Civic Outlaws

Samuel Trapp

Civic Outlaws is a weekly podcast about civil liberties, transparency, and the quiet ways power gets abused—rule by rule, policy by policy. We track real-world cases where agencies, regulators, and other unelected systems push past lawful authority, then we map out what the public can do next: documentation, public-records work, legal direction, and community-backed pressure. Episodes focus on active investigations and recurring problem areas like selective enforcement, surveillance expansion, HOA abuse, timeshare deception, and regulatory intimidation—especially where ordinary people feel boxed in and outgunned. Follow the investigations, updates, and ways to get involved at CivicOutlaws.com.

  1. 5d ago

    Who Is Watching the Watchers?

    Samuel Trapp examines a newly filed Georgia lawsuit alleging that Coweta County deputies searched Tyler Murkerson’s vehicle through the Flock network while his civil-rights lawsuit against the sheriff’s office was pending. Samuel connects those allegations to Chrisanna Elser’s Colorado lawsuit after she was wrongly accused of stealing a $25 package, an Oklahoma federal ruling suppressing evidence from a warrantless month-long Flock search, and recent criminal charges involving alleged misuse of license-plate data by law-enforcement personnel in Georgia and Ohio. The discussion turns to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe’s Executive Order 26-18, including its 30-day deletion requirement, restrictions on commercialization, prohibition against combining ALPR systems with facial recognition and promised accountability measures. Samuel’s question is direct: one month after the order, where are the required audits, who examines them, and can a citizen learn whether police searched his or her vehicle without a legitimate case? In Government Employees Behaving Badly, Samuel discusses the criminal charge against Riverview Police Officer Torre Dyson. Prosecutors allege that Dyson sexually assaulted a handcuffed woman after taking her to the police station without properly notifying dispatch or supervisors. The case raises additional questions because Dyson’s peace-officer license was reportedly already on probation. Civic Outlaws with Samuel Trapp Unfiltered Listen live Fridays (CST) from 7 - 830AM at https://damradio.com/live Podcast and episode archive: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Contact: SamuelT@CivicOuotlaws.com

  2. Oct 9

    Justice or Spectacle? Isabella O’Brien, Hegseth & Government Accountability

    In the October 9, 2026 edition of Civic Outlaws, Samuel Trapp examines the lawsuit filed by Isabella O’Brien’s family following the two-year-old’s death in Camden County, Missouri. The discussion separates allegations from documented discrepancies and identifies the evidence needed to evaluate competing accounts. Samuel reviews disputed addresses and timing in the search-warrant documents, dates on temporary custody authorizations, allegations concerning an evidence photograph, and the limitations of the sheriff’s edited body-camera presentation. He also explains why service of process, legal representation for the children, and other procedural obstacles could prevent claims from reaching a decision on their merits. The program includes a forceful critique of calls to broadcast Nidal Hasan’s execution, questions about immigration-enforcement shootings and disputed self-defense accounts, and scrutiny of proposed public spending in Osage Beach and Lake Ozark. It concludes with an explanation of qualified immunity and Samuel’s argument that the doctrine obstructs accountability for constitutional violations. The family’s allegations are disputed and are not court findings. The episode examines what the records support, what remains unresolved, and what further evidence could clarify the facts. Hosted by Samuel Trapp Originally broadcast October 9, 2026 Civic Outlaws airs Fridays, 7:00–8:30 a.m. Central, on DAM Radio. Episodes and podcast archive: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Listen to DAM Radio: https://damradio.com/live Submit information or story suggestions: SamuelT@civicoutlaws.com Civic Outlaws with Samuel Trapp Unfiltered Listen live Fridays (CST) from 7 - 830AM at https://damradio.com/live Podcast and episode archive: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Contact: SamuelT@CivicOuotlaws.com

  3. Oct 2

    Missouri Gray-Gaming Crackdown: One Machine, Two Rules? | Civic Outlaws

    Why do electronic gaming devices appear to face different treatment depending on where they are placed? Samuel Trapp examines Missouri’s gray-gaming enforcement through public-records responses, local coordination emails, and the unresolved line between commercial devices and constitutionally authorized charitable raffles.   In this episode: • Jefferson County’s 406-email production—and what it does and does not show—about coordination among state and local agencies • The Torch Electronics shutdown agreement, reports that devices are returning, and the still-unreleased terms Samuel says he requested • The 2024 Atkins letter addressing electronic charitable raffles • Chapter 572, municipal enforcement, and the “one machine, two rules” problem • Samuel’s next records strategy: county dispatch and CAD logs • MOLAG’s push for a Missouri-first legislative framework   Past episodes: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast   This program contains political and legal commentary, allegations, and opinions from the host’s perspective; some claims may be disputed. Nothing in this episode is legal advice. Adult language.   #Missouri #CivicOutlaws #MOLAG #GamingLaw #GovernmentTransparency Civic Outlaws with Samuel Trapp Unfiltered Listen live Fridays (CST) from 7 - 830AM at https://damradio.com/live Podcast and episode archive: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Contact: SamuelT@CivicOuotlaws.com

    Missouri Gray-Gaming Crackdown: One Machine, Two Rules? | Civic Outlaws
  4. Sep 18

    GOVERNMENT VS. GRANDMA

    When does feeding a neighbor become an illegal restaurant? Samuel Trapp interviews Goldwater Institute attorney Dave Roland about the government warning sent to Harrisburg grandmother Kathy Kite. The program also investigates Missouri’s conflicting treatment of electronic machines at commercial and charitable locations—and identifies the documents that still have not been produced. Kathy Kite opens her Harrisburg home and serves free breakfast to farmers, workers, parents, children and anyone else who stops by. She charges nothing. Then an anonymous caller complained. The Columbia–Boone County health department declared that Kite appeared to be operating a food establishment without a permit and warned of legal action. Goldwater Institute attorney Dave Roland joined Civic Outlaws to explain the complaint records, the government’s still-undefined distinction between “friends” and “the public,” and why Goldwater may take the case to court. We also examine Missouri’s two-tier enforcement problem: aggressive electronic-machine seizures at selected commercial locations while machines reportedly operate inside veterans, fraternal and charitable halls. The 2024 charitable e-raffle letter is real—but it is not proof of a current blanket authorization for Torch or any other manufacturer. One state. One law. Show us the rule, the evidence and equal enforcement. Listen to the complete Civic Outlaws episode: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Goldwater’s report: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/she-cooks-for-her-neighbors-the-government-says-its-an-illegal-restaurant/ Civic Outlaws with Samuel Trapp Unfiltered Listen live Fridays (CST) from 7 - 830AM at https://damradio.com/live Podcast and episode archive: https://civicoutlaws.com/podcast Contact: SamuelT@CivicOuotlaws.com

About

Civic Outlaws is a weekly podcast about civil liberties, transparency, and the quiet ways power gets abused—rule by rule, policy by policy. We track real-world cases where agencies, regulators, and other unelected systems push past lawful authority, then we map out what the public can do next: documentation, public-records work, legal direction, and community-backed pressure. Episodes focus on active investigations and recurring problem areas like selective enforcement, surveillance expansion, HOA abuse, timeshare deception, and regulatory intimidation—especially where ordinary people feel boxed in and outgunned. Follow the investigations, updates, and ways to get involved at CivicOutlaws.com.