Shows
Black and White and Thin Blue LinesThe 25th Amendment and Presidential DisabilitySend us a textJoin summer intern and law clerk Lauren Pountnay, Serge Antonin, and Clarke Ahlers as they veer off the beaten path of criminal justice issues to discuss something that everybody is talking about: the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This isn't a political diatribe. One (or maybe two) of the hosts make reference to apparent shortfalls of President Biden. Still, this is a fair and balanced discussion of the constitutional process of dealing with presidential disability. We hope you will listen, or watch the "Vodcast" on YouTube. 2024-07-1336 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesLive from the United States Courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware: The Biden TrialSend us a textJoin Serge and Clarke and special guest Lauren Pountnay for this podcast about the Hunter Biden trial. Lauren is a rising senior at N.C. State. She is Clarke's intern/law clerk for the summer of 2024. Lauren and Clarke attended one day of the Hunter Biden trial in Delaware and are interviewed by Serge about the trial. If you follow this podcast, you may be surprised at Clarke's analysis but whether you listen to this podcast regularly or are a new listener, this is an interesting assessment of one of the nation's biggest...2024-06-1544 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesDiddy's Bad Boy RecordSend us a textIn this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss a video of Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulting Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura in the hallway of the L.A. InterContinental Hotel in 2016 as well as the recent Homeland Security search warrant raids on Diddy owned properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Clarke offers Diddy's team some legal advice. Serge disagrees. In the second portion of the podcast, the hosts discuss the defunded and demoralized Chicago Police Department's abject failure to timely respond to a woman's 911 call for help during a home invasion robbery. And ... this is t...2024-06-0135 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesSeason IV -- Episode One: Okaloosa Shooting Death & Marilyn Mosby's SentencingSend us a textSerge and Clarke begin Season IV with a discussion of the tragic shooting death of a United States Airman in his own home by a Deputy Sheriff in Okaloosa, Florida. Then Serge and Clarke discuss the efforts of Marilyn Mosby and her supporters, including the NAACP, to have the President of the United States pardon her before her sentencing in federal court. Clarke is okay with it; Serge ... not so much! It's an interesting episode with the podcast hosts mostly in disagreement. Where do you stand? 2024-05-1844 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesArtificial Intelligence Used in Genuine Stupidity and Crime!Send us a textIn Baltimore County, Maryland a man has been arrested and accused of creating and publishing a recording that purported to be a high school principal making offensive racial remarks to the vice-principal. This is the new world of artificial intelligence and is the topic of a discussion between Serge and Clarke. Be assured: this episode is a genuine Black and White and Thin Blue Lines podcast. Avoid cheap imitations!2024-05-0426 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe Inside Skinny on a Jury Trial in Manatee County, FloridaSend us a textJoin Serge and Clarke as they share Nathan Steelman's experience sitting as a juror in judgment of a woman charged with domestic violence in Florida. You have heard the expression "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." (Clarke disagrees: he would rather be carried by six than judged by 12). But as you will learn, that expression doesn't work in Manatee County, Florida. This episode is interesting, entertaining, and informative. Enjoy. 2024-04-0648 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe Tragic Death of NYPD Police Officer Jonathan DillerSend us a textSerge and Clarke comment in the murder of Ofc. Diller and update the listeners on renewed efforts on the Columbia Project. Worth a listen. 2024-04-0633 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesStand Your Ground Doesn't Legalize Illegal Deadly ForceSend us a textSerge and Clarke celebrate Easter. We have friends who have a blessed Ramadan. We have friends who we will wish Happy Passover in several weeks. We have re-uploaded an episode. We will be back next week with a brand new episode.In rural New York, a 65-year old man fired two shots from his porch killing a young woman in a car who was lost and turned around in his driveway. In Missouri, an 84-year old man fired two shots from his front door injuring a teenager who rang his bell...2024-03-3144 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesIf Only There Was a Way for Civilians to Experience "Shoot Don't Shoot."Send us a textLaw Enforcement firearms training has historically emphasized reaction time and marksmanship. But the decision to shoot or don't shoot is the most fundamental choice the police officer faces in highly stressful situations. For the most part, civilians (who sit in judgment of the police) have not had large scale access to simulator training. In this week's episode, join Serge and Clarke and special guest Chris Mabe, a Maryland Realtor, to discuss Chris's recent experience at Guntry, an Owings Mills, Maryland Indoor Shooting Facility. Chris and some of his staff participated in Guntry's Simulator t...2024-03-2233 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesSeize the Day But Don't Necessarily Take the BonusSend us a textAt the request of a listener, Serge and Clarke offer their advice to young people without law enforcement experience who wish to apply to become police officers. People: this is solid advice from two men who have been there.2024-03-1634 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesSeven Seconds and One Shot Into a Burglary Investigation and Melvin Jay is Dead.Send us a textFebruary 1, 2024 -- Prince George's County, Maryland. Prince George's County Police Officer Braxton Shelton is dispatched to a burglary in progress at an apartment in Suitland. He arrives within a minute of the dispatch, finds the apartment door ajar, and enters by himself. Seven seconds later Shelton fires one shot killing Melvin Jay, who almost certainly was lawfully in the apartment. Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz released Shelton's body worn camera. The Office of the Attorney General's Independent Investigation Division is investigating the fatal shooting. Is this a case of a justified...2024-03-0941 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesWhat's Worse Than a Criminal With a Handgun? A Criminal with a Glock andGlock Switch.Send us a textWhat is worse than a plethora of undereducated, jobless, and unfocused young men with semi-automatic handguns shooting at each other in cities across America? Answer: A group of undereducated, jobless, and unfocused young men with machine-guns shooting at each other in cities across America.Welcome to the $50 "Glock switch." This small, inexpensive, and easily obtained part turns a Glock semi-automatic pistol into an automatic pistol or "machine pistol." In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the increasing problem of the Glock switch. 2024-03-0239 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe CSI Checklist Phone App is the Preeminent Tool for Criminal InvestigatorsSend us a textThere IS something new under the sun! Tom Mauriello, the mastermind of FORENSIQ, has organized decades of law enforcement expertise in a CSI phone app that is exceptional, affordable, and practical. Any criminal justice stakeholder can access an investigative blueprint for every type of investigation from arson to mass casualty event. In this episode of Black and White and Thin Blue Lines, Tom sits down with Clarke and explains his incredible professional experience, the idea for a systemic approach to investigations, and the development of this modern technology. 2024-02-2442 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesOur 100th Episode -- Serge, Clarke, and our Listeners Reach a MilestoneSend us a textThe Black and White and Thin Blue Lines podcast began in spring of 2021 as the effort of Serge Antonin and Clarke Ahlers. The podcast concerns itself with issues of criminal justice, particularly at the intersection of race in America. Since then, Serge and Clarke have learned the technology of podcasting, produced and edited 100 episodes (to date), met wonderful guests and enjoyed the positive feedback of thousands of people who have listened to one or more episodes. First of all: thank you! In this episode, Serge and Clarke briefly reminisce about how t...2024-02-1736 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesMaryland Fights Crime by Taxing Law Abiding Citizens and More.Send us a textThe Maryland General Assembly proposes an excise tax on the sale of guns and ammunition, the Howard County Council debates a ceasefire in Gaza, and several state senators propose to eliminate good time credits for a very small number of convicted felons. Is our government fiddling while our community burns? Serge and Clarke add their two cents in the latest episode. 2024-02-1042 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesTeach Your Children WellSend us a textIn 1968, Graham Nash, later of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, wrote a song about the difficult relationship he had with his father who was sent to jail for receiving stolen goods. The song “Teach Your Children” has beautiful lyrics including this stanza: “Teach your children well, Their father’s hell did slowly go by, Feed them on your dreams, The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by.” In Michigan this week, the first of two trials of the parents of a convicted school shooter — Ethan Crumbley — began. Serge and C...2024-01-2738 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesCop Flash Bangs Are Bad For Babies . . . or maybe not.Send us a textOn the afternoon of January 10, 2024, more than 20 police officers in tactical gear carrying long arms and deploying flash bangs served a search warrant in Elyria, Ohio. Sure ... the usual stuff. You know. The guy the police were looking for hadn't lived at the residence the cops trashed for more than a year. Oh, and there was another hiccup. It seems the police deployed a flash bang grenade that blew out a glass window over a bassinet where a 17-month old baby was breathing on a ventilator. Not to worry. The Police Department issued...2024-01-2029 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesA Man in Las Vegas Tries to Kill the Judge Who Sentences Him for a Crime of ViolenceSend us a textSerge often observes that America is declining into anarchy. Clarke is sometimes pessimistic. Serge and Clarke bring their inclinations to the story of a young man who jumped the bench in a Las Vegas courtroom and beat up the judge who was sentencing him to prison for beating up a person with a baseball bat. What the heck is in the water in this country? Also, New York Governor declares war on shoplifting. Welcome Governor to the chaos you and others have created. 2024-01-1337 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesMaryland Police Claim Constitutional Protection for Juveniles Makes Their Job HarderSend us a textAlmost six decades after the United States Supreme Court's landmark Miranda decision, police administrators in Maryland are claiming that a 2022 Maryland law that requires police adhere to Miranda during juvenile arrests is making their job more difficult. In a now familiar whine, our state and local governments blame their inability to fight crime on a document designed to protect citizens from the overreach of government. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the Maryland Child Interrogation Protection Act. This episode is a counterbalance to official state propaganda. 2024-01-0632 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe Baltimore Police Commissioner Orders Every Officer to Empathy Instruction.Send us a textPolice Commissioner Worley has implemented 8 hours of empathy instruction for every Baltimore Police Officer. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the instruction. Serge begins with the valid premise that it is a good idea for victims of trauma -- like most police officers and many Baltimoreans--to learn understanding. On his part, Clarke is a bit more "Doctor, Heal Thyself." 2023-12-3044 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesMayor v ATF: Who cares who wins we just want to see a lot of hits!Send us a textThis week, the Mayor of Baltimore filed suit in federal court against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It turns out that ATF sends gun trace information to the Police Commissioner but does not send the same information to the Mayor. Rather than figure a workaround, the Mayor -- represented by Everytown Law -- filed suit. The lawsuit is largely a press release in the form of a lawsuit pretending that Mayor Scott is stymied in his war on crime by federal authorities. Serge and Clarke discuss this farce. 2023-12-2334 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe Dust Settles on Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations.Send us a textFor three decades, the United States Congress has passed laws to fund forensic examinations in sexual assault cases. But it doesn't seem to matter. The country is awash in untested rape kits while repetitive sex offenders continue to violate. In fact, Maryland leads the nation in rape kit backlogs at the forensic lab. But at least the rape kits make it to the lab in Maryland. In New York, cops ameliorate the crime lab backlog with a new strategy: just leave the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination kits uncollected from the hospital. In this we...2023-12-1650 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesNot All Prosecutors Think Alike; Some Thoughts on the Marilyn Mosby CaseSend us a textThe United States Attorney for the District of Maryland successfully indicted and convicted former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby of two counts of perjury. In this weeks episode, Jack Mitchell -- a former police officer who worked for Ms. Mosby as an Assistant State's Attorney -- joins Serge and Clarke to discuss Mosby's perjury conviction. Two of three commentators think this case was a political hit job. It might surprise you to learn who thinks the prosecution was righteous.2023-12-0243 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesIs it the Shoplifting Season, or Are We a Culture Devolving into Anarchy?Send us a textWho would have thought that in 2023, shoplifting could become a major crime in the United States. Wait -- stop. Not everyone believes that shoplifting is even on the rise. But we do! In this episode Serge and Clarke discuss the changing social conventions surrounding the crime of shoplifting as further evidence of a breakdown of cultural norms and further proof that we are devolving into anarchy. 2023-11-2534 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesThe Curious Case of Marlon KoushallSend us a textYou can always find three things in Baltimore: Natty Boh beer, Old Bay seasoning & ludicrous "justice." In this week's podcast, Serge and Clarke discuss the case of Baltimore Police Sergeant Marlon Koushall whose videotaped conduct during a late night arrest were simultaneously deemed completely consistent with the rules, policies, procedures and training of the Baltimore Police Department AND a crime of misdemeanor assault and misconduct in office. The Baltimore Police Department exonerated the officer; the Office of the State's Attorney successfully prosecuted the officer. Listen to this episode to find out Koushall's status...2023-11-1141 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesShould the FBI be Downsized or Deconstructed?Send us a textIn this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss the popular idea among conservatives for downsizing the FBI and deconstructing it into as many as five independent investigative agencies, each with a focused interest in the type of cases being investigated. Clarke says, as it stands today, just writing the word FBI into the title likely invites the oversized, bloated, and sometimes unfocused agency to download and dissect this episode, especially if the FBI learns that Clarke attended a Catholic Mass in Latin, or a school board meeting. Serge says -- Director Wray, if you...2023-11-0435 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesWTH is the Balkanization of Law Enforcement?Send us a textIn three recent incidents, the police got it right and prevented serious mass casualty events. In this episode, Serge and Clarke discuss how the number of police agencies impacts the ability of sharing information and investigating criminal incidents. Clarke -- but not Serge -- thinks it is a miracle that the police got it right in one cross-state proactive police response.2023-10-2835 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesA Maryland Circuit Court Judge is Murdered in His DrivewaySend us a textThe Honorable Andrew F. Wilkinson, Judge of the Circuit Court for Washington County, Maryland, was murdered in his driveway on the evening of October 19, 2021. Serge and Clarke discuss this shocking crime, assess how social media was tracking the law enforcement investigation, and offer thoughts on the root causes -- and a possible incremental solution -- to this specific type of violence.2023-10-2041 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesSage Advice from Baltimore's Unrivaled "Barber's Son."Send us a textReverend P. M. Smith, a "barber's son" and Pastor of Baltimore's Huber Memorial Church, shares the wisdom of his life with Serge and Clarke. Reverend Smith never fails to challenge all of us to be better people. Please listen to be inspired.2023-10-1448 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesTu Culpa Part 2 -- Can an Attorney General Issue an Executive Bill of Attainder?Send us a textTu Culpa is a Latin phrase meaning "your fault." In part 2 of the podcast on the (Maryland) Attorney General's Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Serge and Clarke and special guest FJ Collins, discuss whether the AG's report is fair, the impact of expanded statutes of limitation, and whether the Attorney General of Maryland, as part of the Executive Branch of government, has done what is constitutionally prohibited by the Legislative Branch of government: issued a Bill of Attainder. 2023-10-0731 minBlack and White and Thin Blue LinesTu Culpa -- The Attorney General Points the Finger of Fault at the Archdiocese of BaltimoreSend us a textMost Catholics, and many lawyers, know the meaning of the Latin phrase, "mea culpa." The phrase is literally translated as "through my fault." It is the foundation of a traditional prayer sometimes recited during the Penitential Act of the Roman Catholic Mass: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Recently, Maryland's Attorney General issued a report that calls to mind a less well-known Latin phrase: "tu culpa." Your fault! Our special guest, attorney F.J. Collins, takes issue with the AG's segregation of liability and joins Serge and Clarke for an interesting, and...2023-09-2941 min