Synopsis
The Lets Go To Court podcast brings together two of the greatest legal minds of our time. Just kidding.Were your hosts Brandi Egan and Kristin Pitts. What we lack in legal training we more than make up for in being completely obsessed with lawsuits. Every week, we discuss two juicy legal battles. Each episode is peppered with Brandis booming laugh and Kristins Olympic-level talent for putting the word so into every sentence.The podcast started in 2018, but weve been having these conversations for years. What can we say? Were just a couple of lifelong friends who love the drama of a trial. Our other interests include: liquid eyeliner, Fresca, and begging Noodles and Company to bring back the spicy chicken caesar wrap.
Episodes
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252: Ringing the Wrong Doorbell & the Disappearance of Maribel Ramos
26/04/2023 Duration: 02h23minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Kristin starts us off with an old, yet very timely story. In 1992, Yoshihiro Hattori and his friend Webb Haymaker arrived at what they thought was the location of a halloween party. In reality, the two teenage boys were at the wrong house. When they went up to the house and knocked on the door, a woman opened a side door, spotted the two boys, then quickly slammed it shut. Yoshi and Webb were confused, but they figured they’d arrived at the wrong home. As they were walking away, the door opened again. This time, a 30 year old man stood in the doorway with a gun. When Yoshi approached him, saying that they were there for the party, the man shot Yoshi in the chest. Then Brandi tells us about Maribel Ramos, who thought she’d found the perfect roommate when Kwang Choi “KC” Joy responded to her ad on Craigslist. KC described himself as an easygoing professional. He soon moved into Maribel’s home in Orange County, California. Initially,
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251: A Bomb & an Irish Heiress
19/04/2023 Duration: 02h44minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Barry Hornstein wasn’t sure what, exactly, was in his driveway. It looked like some sort of metal cylinder. Barry went to pick it up, but thought better of it. He gave it a kick instead. The second he did, the device exploded. Steel flew through the air, tearing through Barry’s leg. When he awoke later in the hospital, he received troubling news. He’d been the victim of a pipe bomb. But Barry had no known enemies. Who wanted him dead? Then Kristin tells us about a con woman who, in May of 2013, went by the name Mair Smyth. She told people that she was an Irish heiress. She boasted about her famous friends – namely Jennifer Aniston and Ashley Judd. She appeared generous. When she befriended her neighbor, Jonathan Walton, she treated him to a fancy dinner. She offered to help with his campaign to win back their apartment building’s access to a local pool. Jonathan had no idea that her friendship was fake. And now for a note about our process.
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250: A New Neighbor & an Assplosion
12/04/2023 Duration: 02h47minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Leith, North Dakota, is a very small place. So, when Craig Cobb moved to town, everyone tried to be friendly. He was a little odd, but he seemed harmless. He was just an older, lonely man who’d come out to work on a nearby oil field. But what the people of Leith didn’t know was that Craig Cobb was a white supremacist, and he had a plan to take over their town. Then Brandi tells us about Greg Mulhivill, who received a call late one night from a person who claimed to be a private investigator. The caller instructed Greg to meet him at a remote location. When Greg arrived at the spot, he sensed that something was off. He used his flashlight to survey the area and was stunned to spot a man crouching in the bushes. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (N
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249: Faylene Grant & Peanuts!
05/04/2023 Duration: 02h46minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Faylene Grant’s death could have been many things. It could have been an accident. It could have been a suicide. It could have been cold-blooded murder. It could have been the result of emotional manipulation at the hands of her husband, Doug Grant. It was difficult to say for certain what led to the drowning death of 35-year-old Faylene Grant. But when her husband remarried just three weeks after Faylene died, it raised some eyebrows. Then Kristin tells us a truly vomitrocious story. At its peak, the Peanut Corporation of America produced peanuts, peanut butter and peanut powder for major food conglomerates like Sara Lee, Kelloggs and General Mills. They supplied peanut butter to hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Over the years, their profits soared. But their factories were unsanitary. Their workers were badly paid. Worst of all, the people in charge didn’t care about whether the food that they sent all over the country was safe to con
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248: The Lost Script & License Plate Scanners
29/03/2023 Duration: 01h35minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Gather ‘round, dear listeners, for a devastating tale! A nugget of pure comedy gold has, sadly, been lost forever. You see, two months ago, one of our Patrons suggested that we do something fun for our upcoming April Fools’ Day episode. He cited that thing that Michael Che and Colin Jost do when they swap jokes on SNL. He suggested we do something similar – why not write scripts for the other person to read? Kristin loooooved the idea. Brandi did not. Kristin, (brilliant goddess that she is) thought that if *she* handled the execution of this fabulous idea, she could get Brandi on board and we’d all revel in a comedic wonder. So, she quietly wrote up a script for Brandi to read. Then, she formatted it into cue cards. When it came time to record, Kristin presented Brandi with the script. And Brandi was like… hell no, I’m not reading that. (Was it because the script contained a few tangents about her unwavering crush on Dr. Phil? The world
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247: The Murder of Maddie Clifton & a Triple Kidnapping
22/03/2023 Duration: 02h36minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a gut-wrenching story. On the evening of November 3, 1998, all eight-year-old Maddie Clifton wanted to do was go outside and play. Her mother gave her permission to go outside for a few minutes, so Maddie went next door to the home of 14-year-old Josh Phillips to ask if he’d like to play baseball. He did. Later, when Maddie didn’t come home, her parents panicked. Police and volunteers searched for Maddie for days before she was finally discovered by Josh’s mother. Then Kristin tells us about an elaborate triple kidnapping. Michelle Renee was at home with her seven-year-old daughter, Breea, when, seemingly out of nowhere, three men burst through the home’s locked back door. The men wore ski masks. They brandished guns. They’d even brought spears. They told Michelle that they knew she worked for a local Bank of America. They said that if she wanted to survive, she’d have to go into work the next morning and clear out
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246: Toilets & the Red Sash Murderer
15/03/2023 Duration: 02h16minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Hank Robar is not one to be messed with. So when he got into a dispute with village officials in his hometown of Potsdam, New York, he got even by decorating his property with toilets. Over the years, Hank added more toilets. He decorated the bowls and tanks with artificial flowers. He put so much time and energy into the toilets that he began referring to them as “toilet gardens,” and later, as “art.” Town officials were not amused. They did everything in their power to stop him. Then Brandi tells us about the death of Josephine Galbraith. For Josephine’s family, her death was sad, but not shocking. The 76-year-old woman suffered from chronic back pain. She’d recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She’d told her husband and children that she didn’t want to continue living. But when Josephine died in an apparent suicide, a detective on the scene suspected she’d been murdered. And now for a note about our process. For each ep
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245: Good Solid Policework & Monopoly
08/03/2023 Duration: 02h28minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Heather Bogle’s murder was nothing short of brutal. The young, single mother’s body was discovered in the trunk of her car, shot and beaten. Detective Sean O’Connell was assigned to Heather’s case. Despite the fact that Heather disappeared shortly after she finished a shift at the local Whirlpool plant, Detective O’Connell didn’t bother talking to her co-workers. Instead, he focused on three people with no apparent tie to Heather. When samples of their DNA didn’t match DNA found on Heather’s body, the detective hid that information from the district attorney. Then Brandi felt like she’d been told to go straight to jail when, by chance, Kristin told the history of everyone’s least favorite game – Monopoly. Brandi was tempted to turn on the water works, but she hung in there as Kristin told the tale of how Parker Brothers’ sought a monopoly on Monopoly. Rumor has it that Brandi nearly kicked a small dog with an old boot (again!) but Kristin di
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244: LGBT Bullying & a Home Invasion
01/03/2023 Duration: 02h55minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When Jamie Nabozny reached middle school, several of his classmates began bullying him for being gay. They called him names. They spat on him. They tripped him in the halls. Jamie and his parents asked Ashland Middle School Principal Mary Podlesny to discipline Jamie’s tormentors, but she didn’t do shit. Naturally, the bullies became emboldened. When Jamie went to high school, the bullying and harassment worsened. He endured verbal and physical attacks. Once again, Jamie and his parents went through the proper channels. They met with Ashland High School Principal William Davis and Assistant Principal Thomas Blauert to ask that they hold the bullies accountable. They didn’t do shit, either. Nothing moved the administrators to action – not when Jamie was assaulted, not when he was beaten to the point of needing hospitalization, and not even the multiple times he attempted to die by suicide. Years later, after Jamie had time to reflect on what h
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243: Fires
22/02/2023 Duration: 02h42minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a story that’s as bizarre as it is upsetting. Ashlea Ann Harris was, most likely, exhausted. She was an assistant manager at American Eagle, and she’d spent hours preparing the store for Black Friday. When she finally arrived home, it was the wee hours of the morning. She chatted for a while with a friend who’d come over to check on her dog, and then, presumably, fell asleep. But just a few hours later, one of her neighbors called 911. He told the dispatcher that he suspected Ashlea’s apartment was on fire. Then Kristin talks about the heartbreaking and infuriating conviction of Michael Politte. When Michael was just 14 years old, he woke up one morning to discover that his mother was dead. She’d been bludgeoned to death. Her body had been set on fire. When police arrived on the scene, they were horrified by Michael’s behavior. He didn’t seem sad enough. He wasn’t emotional enough. So, Michael quickly became the
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242: Don't Mess With Moms!
15/02/2023 Duration: 02h48minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Mike Williams was an avid outdoorsman. So it was no surprise when he headed out early one morning to go duck hunting on Lake Seminole. But it was definitely surprising when Mike wasn’t home by noon. So his wife Denise asked her father and a friend to check on him. They spotted Mike’s vehicle at a remote boat dock, but couldn’t find Mike or his boat anywhere. Searchers eventually discovered Mike’s boat, but couldn’t find his body. As the search continued, investigators discovered – and ignored – clues that Mike had been the victim of foul play. Then Brandi tells us the story of Jema Donahue. Jema had a protective order against her husband, Javon Donahue, but when she came home one day, she says she found him in her basement brandishing a gun. He attacked her, but Jema fought back. She shot Javon four times. Afterward, Jema called 911. Before she said anything, she hung up. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads
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241: Fugitives!
08/02/2023 Duration: 02h39minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Dry those eyes! Your favorite midwestern gals are back from break and fully (ahem) rejuvenated. Brandi starts us off with a story that *seems* straightforward. When LaNell Barsock was discovered dead in her home, investigators looked into the most likely suspect – her boyfriend, Louis Bonheur. He’d always been the jealous type. LaNell’s friends said that he could be controlling. In fact, on the day of her murder, Louis got into a public altercation with LaNell. Investigators figured they had their guy. But Louis had a rock-solid alibi. Then Kristin tells us about one of the douchiest men we’ve ever covered. His name was Ira Einhorn, but he nicknamed himself “The Unicorn.” He claimed that he read a new book every day. He claimed that he invented Earth Day. He claimed to have insider knowledge on everything from extraterrestrials to global conspiracies. What he didn’t like to claim was his history of violence toward women – specifically wome
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240: Liberace & Karl Karlsen
21/12/2022 Duration: 02h41minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Liberace was many things. He was a talented pianist. A singer. A showman. He was also… a messy bitch. So buckle up, folks! His struggles as a closeted gay man in Hollywood will have you feeling terrible for him. But his late-in-life relationship with a teenager will have you feeling terrible *about* him. Then Brandi tells us about a terrible man with an adorable name. When Christina Karlsen died in a house fire, investigators wondered if her husband, Karl Karlsen, might have had something to do with it. He’d managed to rescue their three children. Why not Christina? And was it a coincidence that the fire had started right outside the bathroom, where Christina was taking a bath? And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.
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239: A Bank Robbery & SoHo Karen
14/12/2022 Duration: 02h26minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! A gunman rushed into the Texas Commerce Bank, barking orders. He wore a mask. He disguised his voice. Bank tellers Kelly McGinnis and Lisa Silvas were terrified. It had finally happened. The bank was being robbed. The young tellers had asked management to increase security measures. But management said that the motor bank, which only provided drive-thru service, was secure enough. The gunman proved them wrong. Then Kristin tells us about Keyon Harrold and his 14-year-old son, Keyon Harrold Jr, who were staying at the Arlo SoHo Hotel on December 26, 2020. That morning, they headed down to the hotel’s restaurant for brunch. On the way there, an irate woman accused Keyon Harrold Jr of stealing her cell phone. When Keyon Harrold Senior told her to back off, she chased after them, tackling 14-year-old Keyon to the ground. A video of the incident went viral. People dubbed the woman SoHo Karen, though her true identity quickly became known. Her nam
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238: The Tulia Drug Bust & Online Dating
07/12/2022 Duration: 02h10minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In the late 90s, the little town of Tulia, Texas, was up to its ass in drugs. At least, that’s what the local sheriff thought. So he hired a guy named Tom Coleman to work as an undercover narcotics agent. What Tom discovered was truly unbelievable. As it turned out, the little town of approximately 5,000 people was home to *at least* 46 drug dealers. On top of that, the drug dealers in this economically depressed community dealt oodles of powder cocaine! Oh, and guess what?? Even though Tulia had a pretty small Black community, almost every single drug dealer that Tom encountered was Black! What are the odds??? Thanks to Tom’s undercover work, authorities arrested 46 people on drug charges. But Tom hadn’t worn a wire during these drug buys. Nothing was videoed or photographed. He hadn’t even worked alongside another undercover agent. Hell, he hadn’t even written his notes on a notepad. He’d written every pertinent detail about those drug deal
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237: Brandi's Wedding & Standing Your Ground
30/11/2022 Duration: 01h52minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Brandi made entry into the sex dungeon with a WHOLE NEW NAME! She is officially Brandi POND! She tells us all about her big day, and Kristin tells us exactly how far her pubes extend down her thighs. (So stop asking about it!) Then Kristin continues her fun new habit of telling a terribly upsetting story that absolutely no one will enjoy. Brittany Smith had some rough years. Following the death of her infant son, she became addicted to meth and lost custody of her children. Eventually, thanks to help from her family and a determination to regain custody of her kids, Brittany got her life back together. She stopped using drugs. She got a great job offer. She was on track to regain custody of her kids. Then one night, an old acquaintance named Todd Smith asked her for a favor. He told her he had nowhere to stay. He asked if she could help him out. Brittany told him he could stay on her couch. That night, Todd attacked her. Brittan
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236: The Disappearance of Elizabeth Sullivan & the Tech Rapist
16/11/2022 Duration: 02h33minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Elizabeth Sullivan was struggling. She’d married her military husband following a whirlwind romance a few years earlier. Shortly after they married, the Navy relocated the couple to San Diego. So, Elizabeth found herself far from friends and family, often alone, with two young children. She and her husband, Matthew, argued. He got violent with her. Elizabeth told her friends she’d had enough. She was going to leave Matthew. They never heard from her again. Then Kristin tells us about a series of rapes that gripped Texas Tech in 1984 and 1985. Young women were being raped late at night, often while they were parking their cars. Police sketches of the attacker all looked different enough that many young Black men were afraid to go on campus late at night, for fear that they’d be mistaken for the Tech Rapist. Eventually, female police officers began posing as students in an attempt to bait the rapist. About a week into the undercover operation
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235: Prepare to be DP'd!
09/11/2022 Duration: 02h38minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! He’s back by popular demand! Kristin’s dad, DP, returns to the pod to ask critical questions, like: Where’s Norm? Where’s David?? And do you have at least six months’ living expenses in savings??? But first, Brandi starts us off how she often does — with the story of a “perfect” marriage. At least, that’s what Teresa Kohnle called it. When her husband, Jim Kohnle, died in a house fire, she was devastated. She told investigators that she’d loved him “more than life itself.” Later that day, she inquired about his life insurance pay-out. Then DP tells us about Ira Bernstein. Ira and Susan Bernstein had serious money. He was a podiatrist. She had her PhD in education. They lived in a gorgeous mansion. They had a pool, a tennis court, plenty of acreage, and a lake. But their marriage was rocky. Ira had numerous affairs and eventually Susan decided she’d had enough. With a nasty divorce looming, Ira and his new girlfriend Kelly Gribeluk hatched
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234: Back to Our Roots
02/11/2022 Duration: 02h25minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This episode should feel like an old, familiar tune. Kristin starts us off with an old timey love triangle and Brandi covers a family annihilator…? Robert Miller was a celebrated criminal defense attorney in Washington DC. He was buddies with Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt. He’d been the law partner of vice president Charles Curtis. He even had a nickname! It was: Judge, not guilty. He was pretty content. But his much younger wife, Marguerite, was not. Soon, she and her psychiatrist, Dr. John Lind began having an affair. It didn’t take Robert long to decide that he needed to get even. Then Brandi tells us about David Hendricks, who was out of town on a business trip when his wife, Susan, and their three children, Rebekah, Grace and Benjamin were found dead in their home. David quickly emerged as the prime suspect. (Isn’t it always the father?) But there wasn’t much evidence tying him to the crime. The DA’s office moved forward, und
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233: A Catastrophe and a Preppy Rapist
26/10/2022 Duration: 02h26minHate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! James Scott had a reputation for wreaking havoc. As a teen, he burned down an abandoned elementary school. A few years later, he set fire to an apartment complex and a garage. But by 1993, he seemed to have settled down. He was married and out of prison, working at Burger King. Then came the Great Flood of 1993. That summer, James Scott did what many other local residents did – he helped reinforce levees along the Mississippi River. Later, when one broke, people were certain that James was the one to blame. Then Kristin tells us about a total shitbag named Alex Kelly. Alex grew up privileged. He was an undefeated wrestler, a football player, and an honor roll student. At a party one night in 1986, he raped a fellow student. A few nights later, he raped another teen. Investigators soon arrested Alex, but he wasn’t accustomed to facing consequences. When it came time for Alex to face trial, he was nowhere to be found. And now for a note abou