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27 episodes
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The Burden True Crime Clubhouse
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- True Crime
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4.4 • 216 Ratings
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Detective Louis N. Scarcella was a legendary figure in New York City during the '90s. In a city overrun with violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. But the story changed when a group of convicted murderers-turned-jailhouse lawyers made a startling discovery that linked all their cases: Scarcella was the cop who helped put many of them away. They made a vow: Take down Scarcella. And with the help of a relentless New York Times reporter, they did just that. Thirty years later, 20 people who Scarcella helped put behind bars have since walked free. In the media, he’s known as the disgraced, rogue cop who hoodwinked an entire system. But was this really the workings of one person?
We spent hundreds of hours talking with witnesses who were coerced, jailhouse lawyers, outraged attorneys, and righteous cops. Scarcella insists he didn’t do anything wrong. And after finally tracking him down, he agreed to take us into the belly of the beast... where justice is done (and undone). Welcome to The Burden.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
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Episode 1 | The Scoop
Episode 1 of 10
New York Times journalist Frances “Frenchie” Robles gets a tip about a group of wrongfully convicted men in the New York State prison system. The common denominator: many were arrested by the same detective. Frenchie tracks down the story in a surprise visit to prison.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Episode 2 | The Confessions of Louis Scarcella
Episode 2 of 10
Steve chases down the legendary detective. He hasn’t talked in years, but after tracking him to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, Louie starts to sing. We learn about his uncle, the mobster who Louie must investigate for murder.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Episode 3 | The Actual Innocence Team
Episode 3 of 10
We meet Shabaka Shakur, Derrick Hamilton, and the rest of the law firm they founded in prison. They are the best jailhouse lawyers of their generation. They have roles: lecturer, writer, PR man, intern… They claim they were framed...by Louie Scarcella. They declare common cause: bring him down. That cause will change the history of New York state jurisprudence.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad-free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Episode 4 | The Crazy World of Murder
Episode 4 of 10
We meet the single eyewitness at the heart of some of Scarcella’s high profile cases. Teresa Gomez claimed to witness 11 murders, and she brought them all to Scarcella. For Louie, she was a truth teller and a “special friend” who also boosted his career. For those she testified against, she was a crack addict and fabulist. We explore the complicated relationship of Louie and Teresa, and her reliability.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Episode 5 | The Derrick Dilemma
Episode 5 of 10
Derrick Hamilton, champion of the wrongfully convicted, claimed innocence since the day he was arrested by Scarcella. He claimed innocence in a previous murder conviction as well. But we uncover documents that show he lied. He admits to being a liar. So… was he framed? Or is he the master manipulator the prosecution claimed?
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Episode 6 | Does a New D.A. Mean a New Day?
Episode 6 of 10
It’s 2013, and a fierce election for Brooklyn D.A. is in process. It’s an election that will change Brooklyn forever. The old guard is on the ropes and Louie Scarcella is a hot button issue. The lives of our main characters - Derrick, Shabaka, Louie, converge and no one will be the same.
The Burden is available everywhere you get your podcasts.All episodes will be available one week early and ad free, along with exclusive bonus content on Orbit’s newly launched “True Crime Club House” subscription channel on Apple Podcasts.
The Burden is a production of Orbit Media in association with Signal Co. No1
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Customer Reviews
The Burden
Finished binge listening. The story was quite good. It’s so sad to hear that law enforcement does so much shady work — knowingly. Also, since most of the public is law-abiding and trusting of the uniform/badge, why take advantage of the innocent?
Great job
I never binged podcasts until I discovered this one. The storytelling and investigative skills are fantastic. Great podcast! I hope there are more episodes to come. Every episode keeps me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see what they cover next! The music is kinda cheesy. The host has a great dynamic that makes the content even more engaging. I've recommended it to all my friends.
Seemed interesting until it wasn’t
I made it through the first episode of what had the prospect of being an interesting story, but when it turned into a bunch of boring “everything’s racism” cliches, it immediately became just like everything else. Yawn.