Law&Crime Sidebar

Former social worker Shelby Hewitt, 34, learned her fate this week after she pretended to be a Boston-area high school student for months. But the story is far from over. Did her therapist help her pull off the elaborate ruse? Former prosecutor Dan Schorr joins Law&Crime’s Sidebar to break down Hewitt’s sentence, the potential ethical violations involved, and the fallout for the students she b...

Did the massive new release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files prove gossip and rumors right? Or are there still more questions? Law&Crime's Jesse Weber dives into explosive new details about high-profile figures like Peter Attia, Steve Tisch, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Prince Andrew. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SIDEBAR at the link below and get 60% o...

An 18-year-old in Orange County, FL, Rafael O'Reilly Lerner, is facing over a dozen sex crime charges for alleged graphic attacks on a fellow high schooler. A new arrest affidavit reveals disturbing details of alleged sexual battery and strangulation, as well as apparent threats of revenge porn. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber digs into the shocking claims and discusses why we may be seeing more savag...

Private investigator Steve Fischer returns to Law&Crime's Sidebar with a bombshell update. A key piece of evidence in the Celeste Rivas Hernandez death investigation, D4vd's Tesla, has been removed from impound. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber sat down with Fischer, who explained how this is possible and what it means for the case. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Share a little extra love this February a...

The federal sex crimes trial of Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander is underway in New York City. Prosecutors accuse the real estate and security moguls of sex trafficking, drugging, and raping multiple women and girls. The defense has countered that the brothers are just womanizers, not criminals, and that all sex was consensual. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber sat down with former Palm Beach County State...

Ghislaine Maxwell has filed a new court petition claiming that dozens of associates connected to Jeffrey Epstein were never charged and instead reached confidential settlements that were not disclosed during her criminal trial. In the filing, Maxwell argues the alleged “secret” deals and other newly cited evidence could undermine her conviction, raising questions about selective prosecution and wh...

An Instagram beef turned deadly when a gunman opened fire at a Florida pop-up marijuana event, killing innocent bystander Vinh Chung. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber sat down with Morgan & Morgan attorney Varun Raminirine, who represented Chung’s family in a civil lawsuit, to talk about both the criminal and civil cases connected with the devoted father’s death. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you’re...

Will Smith is silent so far on a bombshell sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by professional violinist Brian King Joseph. The actor remains active on social media, but court documents may reveal clues on his legal strategy. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber and celebrity attorney Imran Ansari discuss the shocking allegations, including an alleged hotel room intrusion, claims of grooming, a...

Pennsylvania father Rendell Hoagland has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of his 12-year-old daughter, Malinda Hoagland. Investigators uncovered years of systematic abuse, starvation, and torture that left the girl weighing just fifty pounds when she died. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber dives into the shocking court documents and police reports detailing Hoagland’s...

Jesse Butler entered a no contest plea to multiple rape and domestic assault charges in Oklahoma last year, but the court granted him Youthful Offender Status, wiping away all prison time. Now the victims and their families are crying foul, challenging the decision under Marsy's Law and arguing their constitutional rights were violated. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber spoke with Rachel Bussett, the at...

New audio has been released of actor Timothy Busfield's child accuser denying sexual abuse allegations, just as Busfield's defense team launches an explosive attack on the accuser's parents. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber and criminal defense attorney John Day dive into the bombshell 200-page court filing, the counter-claims of grooming, and the severe career fallout for the “West Wing” alum. PLEASE...

What seemingly started as rough-housing among co-workers quickly devolved into a nightmare at Marion County’s Fire Station 21. Ten members of the fire crew were fired and four were arrested after a young recruit reported serious hazing allegations, including being restrained, struck with a belt, and even waterboarded. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber dives into hours of interrogation footage, internal...

Arizona County Attorney Paul Correa has found himself on the wrong side of the law. He’s accused of filming minor girls in a Target and then allegedly watching the video in his car with his "pants disheveled." Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the bizarre case, including the explosive bodycam footage of the police confrontation, the shocking witness statements, and the criminal charges. HOST...

The family accused of killing a 3-year-old girl during an exorcism are now claiming the assault case should be thrown out. Claudia Elisa Hernandez, her brother Aaron and her father Rene are invoking California's Racial Justice Act, arguing that prosecutors and police have a bias against their religious faith, ethnicity, and national origin. Civil Rights Attorney Joe Richardson joins Law&Crime’...

A double murder in Columbus, Ohio has sent shockwaves around the country. A vascular surgeon is accused of killing his ex-wife and her husband, a dentist. With Michael David McKee now facing upgraded aggravated murder charges, Law&Crime's Jesse Weber dives into the bizarre details, including a nearly nine-year-old amicable divorce, a critical piece of vehicle evidence, and a medical malpractic...

Another tragic twist has emerged in the case of an Arkansas mother, Charity Beallis, and her 6-year-old twins, who were shot and killed in their home. The children's bodies were released to their father, Dr. Randall Beallis, Charity's estranged husband. While Dr. Beallis has not been named a suspect or charged in the case, many in the community say his prior domestic violence conviction makes him...

A third man, Jared Gray, allegedly connected to the brutal torture and murder of exotic dancer Mercedes Vega, has been extradited to Arizona to face charges. Gray's co-defendants are already dealing with the possibility of the death penalty. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber takes a closer look at Gray's alleged involvement in the sinister plot with criminal defense attorney Meg Strickler. PLEASE SUPPOR...

After acclaimed attorney Alan Jackson dramatically withdrew from the Nick Reiner murder case, his parting words—that Reiner is "NOT GUILTY"—become the biggest clue yet to the defense's strategy. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber and criminal defense attorney Seth Zuckerman analyze the hints toward an insanity defense, as well as the claims that there could be a conspiracy against Reiner.  HOST: Jes...

Bizarre bodycam footage captures the prior arrest of Utah father Micah Smith, who is now accused of child torture after allegedly forcing his three young children on a terrifying hike. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes the newly released video, shocking allegations of jealousy and infidelity, and a judge’s decision on whether Smith should be released ahead of trial. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Sta...

A young father of three, Matthew Traywick, was tragically shot and killed in a Savannah, Georgia Target parking lot—all over a dispute for a parking space. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober joins Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber to analyze what we know so far, the suspect Tyler Linn, and the disturbing details from the scene. Savannah Police: 912-234-2020 GoFundMe PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW...

Just when Houston seems to move past the fear, it resurfaces again. With three more bodies recovered from bayous last week — bringing this year’s total to 34 — social media is once again asking the same terrifying question: is there a serial killer in Houston? Police and prosecutors insist there’s no evidence of a serial predator, pointing instead to homelessness, addiction, and the city’s dangero...

Ten-year-old Rebekah Baptiste was so desperate to escape abuse that she ran away from home and begged strangers for help months before her death, according to police. Now, her father Richard Baptiste and stepmother Anicia Woods face murder and child abuse charges. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber is joined by former prosecutor Marian Braccia to analyze the fatal mistakes authorities made in returning R...

Actor Will Smith is facing new allegations in a lawsuit filed by Brian King Joseph, a touring musician who claims he was sexually harassed while working on Smith’s live tour in late 2024 and early 2025 — including an alleged incident involving his hotel room during a Las Vegas stop — and then fired after reporting safety concerns. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the explosive allegations l...

A Florida vacation meant to be a mother–daughter getaway ended in tragedy — and now pediatrician Dr. Neha Gupta is accused of killing her own child and staging it to look like a drowning. From a chilling 911 call to an autopsy that ruled out drowning, the case against Gupta has taken dramatic twists, including shifting murder charges, a bitter custody battle, bodycam footage of her arrest, and hau...

They were trusted to teach, protect, and guide — instead, prosecutors say they crossed unthinkable lines. Court documents and shocking bodycam video lay bare some of the most disturbing teacher cases of 2025. Prosecutors allege a fifth-grade teacher secretly had a child with a 13-year-old student, an elementary school music teacher exchanged more than 30,000 messages with an 11-year-old, and a juv...