See You In Court
by seeyouincourt
See You In Court is Georgia’s leading civil justice podcast, created to help citizens understand how the courts protect their rights and impact their everyday lives. Each episode features real stories, expert insights, and candid conversations with lawyers, judges, advocates, and community leaders who work inside the justice system. Hosted by Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate, both past presidents of the State Bar of Georgia, the series breaks down complex legal issues in a clear and engaging way.Through relatable cases and practical examples, See You In Court empowers listeners to better understand their rights, the role of independent courts, and how the civil justice system ensures fairness for all.
Episodes
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Beth Buchanan: When Justice Means More Than Money
Beth Buchanan was a University of Georgia doctoral student with a promising future. In February 2023, a wrong-way drunk driver struck her vehicle while she was taking her mother to the Atlanta airport. Beth was killed, and her mother suffered serious injuries. The driver subsequently fled…
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A Trial Surprise: The Legal Team's Hotel Reservations Were Canceled
Preparing for a major federal trial is complicated enough without discovering that your legal team's hotel reservations have unexpectedly disappeared. In this excerpt from See You In Court, attorney Rob Snyder recounts an unusual experience during preparations for a federal trial in Macon…
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Who Designed the Glue-On Roof? A Surprising Answer
During questioning about a vehicle's glue-on roof design, an attorney asked who came up with the idea. The answer? According to the account shared in this episode, the manufacturer pointed to its customers and their desire for larger sunroofs. But requesting a feature isn't the same as…
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When a Seatbelt and Airbag Don't Work Together
After swerving to avoid a turtle, Mike Andrews struck a group of trees. His seatbelt extended approximately 20 inches, and his airbag did not deploy. In this excerpt from See You In Court, products liability attorneys Tedra Cannella and Rob Snyder discuss the case and the safety design concerns…
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When Five Eyewitnesses Challenged a Fatal Crash Report
A fatal highway crash was initially blamed on the driver of a passenger vehicle. Two law firms declined the case, but five eyewitnesses told a very different story. In this excerpt from See You In Court, attorneys Tedra Cannella and Rob Snyder explain how further investigation and a vehicle…
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When Distance Shouldn’t Prevent an Oral Argument
One change from the COVID era remains useful at the Georgia Court of Appeals: virtual oral arguments. Judge Ken Hodges explains why he supported keeping that option available when circumstances justify it. An attorney in Valdosta, Savannah or elsewhere in Georgia may be representing an indigent...
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Taking Office at 30: Ken Hodges’ First Years as District Attorney
Ken Hodges was only 30 years old when voters elected him District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit in 1996. He entered office facing a backlog of eight death penalty cases. Within his first two years, those cases were moved forward and taken to trial. Hodges also reorganized the office...
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When Products Fail: Real Cases, Major Verdicts & the Pursuit of Justice | Ep. 56
What happens when a seat belt fails to protect someone in a crash, a workplace machine has a dangerous design, or a trucking accident investigation reaches the wrong conclusion? Behind these situations are real people, complicated legal questions, and investigations that can uncover surprising...
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Back to the Trial Bench: Judge Ken Hodges Steps In
Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges spends most of his judicial work reviewing what happened in trial courts. But for a brief period, he got to go back. In this See You In Court clip, Judge Hodges explains how he volunteered to help a Fulton County Superior Court judge dealing with a...
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What If Murder Appeals Move to Georgia’s Court of Appeals?
Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges says one of the toughest parts of his job is the sheer volume of cases the court must decide. That makes a potential change in Georgia’s appellate system especially significant. In this clip, Judge Hodges discusses the possibility that many murder appeals...
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The Case That Defined Ken Hodges’ Prosecutorial Career
When Ken Hodges became District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit, he inherited a backlog of eight death penalty cases. Judge Hodges says the mishandling of one of those cases helped motivate him to run for district attorney, and working through that backlog became an important part of…
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The Investigation Derwin Brown Planned to Open
Before Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown ever took office, questions were already being raised about what was happening inside the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Former District Attorney J. Tom Morgan explains that allegations involving deputies, bonding companies and bribery were pointing toward a…
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Do Money and Power Put Some People Above the Rules?
Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan says many of his students increasingly believe that people with enough money, power, or connections don't always face the same rules as everyone else. The observation comes during a larger See You In Court discussion about the rule of law and...
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Are We Too Accepting of Government Corruption?
Are Americans becoming increasingly accepting of corruption in government? Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan reflects on what he sees among his students and asks whether repeated examples of corruption have made society less sensitive to abuses of public power. It’s a larger...
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“I Was Going to Kill You Next” | J. Tom Morgan
Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan received an extraordinary warning from another attorney: his life was in danger. Morgan was told he needed round-the-clock protection, firearms, and a bulletproof vest. He understood that the attorney knew something serious but could not reveal...
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The Second Target Was Me: J. Tom Morgan on Discovering He Was on the Hit List
While investigating the assassination of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, then-DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan uncovered another disturbing part of the conspiracy. The people responsible for Brown’s murder had another target. Morgan himself. Robin Frazer Clark reads the chilling passage...
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Should the Same Rules Apply to Everyone?
What does justice under the rule of law really require? Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan shares a definition from one of his students that made such an impression on him that he saved it: “Justice means everyone is treated fairly and equally under the rule of law.” The student...
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The Verdict Came Back Where It All Began
Sometimes a courtroom becomes part of the story itself. J. Tom Morgan recalls the remarkable circumstances surrounding the Sidney Dorsey trial. After the case was unexpectedly moved to Dougherty County, the guilty verdict came back in the very courtroom where Morgan had been sworn in as a lawyer...
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Why J. Tom Morgan Finally Told This 25-Year-Old Story
Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan spent years carrying the story of one of the most extraordinary cases of his career. After the prosecution of former DeKalb County Sheriff Sidney Dorsey for the murder of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, Morgan kept the transcripts, notes and files...
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What Happens When Power Goes Unchecked?
Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan reflects on one of the central themes of the Sidney Dorsey prosecution: the danger of unchecked power. Morgan explains why the prosecution focused on power, corruption, and the importance of checks and balances, themes that also run throughout...
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Is the Rule of Law Under Threat in Georgia?
Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges discusses the strength of the rule of law and why he believes Georgia’s nonpartisan judicial system performs better than many others. While political pressure and accusations can arise when courts decide controversial cases, Judge Hodges says Georgia has...
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A Rainy Night in Georgia: J. Tom Morgan on the Derwin Brown Murder, Sidney Dorsey, and the Rule of Law
Former DeKalb County District Attorney, attorney, professor, and author J. Tom Morgan joins Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate for a powerful conversation about the murder of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, the prosecution of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey, and the true story behind Morgan’s new book…
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There Is No Cookie-Cutter Justice
What does justice mean when every case presents different facts, different people and different legal issues? Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains why he does not believe in “cookie-cutter justice” and shares an example of having to abandon an outcome he preferred because reaching…
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The Courtroom Summers That Inspired Judge Ken Hodges
Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges traces part of his interest in the law back to childhood summers in Albany, where he watched his father practice in municipal court. In this clip, Judge Hodges remembers sitting in the jury box, watching the lawyers argue their cases and then joining them...
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You Can Watch the Georgia Court of Appeals Live | Judge Ken Hodges
Have you ever wondered what actually happens during an appellate court argument? You can watch for yourself. In this See You In Court clip, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains that the court live streams oral arguments and makes past arguments available online as well. Whether you...
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What Happens After Oral Argument? | Judge Ken Hodges
What happens after the lawyers finish arguing and the judges leave the courtroom? Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains that, unless a case is clear-cut, the conversation among judges often begins almost immediately. In this See You In Court clip, Judge Hodges describes how he asks…
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AI Made Up the Cases. The Court Noticed. | Judge Ken Hodges
What happens when artificial intelligence invents legal cases and those citations make their way into a court filing? Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges says the court is already dealing with the issue. In this See You In Court clip, Judge Hodges discusses a lawyer whose briefs appeared to...
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If It’s Not in the Record, It Didn’t Happen | Judge Ken Hodges
“If it’s not in the record, it didn’t happen.” Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains why transcripts can be critically important when a case reaches the appellate court. The Court of Appeals is a court of review. If an evidentiary hearing is important to an issue on appeal but there…
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Judges Don’t Write the Law. They Apply It. | Judge Ken Hodges
What happens when a judge personally disagrees with the law? Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains why his judicial philosophy centers on applying the law fairly and correctly, regardless of personal preference. “We’re not here to make law. It’s our job to follow the rule of law.” In...
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Why Georgia’s Appellate Courts Provide a Fair Shake
What gives Georgians confidence that their cases will receive a fair review when they reach the appellate courts? In this clip, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges explains why he believes Georgia’s judicial system works better than many partisan court systems around the country. Although...
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Are Georgia’s Judges Safe From Threats and Politics?
Judges make decisions that can significantly affect people’s lives. But what happens when disagreement with those decisions turns into threats, retaliation, or political pressure? In this clip, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Ken Hodges discusses the security concerns judges and their families may...
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Can ChatGPT Be Held Liable for a User’s Death?
A new wrongful death lawsuit raises a difficult legal question: Can an artificial intelligence company be held responsible when its technology allegedly contributes to a person’s death? In this clip, Lester Tate and Robin Frazer Clark discuss claims involving ChatGPT and a 29-year-old Alabama...
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Episode 54: Hon. Kenneth Hodges, Georgia Court Of Appeals
Kenneth (Ken) Bryant Hodges, III was elected to the Court of Appeals by the citizens of Georgia in 2018, winning every county in the state with wide bipartisan support in a contested election for a rare open seat on the Court. Judge Hodges took office on Jan. 1, 2019, and was elected again...
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Why Nick Moraitakis Chose Mediation After Retirement
Why Nick Moraitakis Chose Mediation After Retirement Podbean Description Retirement didn’t mean stepping away from the law completely for Nick Moraitakis. After decades as both a defense lawyer and plaintiff’s attorney, Nick found that mediation gave him a way to stay mentally engaged while using...
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What Is a Case Really Worth?
You can’t rush mediation. Nick Moraitakis compares the process to cooking soup or stew. Sometimes, both sides need time to work through their positions, get tired of holding the line, and finally move toward an agreement. So what is a case worth? Nick puts it simply: it’s worth the most the…
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The Teamwork Behind the Kathryn Johnston Case
The Kathryn Johnston case required more than outrage over what happened. It required careful legal work, coordinated effort and a willingness to uncover the facts. In this clip, Nick Moraitakis explains how the attorneys representing Ms. Johnston’s family worked together, divided up the issues…
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Justice Begins With Equality Before the Law
No one should be above the law, and no one should be denied its protection. In this clip, Nick Moraitakis reflects on a message from Georgia Supreme Court Justice Carla Wong McMillian and explains why equality is central to his definition of justice. The civil justice system matters because it...
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The First Moves Can Reveal Where a Mediation Is Going
Can an experienced mediator tell early whether a case is likely to settle? Nick Moraitakis explains how the first few moves often reveal where each side is headed. The mediator’s role is to determine whether those paths may eventually meet, when to push the parties and when patience is the better...
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Grieving Families Enter an Uneven Legal Fight
After two people died in Atlanta’s 1993 Midtown hotel sinkhole disaster, their immigrant families faced more than grief. One family had difficulty speaking English. Both struggled to understand where to turn. By the time attorneys became involved, many of the region’s leading geotechnical experts...
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When Police Misconduct Reveals a Systemic Failure
Three police officers went to federal prison following the fatal shooting of Kathryn Johnston, but the civil case demanded answers that went beyond the actions of three individuals. Nick Moraitakis explains how information provided by two of the officers helped attorneys pursue evidence of an...
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What Can Lawyers Do When the Rule of Law Is Tested?
What can lawyers do when legal principles are under pressure? Robin Frazer Clark recalls Emmet Bondurant’s belief that lawyers have unique tools most citizens don’t. They can file suit, issue subpoenas, step into courtrooms, and use their law licenses to do good. Professor Stephen Vladeck takes…
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What Is Justice? Stephen Vladeck on Stability, Neutrality and Principle
ustice is rarely simple. At the conclusion of this See You In Court conversation, Professor Stephen Vladeck describes justice as messy, imprecise, and complicated. Those complications, however, help give people confidence that the law is more stable, neutral, and principled than the will of…
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The Shadow Docket and the Cost of Silence
In this clip from See You In Court, Professor Steve Vladeck explains why it matters when the Supreme Court issues rulings that affect real people, public officials, and lower courts without explaining the reasoning behind them. Speaking with hosts Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate, Professor...
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46 Cases, 39 Judges, 5 Presidents
In this clip from See You In Court, Professor Stephen Vladeck explains why it matters that federal court rulings blocking Trump administration policies came from a broad range of judges, courts, and circuits. The point is bigger than politics. It is about judicial independence, public confidence,...
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Lester Tate on Lawyers Defending the Rule of Law
In this clip, Lester Tate discusses a joint statement from five respected legal organizations defending the rule of law, the judiciary, and the legal profession. The segment follows the full See You In Court interview with Professor Stephen Vladek on the Supreme Court, the shadow docket, due...
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When Law Firms Settle, What Message Does It Send?
In this clip from See You In Court, Professor Stephen Vladek explains why law firm responses to government pressure matter beyond any single firm. When large firms settle instead of allowing courts to rule, what message does that send to smaller firms, lawyers, and the public? This clip is part…
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What If a President Ignores the Supreme Court?
In this clip from See You In Court, Professor Stephen Vladeck addresses one of the most serious questions in constitutional law: what happens if a president refuses to follow a court ruling? The conversation begins with the famous Andrew Jackson quote often repeated in discussions about...
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Why Supreme Court Transparency Matters
In this clip from See You In Court, Professor Steve Vladeck explains why unsigned and unexplained Supreme Court orders can affect public confidence in the Court. The concern is not simply whether the justices reach the right outcome. The deeper issue is whether the public can understand the legal...
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Appeasement, Law Firms, and the Rule of Law
In this short clip from See You In Court, Professor Steve Vladek explains why law firms that “bend the knee” may believe they are making practical decisions, but the larger concern is the message those decisions send. The conversation is part of a broader interview about the Supreme Court, the...
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Beyond Letters: What Can Lawyers Do to Defend the Rule of Law?
In this short clip from See You In Court, Robin Frazer Clark asks what lawyers can do when letters and position papers are not enough. Robin points to the unique role lawyers play in the justice system. Lawyers know how to file suit, serve papers, and use the tools of the courthouse. This clip is...
About this show
See You In Court is Georgia’s leading civil justice podcast, created to help citizens understand how the courts protect their rights and impact their everyday lives. Each episode features real stories, expert insights, and candid conversations with lawyers, judges, advocates, and community leaders who work inside the justice system. Hosted by Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate, both past presidents of the State Bar of Georgia, the series breaks down complex legal issues in a clear and engaging way.Through relatable cases and practical examples, See You In Court empowers listeners to better understand their rights, the role of independent courts, and how the civil justice system ensures fairness for all.
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