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Gavel Gavel

Thomas Smith
Gavel Gavel
Latest episode

90 episodes

  • Gavel Gavel

    GG88: The Cornell Chi Phi Gang Rape Lawsuit, Part 2

    05/10/2026 | 42 mins.
    Part 2.
    It's time to talk about the disgusting Snapchat convo that really is the foundation of this entire case. In a group of 57 people, only 1 to possibly 3 people did the right thing and reported it and/or gave it to Jane Doe.
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  • Gavel Gavel

    GG87: The Cornell Chi Phi Gang Rape Lawsuit, Part 1

    05/10/2026 | 45 mins.
    Part 1.
    Thomas and Lydia open the 101-page complaint in Jane Doe v. Cornell University et al., the Chi Phi gang rape lawsuit that has taken over the internet, and the misinformation is flying from every direction. What does Cornell's own history of fraternity reform resolutions reveal about how long this was a known problem on campus? Why does the DA's explanation for not pressing charges hinge on a very specific gap in New York's consent law, the same gap state legislators have apparently been trying to close for seven years? And what did the sorority's own 'sober monitors' see that night at Mooney's before everything went wrong?
    Part 2 gets into the Snapchat. Content note for sexual assault throughout.
    Cases discussed:
    Jane Doe v. Cornell University, Inc. et al. (Chi Phi / Tri Delta lawsuit)

    New York State legislation to amend the affirmative consent / intoxication standard

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  • Gavel Gavel

    GG86: Broadview 6 Prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg - Whistleblower or Ass Coverer?

    01/10/2026 | 46 mins.
    Part 2!
    Thomas, Lydia, and Matt return to the Broadview grand jury transcript, with Lydia in the role of a lifetime as prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg. What happens when a juror says the case is a crock of shit, and what does the DOJ's own grand jury manual say should happen next? Then Mecklenburg's new motion to intervene arrives with a surprising detail about who at the top was paying attention. Why did the defense open their response with a "scrivener's error"? And what does her resignation letter say that her court filing doesn't?
    Plus: a hearing is coming. Is she a credible whistleblower, a prosecutor covering her own tracks, or both?
    Cases discussed:
    United States v. Broadview protest defendants (N.D. Ill.), grand jury misconduct motions

    AUSA Sheri Mecklenburg's Motion for Leave to Intervene

    Defendants' response supporting intervention

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  • Gavel Gavel

    GG85: Return of the Mecklenburg

    01/10/2026 | 45 mins.
    Back to the Broadview Six!
    Thomas, Lydia, and Matt return to the case that gave us one of our favorite transcript moments of all time, because its most memorable character is suddenly all over the news. Sheri Mecklenburg has left the Department of Justice, and she has a lot to say about why. Her letter is titled "re my forced retirement." Her motion asks the judge to let her into a case she no longer works on. And she is quoting from a DOJ manual you are not allowed to read.
    Is she a whistleblower, a scapegoat, or something in between? And should anyone be welcoming her to the resistance? We read the filings, then rewind the tape to see whether her story holds up.
    Cases discussed:
    United States v. Rabbitt et al. (the Broadview Six, N.D. Ill.)

    Defendants' Motion to Appoint Special Counsel for Criminal Contempt

    Mecklenburg Motion for Leave to Intervene

    Patrons at patreon.com/gavelpod get episodes early and ad-free!
  • Gavel Gavel

    GG84: D-Money Big Dog Orf Orf vs. the Federal Government

    08/09/2026 | 59 mins.
    Part 2 of Operation Puppet Master!
    Thomas, Lydia, and Matt dig into the actual discovery documents from the Minneapolis ICE-protest indictment, and what they find is something else. Undercover HSI agents spent months infiltrating boxing classes, church meetings, Zoom panels, and legal observer trainings looking for the Antifa puppet masters, and their own memos keep reaching the same conclusion. Then come the financial subpoenas against major national unions. What did three years of wire-transfer records turn up?
    Plus: a grand jury agent swears under oath that every single person they investigated had a criminal predicate. The documents they just read beg to differ.
    All documents that Matt bought from PACER are available to patrons!
    Cases discussed:
    United States v. Sant et al. (Operation Puppet Master, D. Minn.)

    Defense Rule 16 / Brady-Giglio Discovery Motion

    National Security Presidential Memorandum 7
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About Gavel Gavel
Gavel Gavel is the podcast that takes you inside the courtroom! Comedian Thomas Smith asks questions and cracks jokes while real legal experts with actual trial experience provide unique analysis.
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