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Loyola Law School
Professor of Criminal Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California; former Assistant US Attorney
PROFILE
Laurie Levenson
Guest
FROM Laurie Levenson
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Questioning Christine Blasey Ford Senate Republicans did not question Christine Blasey Ford or Brett Kavanaugh themselves. They didn’t want the optics of 11 white men questioning a woman about claims of sexual assault. So they brought in long-time Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who’s had a long career handling sexual assault prosecutions. But much later in the hearing, Mitchell also threw the GOP plan under the bus, actually criticizing the format of the questioning.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Investigating the Kavanaugh allegations Christine Blasey Ford says she would prefer to have the FBI investigate before she testifies in front of the Senate. Democrats have been asking for the same thing.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
White House does damage control now that two Trump advisors are convicted felons Two of President Trump’s former close advisors are guilty. One of them, Michael Cohen, basically said in federal court that Trump participated in a criminal conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws -- when he ordered Cohen to pay hush money to two women who said they had affairs with him. Today, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump did nothing wrong.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein turns himself in Harvey Weinstein turned himself in today on charges that he raped one woman and forced another to perform oral sex on him. Weinstein is pleading not guilty. The two women in the case are among more than 80 who’ve accused him of sexual assault or harassment.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Dozens of women accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault The New Yorker dropped a bombshell story today that has women on the record saying he raped and sexually assaulted them. Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie told the New York Times he sexually harassed them. One actress went to the police after Weinstein assaulted her, but the D.A. declined to press charges. Can Weinstein be prosecuted now?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
'Cosby' law signed, ending statute of limitations for rape cases Governor Jerry Brown has signed the so-called Cosby Bill into law. The new law will end the statute of limitations for prosecuting certain rape cases in California so that victims can press charges any time. Previously, there was a 10 year limit. Women’s rights advocates pushed for the law, but some legal experts are worried that it could lead to prosecutions based on old and unreliable evidence. What are the pros and cons of the new law?
Which Way, L.A.?
Politics and Police Shootings Last month, LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey declined to file charges against a CHP officer captured on video pummeling a mentally-ill woman who was on her back alongside the 10 Freeway. Activists have criticized her for that decision. Now, there's new pressure from an unlikely direction. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck wants Lacey to file charges against one of his own. Officer Clifford Proctor shot an unarmed, homeless man in the back — a killing that was also captured on video.
Which Way, L.A.?
Federal Investigation Reaches Higher into the Sheriff's Department LA's former Under Sheriff Paul Tanaka is scheduled for trial in a federal courtroom on charges of wrongdoing in county jails. Yesterday, his co-defendant, former Captain William "Tom" Carey pleaded guilty to lying on the witness stand in another trial last year. What are the possible consequences for Tanaka — and his former boss, former Sheriff Lee Baca? Laurie Levenson is a former federal prosecutor, now a professor at Loyola Law School.
Which Way, L.A.?
Ex-Undersheriff Tanaka indicted As Undersheriff of LA County, Paul Tanaka was Number Two to Lee Baca, who stepped down during a corruption scandal two years ago, rather than completing his third term as Sheriff. Today, Tanaka — who's also Mayor of Gardena — was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. So was former Captain "Tom" Carey, who oversaw criminal investigations during Tanaka's tenure.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Grand Juries and Police Shootings The police have a dangerous job. And when they kill a suspect, we tend to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s rare that officers are prosecuted for killing or harming a suspect. Just yesterday, Los Angeles’ district attorney refused to indict three officers involved in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man who lead them on a high speed chase. And of course there’s Ferguson and Staten Island: no indictments in those cases either. In those two, it was a grand jury’s decision not to indict. Now, California state senator Holly Mitchell has proposed a new law that would ban grand juries from hearing cases against officers accused of using excessive force. We hear from Mitchell and others with different takes on the issue.
Which Way, L.A.?
When Prosecutors Break the Law to Win federal appellate court judges are demanding action against what they call an “epidemic” of misconduct by California district attorneys. Video of a recent hearing of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals went viral in legal circles, showing Judge Alex Kozinski warning a deputy for state Attorney General Kamala Harris. You need some background on the court system to understand just what that means. Maura Dolan is legal affairs writer for the LA Times. Laurie Levenson is professor of Criminal Law at the Loyola School of Law.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Legal Case in Ferguson: What Happened? How did the Michael Brown case end up before a grand jury investigation? How do grand jury proceedings differ from regular trials? What kind of evidence was presented? We look at these questions and other legal aspects of the shooting.
Which Way, L.A.?
A Federal Case and the Race for Los Angeles County Sheriff KCRW's signature local public affairs program has expanded to include today's top national and international news, as well as local issues.
Which Way, L.A.?
San Francisco Financier Under Investigation in Lance Armstrong Scandal Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Lance Armstrong is scheduled to air on Winfrey’s troubled TV network on Thursday. He’s the former cycling champion—7-time winner of the Tour de France—who lost all his medals after the US Anti-Doping Agency issued a 1000-page report that documented years of banned drug use. We won’t know just what he said until Thursday but, in the meantime, court documents reveal details about a federal fraud investigation.
To the Point
Why Do Innocent People Plead Guilty? The Sixth Amendment guarantees a fair trial to every American accused of a crime. But trials are no longer the basis of the criminal justice system. A US Supreme Court majority has said it's not trial by jury that determines "who goes to jail and for how long," it's plea bargaining. More than 90 percent of criminal cases are decided by plea bargains — and many people plead guilty — even when they're innocent. Do they know what they're doing? Are the law and the justice system rigged to favor the prosecution? What would happen if every defendant demanded a jury trial?
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Second Opinion
Limits of Confidentiality How is a doctor to judge whether there is sufficient danger to others to break the rules around confidentiality?
Screengrab
Gripes and grumbles from the year in television A few weeks ago, we did TV we're thankful for. This week, we let ourselves get a little bit Grinchy.
Design and Architecture
Cher, fashion icon; Designing RBG’s early career; a Culver City mystery “The Cher Show” is a celebration of the rocky but triumphant life of Cher -- and 600 of her spectacular outfits created by the legendary designer Bob Mackie. Also, a production designer shares the decorating tastes of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And a mid-century concert hall gets restored, and with it a design mystery is solved.
The Business
Kristoffer Polaha on Hallmark movies; Netflix's Lisa Nishimura In 2015, actor Kristoffer Polaha booked what he thought would be a one-off gig in a Hallmark TV movie. Now, he’s got 5 Hallmark films under his belt. He tells us how he and the Hallmark Channel fell in love. Then, KCRW's Matt Holzman sits down with Netflix's Lisa Nishimura. The head of original documentaries and comedy programming for the streamer tells us how she decides what will become a Netflix original.