Best 4th And Floundering Podcasts (2025)

1
FBI Raids Wrong House – No Remorse for Victims 35:46

11d ago35:46

35:46

In 2017, FBI agents, with guns drawn and a flashbang grenade, burst into the Atlanta home of Trina Martin, her then seven-year-old son Gabe, and her then partner Toi. Turns out, they had the wrong address. In April, Trina’s yearslong fight for accountability is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today we chat with IJ client Trina Martin and IJ atto…

1
14th Amendment: Securing Our Rights Against Tyranny 41:24

25d ago41:24

41:24

First enacted to ensure southern states respected the rights of newly freed slaves, the 14th Amendment is indispensable to modern civil rights litigation. But what does the amendment say and how does IJ use it to challenge everything from harassment by police to undue burdens on hair braiders? Today we’ll discuss all that and more with IJ attorneys…

1
EXCESSIVE FINE: $100k for Parking on Your Grass 42:20

2M ago42:20

42:20

$29,000 for overgrown grass. $16,000 for cracks in the driveway. $100,000 for parking incorrectly on your own property. These are some of the outrageous fines IJ’s clients have faced, often for harmless violations. The prohibition on excessive fines is one of our oldest rights, but governments, from small towns to federal agencies like the IRS, sti…

1
Government Caught Outlawing Private Charity 20:36

2M ago20:36

20:36

For centuries, people have helped their neighbors by providing food, shelter, and more to people in need. But all too often, the creativity and generosity of ordinary people conflicts with government regulations. That’s why IJ defends those providing private solutions to public problems. I’m Kim Norberg of the nonprofit civil liberties law firm the…

1
VICTORY: Creepy Predictive Policing Program Shut Down 38:53

2M ago38:53

38:53

In Pasco County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office thought it had a great idea: make lists of who might commit crimes in the future and hound them and their families until they end up in jail or move away. Under Pasco’s so-called intelligence-led policing program, hundreds of people, many of them minors, were deemed “prolific offenders” based on a crud…

1
The Government Can GIVE Your Home to Developers 46:00

3M ago46:00

46:00

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most reviled decisions in modern history, in Kelo v. City of New London. By a vote of 5-4, the Court said governments could use eminent domain to take private property and give it to private developers who might pay more in taxes. As Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said in her dissent, “The specter of c…

1
Badges & Bulldozers: Georgia’s Home Destructions 43:27

3M ago43:27

43:27

We all want to feel secure in our homes, and if the reckless or abusive acts of government officials violate that security, we expect to be able to hold them accountable. IJ recently launched two cases in Georgia to uphold that principle; one in which a town bulldozed a home without warning or compensation and another where FBI agents violently rai…

1
Mom Mistakenly Jailed. Missed Christmas with Active Duty Son 37:07

4M ago37:07

37:07

On Christmas Eve 2022, Jennifer Heath Box got off a cruise ship in Florida, excited to return home to Texas and spend Christmas with her children before her son was deployed. Instead, police arrested her as she got off the ship, and she spent Christmas in jail, where guards pumped death metal music and freezing air into the cells. All because polic…

1
Creepy AI-powered Surveillance Cams in 5,000 Cities and Counting 36:04

4M ago36:04

36:04

Not long ago, if police wanted to know where someone drove, they would have to follow that person for days, taking significant resources. But new technology allows the government to track everyone nearly all the time and to access that information without a warrant. As this technology spreads around the country, people are fighting back for the Fou…

1
“Fish Cops” Flounder the 4th Amendment 28:35

5M ago28:35

28:35

In Pennsylvania, officers of the Fish and Boat Commission have the power to trespass on any land or water without a warrant. For one couple, that lead to repeated harassment at their lakeside home from a Waterways Conservation Officer. But the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protects all Americans, including Pennsylvanians who live near water. Toda…

1
When Lawsuits Go Viral with @CivilRightsLawyer 48:09

6M ago48:09

48:09

The proliferation of video is changing how Americans fight for their civil rights, and much of it is happening right here on YouTube. I'm Kim Norberg of the nonprofit civil liberties law firm the Institute for Justice, together with co-host Keith Neely and IJ senior attorney Patrick Jaicomo.Today, we’re talking with special guest John Bryan, better…

1
Officer Caught Snitching on Domestic Abuse Victim 38:12

6M ago38:12

38:12

In 2013, a Clovis, California police officer found out that his girlfriend Desiree Martinez had reported him for physically abusing her—while Desiree was trapped in a room with him, leading to further horrific abuse. Incredibly, the informant was another officer who knew about Desiree’s boyfriend’s history of domestic violence. Desiree later sued t…

1
Town Council Blocks Business for Causing…Competition?!? 27:46

7M ago27:46

27:46

In America, the government doesn’t get to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Yet states and cities throughout the country block new business to protect established interests. That’s when IJ steps in. Awa Diagne has been braiding hair for 30 years, but when she tried to open a braiding salon in an Atlanta suburb, the town told her it would …

1
Popular Family Store Fights Bogus Eminent Domain 35:25

7M ago35:25

35:25

Can the government take your land just because they don’t like you? That’s happening to Brinkmann’s Hardware, a beloved local store in Long Island. After a lengthy fight, the town of Southhold, NY is now trying to take their land away through eminent domain—all to protect another business from competition. Today we talk with Hank Brinkmann and IJ S…

1
Rebel Ridge: Fact or Fiction? 22:44

7M ago22:44

22:44

The film Rebel Ridge came September 6 and shot to #1 on Netflix. It depicts a former Marine’s attempts to get his money back after it was taken by police through civil forfeiture. That story sounded pretty familiar to us at IJ. We have been working to dismantle civil forfeiture for decades, but unlike the film’s main character, our clients aren’t v…

1
Carrying Cash is NOT a Crime 37:23

8M ago37:23

37:23

It’s legal to travel domestically with any amount of cash. It’s legal to travel in and out of the U.S. with more than $10k if you declare it. But that doesn’t stop law enforcement from searching travelers’ property and seizing any cash they find without warrants or evidence of a crime. Today we talk with IJ attorneys Jaba Tsitsuashvili and Ben Fiel…

1
To Serve, Protect, and…Fish for Cash? Bogus Traffic Stops Violate 4th Amendment 39:28

8M ago39:28

39:28

On a typical day, police officers pull over more than 50,000 drivers. If you’ve had a recent encounter with police, chances are good it was during a traffic stop. Traffic stops can lead to searches, arrests, and worse, yet they seldom involve a [search] warrant. So how did vehicles become Fourth-Amendment-free zones? Today we are joined by Josh Win…

1
Speaking for a Living and the First Amendment 36:22

9M ago36:22

36:22

The freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment is a foundational and cherished right that sets America apart from other constitutional democracies. Many people think of the First Amendment in the context of controversial speech on highly politicized issues. But did you know that some of the most important free speech cases today involve unc…

1
Will the Supreme Court Finally Curb Civil Forfeiture? Maybe. 33:37

9M ago33:37

33:37

As our listeners probably know, civil forfeiture is legal practice that lets the government take and keep your property by claiming it’s connected to a crime, without needing to convict anyone. You can lose your property even when the government agrees you’re innocent. Recently, the Supreme Court decided an important forfeiture case. While the outc…

1
SWAT Raids are Out of Control 43:35

10M ago43:35

43:35

Imagine a SWAT team raids a house—battering doors, breaking windows, and coating everything inside with tear gas residue. Now imagine the SWAT team had the wrong address. Who do think would pay for the damage? If you said insurance, you’re probably wrong. If you said the city, you’re probably also wrong. Today, IJ attorneys Jeff Redfern and Dylan M…

1
FBI Commits the Largest Armed Robbery in American History 44:20

10M ago44:20

44:20

In March 2021, people entered a private security-deposit box company in Beverly Hills, CA, broke open hundreds of boxes, and indiscriminately seized their contents – collectively worth over one hundred million dollars. Box holders lost their life savings, family heirlooms, important documents, and more. But the people who took their property weren’…

1
IJ Client Fulfills Dream of Helping Others–Overcomes Permanent Punishment Law 37:15

11M ago37:15

37:15

We like to think of America as a land of opportunity and second chances. But what happens when a web of government restrictions prevents someone from earning an honest living due to past mistakes? Today we’re talking with IJ Attorney Andrew Ward, and Rudy Carey, a substance abuse counselor and former IJ client. We discuss so-called “permanent punis…

1
Why Holding Feds Accountable is (ALMOST) Impossible 30:41

11M ago30:41

30:41

If a federal official violates your rights, is it impossible to hold them accountable? In this episode, we talk with IJ senior attorneys Anya Bidwell and Patrick Jaicomo, leaders of IJ’s Project on Immunity and Accountability. We discuss some outrageous cases of abuse by federal officials, why it’s so hard to sue the Feds, and what IJ is doing to c…

1
Ruling Lets Gov’t TRESPASS on 96% of PRIVATE Land in the U.S. 36:15

12M ago36:15

36:15

Your home is supposed to be your castle. But what about the land your castle sits on? We discuss why it is that most private land in America gets no protection from warrantless government surveillance. We are joined by IJ attorney and co-director of IJ’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, Josh Windham.https://youtu.be/jN-VEE7fAEsrelated reportGood Fe…

1
Government Retaliation is Out of Control 42:38

12M ago42:38

42:38

What can Americans do if the government retaliates against them for speaking out? Today we're going to discuss real world examples of governments retaliating against citizens for speech they don’t approve of. We are joined by IJ Attorneys Kirby Thomas West and Ben Field.https://youtu.be/Yhji-Uyn23YBy Institue for Justice

1
Qualified Immunity Protects the FBI, Your Mayor, and ALL Officials. Not Just Police. 34:26

1y ago34:26

34:26

Does qualified immunity actually accomplish what the Supreme Court intended? Kim Norberg and co-host Keith Neely discuss qualified immunity and how it plays out in the real world. IJ Senior Attorney Bob McNamara and data scientist Jason Tiezzi join to discuss Unaccountable, IJ’s new report that examines qualified immunity by the numbers.The report …

1
New Jersey Was Caught Keeping Baby Blood 29:11

1y ago29:11

29:11

Unbeknownst to parents, a portion of their baby’s blood remained unused after a standard screening was complete. And New Jersey had unilaterally decided that it could keep that blood for 23 years. Even worse, New Jersey, along with other states, believed it could use that blood however it saw fit, whether that be selling it to third parties, giving…

1
Deep Dive is now Beyond the Brief 0:41

1y ago0:41

0:41

Deep Dive is now becoming Beyond the Brief. We will still bring you the same great IJ-related content as before, but now in a studio setting. Stay tuned.By Institue for Justice

1
Will the Supreme Court Limit Police Power to “Stop and Frisk”? 38:51

3+ y ago38:51

38:51

Why so-called Terry stops are a threat to essential Fourth Amendment rightsBy Institue for Justice

1
These Inspectors Think “Open for Business” Means “No Warrant Required” 30:11

3+ y ago30:11

30:11

In Ohio, wildlife inspectors think that the law gives them permission to come into private businesses without permission—no probable cause or warrant requiredBy Institue for Justice

1
When Can Your Past Bar You From a Job—And When Should It? 33:13

3+ y ago33:13

33:13

In Virginia, any one of 176 so-called barrier crimes can disqualify a person from work in certain occupations for life—no matter how old the conviction, how unrelated it is to the work the person desires to do, or how little it reflects the person’s fitness today. These laws kept IJ client Rudy Carey from fulfilling work as a substance abuse counse…

1
Grand Theft Auto in Wilmington, Delaware 25:42

3+ y ago25:42

25:42

In Wilmington, Delaware, any car with more than $200 in outstanding fines can be towed by private towing companies. Vehicle owners have no way to contest the tickets or seizure without first paying the city everything it demands in parking tickets, fines, fees, and penalties. If they can’t afford to pay in 30 days, the companies get to scrap their …

1
IJ at 30: IJ President Scott Bullock on the Cases and Clients that Changed IJ and the Law (A Deep Dive Best Of) 30:58

3+ y ago30:58

30:58

Before he was IJ’s president, Scott Bullock spent 25 years as an IJ attorney. In this episode, he recounts his years in the trenches as a litigator, from the first case he litigated on behalf of African hairbraiders in Washington, D.C., to arguing at the 5th Circuit that Benedictine monks should be able to earn an honest living selling hand-crafted…

1
Will the Supreme Court overturn its infamous decision letting developers take your property? 32:18

3+ y ago32:18

32:18

Though Susette Kelo’s fight to save her home from her city’s efforts to take it for a private developer ended in 2005, the fight against eminent domain abuse has continued. In today’s show, we revisit that landmark decision and talk about the aftermath and where the biggest eminent domain battles are happening now, from pretextual takings to “commo…

1
These People Lost $85 Million in an L.A. Heist…and the Robber was the FBI 31:07

3+ y ago31:07

31:07

In March 2021, FBI agents broke into private safe deposit boxes at the Southern California business U.S. Private Vaults and—though no individual box owner was suspected of wrongdoing—rifled through and cataloged owners’ belongings, then seized the contents. Property owners are fighting back, and in today’s episode, we talk about what happened, all …

1
Cities Caught Extracting Millions From Residents Through Fines and Fees Traps 37:09

4y ago37:09

37:09

In Episode 30 of Deep Dive, we talked about how fines for harmless property code violations could snowball into six-figure debt. All too often, municipalities set up these “taxation by citation” schemes to bolster city budgets—not protect public health and safety. Schemes like this are rife with due process problems, and in today’s episode, we disc…

1
Supreme Court Shuts Down Police on Entering Your Home Without a Warrant 31:05

4y ago31:05

31:05

This term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Caniglia v. Strom, a case about the “community caretaking” exception to the general principle that police need a warrant before entering a home. In today’s episode, we talk about what the government and the property owner argued in that case and what the Court ruled. We also dig into t…

1
This Florida Woman Got a $100,000 Fine for Parking in Her Own Driveway 33:05

4y ago33:05

33:05

After Sandy Martinez got a ticket from Lantana, Florida, for parking her car with its wheels slightly outside her driveway and on the grass in her yard, she didn’t know that she was being fined a whopping $250 per day by the town. Weeks later, when she learned about the fines, the bill had accrued to an eye-watering $101,750, and she realized that …

1
These Laws Let Your Competitors Decide When Your Business is “Needed” 25:44

4y ago25:44

25:44

When IJ client Abdallah Batayneh tried to open a resort shuttle service in rural Colorado, his application was denied by a state regulatory agency at the same time it assured him that he was “operationally, managerially, and financially fit” to run his company. In today’s episode, we discuss how Abdallah became the victim of an outrageous legal reg…

1
Law for Non-Lawyers – Standards of Review (A Deep Dive Best of) 36:22

4y ago36:22

36:22

What does it mean when courts apply “strict scrutiny” in their review of a law? Why do property, economic, and other vital liberties get only “rational basis” review? And why do these things matter to a constitutional litigator? Learn all this and more in today’s Deep Dive with the Institute for Justice. This episode originally aired October 29, 20…

1
Bitcoin and the Constitution: Is Code Speech? 39:08

4y ago39:08

39:08

Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are hitting the mainstream, the way the law will treat them is still undeveloped. In this episode, we talk about how and whether the First and Fourth Amendments might apply to cryptocurrency, what kind of protection they offer, and ways to make sure the law develops in a way that protects innovation and o…

1
“Predictive Policing” Algorithm Creates a Dystopian Nightmare for Residents of This Florida Town 28:57

4y ago28:57

28:57

When the Institute for Justice filed suit against the so-called predictive policing program in Pasco County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying that their program is not “in any way, shape or form the ideals or implementations projected in the film ‘Minority Report.'" But in this episode of Deep Dive, we discuss the chilling re…

1
Talking to a Client in the Wrong Location Makes This Counselor a Criminal 29:18

4y ago29:18

29:18

Elizabeth Brokamp is a professional counselor who just wants to help people at a time when many Americans need it more than ever. But if the Virginia resident tries to talk with clients just miles away in D.C., she will cited and fined for making a Zoom call. In today’s show, we talk about what she’s doing to fight back, and why her case is a cruci…

1
Uses (and Misuses) of Amicus Briefs | (A Deep Dive Best Of) 37:51

4y ago37:51

37:51

IJ Senior Attorneys Robert McNamara and Paul Sherman discuss amicus briefs: what they are, where they came from, and how IJ—and others—use them for maximum impact.By Institue for Justice

1
Censorship, Dangerous Speech, and Monopolies 39:33

4y ago39:33

39:33

Big technology companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook have come under scrutiny for the ways they are—and are not—controlling speech on their platforms. In today’s show, we talk with two IJ senior attorneys about some of the most common concerns people have about these companies, from free speech considerations to the ways they supposedly act …

1
Security Guards Assault Innocent Vet at the VA—and Claim Immunity 21:47

4y ago21:47

21:47

What should have been a routine dental appointment at his local VA took a frightening turn for 70-year-old Jose Oliva when security guards tackled him and threw him to the ground, injuring and humiliating him. When he sought to hold them accountable for their outrageous behavior, he found that the law protected those who abused their power—not him.…

1
This Is What Happens When States Abolish Civil Forfeiture 20:51

4+ y ago20:51

20:51

In 2015, New Mexico abolished a controversial practice known as civil forfeiture. Critics of the reform claimed it would be a gift to criminals, increasing crime and making it harder for police to do their jobs. In this episode, we talk about what things look like in New Mexico now, five years post-reform. We also dig into the broader findings of n…

1
Qualified Immunity: Are Government Officials Above the Law? (A Deep Dive Best Of) 26:03

4+ y ago26:03

26:03

Over the past several months, a national spotlight has been on the doctrine of qualified immunity. Although much of the recent focus has been on police misconduct, immunity shields all governmental workers: from city council members to code inspectors to IRS agents to cops on the beat. That’s more than 20 million people employed by local, state, an…

1
Property Rights and Homeless Shelters—What Has the Supreme Court Said? 25:58

4+ y ago25:58

25:58

The Catherine H. Barber Memorial Homeless Shelter is the only option for people experiencing temporary homelessness in all of Wilkes County, North Carolina. It’s been serving the community there for more than 30 years, and its record is exemplary. But when the shelter tried to apply for a permit for a new building in an ideal location (near busines…

1
When Can the Government Lock You in Your House? (A Deep Dive Best Of) 22:59

4+ y ago22:59

22:59

With new lockdowns happening all over the country and internationally, we want to revisit the government’s use of police power. Just what does your state have the power to do to protect public health and safety—and when and how can it exercise that power? (Episode originally aired on 04/03/20.)By Institue for Justice

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