawsuit, Part 1

    Part 1. Thomas and Lydia open the 101-page complaint in Jane Doe v. Cornell University et al., the Chi Phi gang rape lawsuit that has taken over the internet, and the misinformation is flying from every direction. What does Cornell's own history of fraternity reform resolutions reveal about how long this was a known problem on campus? Why does the DA's explanation for not pressing charges hinge on a very specific gap in New York's consent law, the same gap state legislators have apparently been trying to close for seven years? And what did the sorority's own 'sober monitors' see that night at Mooney's before everything went wrong? Part 2 gets into the Snapchat. Content note for sexual assault throughout. Cases discussed: Jane Doe v. Cornell University, Inc. et al. (Chi Phi / Tri Delta lawsuit) New York State legislation to amend the affirmative consent / intoxication standard Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  5. Oct 1

    GG86: Broadview 6 Prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg - Whistleblower or Ass Coverer?

    Part 2! Thomas, Lydia, and Matt return to the Broadview grand jury transcript, with Lydia in the role of a lifetime as prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg. What happens when a juror says the case is a crock of shit, and what does the DOJ's own grand jury manual say should happen next? Then Mecklenburg's new motion to intervene arrives with a surprising detail about who at the top was paying attention. Why did the defense open their response with a "scrivener's error"? And what does her resignation letter say that her court filing doesn't? Plus: a hearing is coming. Is she a credible whistleblower, a prosecutor covering her own tracks, or both? Cases discussed: United States v. Broadview protest defendants (N.D. Ill.), grand jury misconduct motions AUSA Sheri Mecklenburg's Motion for Leave to Intervene Defendants' response supporting intervention Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  6. Oct 1

    GG85: Return of the Mecklenburg

    Back to the Broadview Six! Thomas, Lydia, and Matt return to the case that gave us one of our favorite transcript moments of all time, because its most memorable character is suddenly all over the news. Sheri Mecklenburg has left the Department of Justice, and she has a lot to say about why. Her letter is titled "re my forced retirement." Her motion asks the judge to let her into a case she no longer works on. And she is quoting from a DOJ manual you are not allowed to read. Is she a whistleblower, a scapegoat, or something in between? And should anyone be welcoming her to the resistance? We read the filings, then rewind the tape to see whether her story holds up. Cases discussed: United States v. Rabbitt et al. (the Broadview Six, N.D. Ill.) Defendants' Motion to Appoint Special Counsel for Criminal Contempt Mecklenburg Motion for Leave to Intervene Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!

  7. Sep 8

    GG84: D-Money Big Dog Orf Orf vs. the Federal Government

    Part 2 of Operation Puppet Master! Thomas, Lydia, and Matt dig into the actual discovery documents from the Minneapolis ICE-protest indictment, and what they find is something else. Undercover HSI agents spent months infiltrating boxing classes, church meetings, Zoom panels, and legal observer trainings looking for the Antifa puppet masters, and their own memos keep reaching the same conclusion. Then come the financial subpoenas against major national unions. What did three years of wire-transfer records turn up? Plus: a grand jury agent swears under oath that every single person they investigated had a criminal predicate. The documents they just read beg to differ. All documents that Matt bought from PACER are available to patrons! Cases discussed: United States v. Sant et al. (Operation Puppet Master, D. Minn.) Defense Rule 16 / Brady-Giglio Discovery Motion National Security Presidential Memorandum 7

  8. Sep 2

    GG83: DOJ vs. the Totally Completely Real Antifa Conspiracy in Minnesota. That Definitely Happened.

    Part 1! Thomas, Lydia, and Matt dig into United States v. Sant et al., a federal indictment of Minneapolis anti-ICE protesters produced by something the government actually named Operation Puppet Master. The conspiracy map names a boxing club, a biking club, and several major unions. The overt acts include renting a U-Haul, exchanging approximately 20 Signal calls, and being nice to someone named Sam. Matt was in Minneapolis in January and has some thoughts on what these people are actually doing. Part 2 drops the undercover HSI memos. Patrons can hear it right now and also access all of the documents that Matt paid for and downloaded for our benefit. Cases discussed: United States v. Sant et al. (D. Minn.), DAMN indictment United States v. Rabbitt et al. (Broadview protest case) United States v. Arnold et al. (the Prairieland protesters) If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!

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4.5
out of 5
96 Ratings

About

Gavel Gavel is the podcast that takes you inside the courtroom. Co-hosts Thomas and Lydia Smith ask the questions you're actually thinking, crack the jokes the case deserves, and cut through legal jargon — while real legal experts with actual trial experience bring the analysis that makes sense of it all. Sharp, funny, and genuinely informative, it's for anyone who's ever watched a trial unfold in the news and wanted someone to explain what's really going on.

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas Smith and Lydia Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Gavel Gavel

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