Law and Legitimacy

Norm is joined in the second hour by Robert Storace, staff writer at the Hartford Business Journal.  Norm begins by saying that he wants to be able to trust his eyes, but that in recent years he has become deeply suspicious of what he reads. What role does an editor play in focusing a news organization in where it goes for facts and determining what facts are?  Rob discusses the focus of the HBJ,...

Norm opens the show talking about the weather. Because what else is an old man to do? He also talks about developments in the McGrath case and what, if any, additional arrests he expects law enforcement to make.  Norm is then joined by Paul Bass, author of "Murder in the Model City", and the Editor of the New Haven Independent. The two discuss the state of local news and how national values are re...

Norm is joined in the second hour by States Attorney General for the District of Hartford, Connecticut, Sharmese Wolcott.  Sharmese and Norm go back many years as legal adversaries. Sharmese joins Norm to discuss what the juvenile justice system is at a fundamental level, the goals thereof, and where the voids in the system reside.  Norm inquires about the concept of "delinquency" and how young a...

Norm is joined in the first hour as he is every Monday by W. Michael Boyer, managing attorney at Carolina Craft Legal and the producer of Law and Legitimacy.  Norm opens with a discussion of federal grand jury empanelments, the Durham investigation of Michael Sussman (the attorney for the Hillary Clinton campaign), and why the nation is perhaps not hearing anything about the ongoing trial.  Michae...

Norm is joined in the second hour by a friend of the LAL podcast, attorney Mark Dubois.  Norm opens this hour discussing the obvious lack of focus monopolizing our political structure as it prioritizes proxy wars abroad while ignoring the very obvious shortcomings of the current administration at home.  How are lawyers regulated? Mark is the former Chief Discplinary Counsel for the State of Connec...

Norm is joined in the first hour by Harry Weller, formerly of the Connecticut's Chief State's Attorney's Office.  Norm opens with a few thoughts about Bill Cosby's release in Pennsylvannia. Norm discusses. Norm talked with Bill Cosby a little while back, and now Bill is facing down a new trial set to begin, which calls Bill to defend himself against allegations of his conduct from 1975. Is this tr...

Norm is joined in the second hour by long-time friend, colleague, lawyer, writer, documentarian, and American cultural commentator, Mike Cernovich.  Norm and Mike begin with the origin of their relationship, the impact of trial law juggernaut, Gerry Spence, on Mike's early legal career, psychodramatic persuasion techniques as a way of understanding the world better, and even a brief hommage to the...

Norm opens the show on fire, giving a version of President Joe Biden's speech that should have been if identitarians were not busy dividing the country.  Norm gives his daily book recommendation: Ann Case and Angus Deaton's "Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism" from 2020.  There are more deaths of deaths of despair than there are deaths due to gun violence. Why don't we want to talk abo...

Norm is joined in the second hour by esteemed trial lawyer and retired professor of history and criminal justice, Andy Warren.  Norm and Andy talk about the differences between being a prosecutor and a defense lawyer, a case they worked together in Dodge City, Kansas, and how the more things change the more things stay the same.  Andy also talks about his growing weary of dealing with people who v...

Norm opens the show by lauding Senator Rand Paul for his resolve in voting to block the $40B Ukraine relief package.  Norm is then joined in the first hour by Jimmy Vallee, previous LAL guest and the principal of Valhil Capital. Jimmy is an expert in cryptocurrency and has much to offer to the average person in each of our pursuit of an understanding of money and the future thereof.  Norm starts w...

Norm is joined in the second hour by Coldwell Banker REALTOR out of Orange, Connecticut, Carol Cangiano.  Carol shares that there are only 5,000 homes on the market in the entire state of Connecticut—10,000 short of the average—and Norm digs in to understand the nature of the current moment in the real estate market.  Norm and Carol talk about the irrational nature of the current market, what that...

Those of you loyal LAL listeners will remember the voice of attorney Mark Richards, the no-nonsense criminal defense attorney anchored about 20 miles outside of Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Mark joins Norm to recount the days leading up to the Kenosha riots during the infamous "Summer of Love" in 2020, the incident involving Kyle Rittenhouse, and the nature of his representation.  Mark talks about the cou...

The second hour opens with Norm rocking it solo while the studio crew battles against the deep state to get his guest on the line.  Face-to-face meetings are a good thing. Norm is put off by a local Board of Alderman's move to continue indefinitely with remote hearings and meetings.  Norm talks about what he calls "the Handshake Economy" and what America is losing when chooses to prioritize the di...

Norm beings the first hour with an analysis of the emergence of "sanctuary" jurisdictions within the context of 10th amendment federalism and how it affects notions of comety and uniformity.  Connecticut is now a sanctuary jurisdiction for abortion. So what is this a prelude for? Norm discusses the sectional differences between the North and the Antibellum South prior to the US Civil War. Fears of...

Is sex a sacrement or a form of recreation? That's not why we invited Joe on, but that's where we begin. Norm is joined in the second hour by Joseph Tully, defense attorney for founder of NXIVM and the recently convicted Keith Raniere.  Joe is one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in northern California, and he just got done arguing an appeal of Raniere's recent conviction for sex tr...

It's Monday! Norm is joined in the first hour as he is every Monday by Michael Boyer, attorney at Carolina Craft Legal and producer of Law and Legitimacy.  Norm and Mike open by taking a look at the recent tragic events in Buffalo, New York, and more broadly to similar events that unfolded over the weekend in other parts of the country, including Millenium Park in Chicago and Laguna Church in Los...

Norm is joined in the second hour by attorney Glenn Conway, a 25-year veteran in the practice of law who is leaving Connecticut based on a breakdown in the traditional structures of its justice system. Norm begins by inviting questions on why America is sending $40B in aid to Ukraine, especially in the midst of such domestic confusion as to what moral obligations we as citizens owe to each other. ...

Norm is joined in the first hour by Ron Coleman, a partner at the Dhillon Law Group and an absolute juggernaut of first amendment and trademark and intellectual property law, and a total constitutional scholar.  Ron is the host of the Colemannation Podcast and is a must follow on Twitter @RonColeman.  Norm and Ron begin this episode with a discussion of trademarks and the landmark ruling in Matal...

Do divorces have major hidden costs to a society? Norm is joined in the second hour by esteemed family law attorney, Rich Rochlin, of Rich Rochlin law.  Norm and Rich begin with Rich's unlikely path into the law, as Rich began his career as a white collar corporate attorney.  The two quickly transition to the difficulties inherent in the practice of family law, aknowledging the intimate connection...

Norm is joined in the first hour of the show as he will be every Monday by Michael Boyer, the producer of Law and Legitimacy.  This week, Mike joins Norm for a grab bag of topical issues in the law and real life, including a review of Norm's Friday discussion with Babz Rawls Ivy, a look at the Department of Homeland Security's new Disinformation Board, the failed prosecutions in the Governor White...

Norm is joined in the second hour by Kevin Allen, former corrections officer, former Norm hater, Connecticut politician. Norm and Kevin spend time tracking Kevin's political career, where Kevin aligns himself on the political spectrum, and why his values do and do not align with his party affiliation.  The two then discuss the upcoming Republican Convention in Connecticut, debrief the previous hou...

This one is hot. Norm is joined in the first hour by Babz Rawls Ivy, the Editor-In-Chief of Connecticut's "Inner City News." Norm and Babz introduce listeners to their relationship stretching back years to their first meeting in an attorney-client capacity.  The two turn to perhaps the most sensitive topic in American culture—the 'N' word.  Who owns the word? Why? And what does the current state o...

Norm is joined in the second hour by Connecticut-based criminal defense attorney, Brittany Paz.  Norm and Brittany begin with a quick look at the Depp-Heard trial and Brittany underscores her belief in the importance of talking about domestic violence from the perspective of male victims.  The two quickly pivot to a discussion of the SCOTUS leak, Norm asks Brittany who she thinks could have releas...

Norm is joined in the first hour by Brian Festa of We The Patriots USA, an organization focused on advocacy for individual rights.  Brian Festa is a previous guest of Law and Legitimacy. Refer back to that episode for a primer on Festa and the constitutional challenges WTP takes on.  Norm and Festa discuss the state's exercise of police power, especially in the context of medical procedures, such...

Norm is joined in the second hour by esteemed Connecticut criminal defense attorney, Matthew Maddox of The Maddox Law Firm, LLC.  Norm and Matt hold the topic of criminal defense captive for a solid hour, discussing their shared passion for the practice, the necessity of effective advocates for due process of law, and the unfortunate side effects that befall defendants when the jury is shielded fr...