The Hall Closet Podcast

THE BLURB: This is a very personal episoide. My friend Johnna is a school psychologist - an excellent one. She's the kind of person who shows up in moments most people don't know how to handle and helps them navigate it. She helped pull me through a domestic violence related emotional hole simply by being there and listening without passing judgment. This conversation might just articulate things you've been trying to put words to yourself. SHOW NOTESCONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: The traumas that shape our psyches can suddenly impose themselves on our lives at the worst possible times. In 2003, after Jayson Blair became a journalist at the New York Times, a dream job, his mental health collapsed. Desperate to keep his struggles a secret, Jayson ended up committing serial plagiarism that rocked the Times and the entire world of journalism. Bi-polarity threatened to completely destroy Jayson's life. How he fought back - and found his way to a mentally healthier place - that's the subject of today's episode.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.To reach Jayson -Goose Creek ConsultingOffice - 703.574.6271Fax - 703.825.7968Cell Phone - 703.975.3042www.goosecreekconsulting.comCONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: For Donna, growing up in a True Crime Family created a host of ripple effects including deep psychic and psychological wounds that have profoundly impacted her mental health. Tony Ortiz has been dealing with and combatting the ripple effects of mental health issues since his childhood, too. Mental health issues regularly pit people against the criminal justice system - which doesn't help anyone especially the person suffering the mental health crisis. Tony will take you deep inside the experience of bipolarity, the challenges of navigating that world and the larger challenges of making that world fit alongside this world.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.You can find Tony's "I Will Not Lose" podcast here. You can find his design website here.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Growing up the way I did in a lower tier crime family, it made maintaining long term healthy relationships challenging. Not only am I drawn to men who can't be there for me emotionally, but I developed various attachment issues to boot. Sometimes this ripple effect can feel like a tsunami as it washes over my life. In this episode, I sit down with my producer, Alan Katz, to talk about relationships - ours as creative partners in telling my story - and how making this podcast has, in its own therapeutic way, healed some of those tsunami-like shocks.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Please enjoy (if you haven't already) this unintentional drop of S2E19 where I celebrated hitting 50! No one ever said learning curves were easy. That goes for life and for podcasting.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: As someone who's lived a pretty wild life, I appreciate the wild life Nick Mechanic has lived. As a high powered Hollywood talent agent, he made huge movie deals. But, Nick also made huge drug deals, too. Those were the ones that caught up with him, destroying his Hollywood career. Though Nick landed hard and nearly succumbed to his addictions, he overcame them. Sober now for four years, Nick is a testament to hard personal work and the differences sobriety makes to an out-of-control life. Nick's story and stories are amazing insights into both wretched excess and recovery. SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: While Donna has told the story of learning - at age 40 - that she was donor conceived and had a whole family of donor conceived siblings - before, and while her half sister Heather has visited before - never has Donna gone into so much detail about the experience of 1) learning that she was donor conceived, 2) meeting some of her donor conceived siblings, and 3) describing the remarkable joys of finding pieces of yourself in other people. SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pCONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Part of the problem of growing up in strange, hostile or abusive environments is that they imprint upon you in a variety of ways that ripple throughout your life. One of the ripples causes you to seek out the abusive environment. In this episode, my friend Carly and I discuss how to avoid those ripples - or swim away from them. SHOW NOTESTo reach Carly -The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.TikTok: @carlygroganInstagram: @carly.groganBiz IG: @carlysco_creativeSOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pCONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Blurb: In this episode, meet Kara Rubinstein-Deyerin founder of Right To Know, an organization dedicated to helping people who, like her, encounter a life-altering encounter with the Truth about who they are - versus who they thought they were. Kara grew up believing she was half white, half Black. A DNA test - taken to investigate her African roots - informed her she wasn't half Black, she was half Ashkenazi Jew. How that changed her life is a remarkable story. Who are we really? That's a question I've always asked myself; turns out I'm far from alone!SHOW NOTESEveryone has the right to know the truth about where they come from. Unraveling Me speaks to those people impacted by DNA surprises, NPEs (non-paternal event), adoption, assisted reproduction, and other revelations that their parentage isn't entirely what they thought. Having experienced an NPE herself, Kara (through Right To Know and this podcast) seeks to highlight those moments when we learn the most unsettling of secret—who we really are.At Right To Know, we encourage engagement to facilitate and create real change. As an organization, we are inclusive. We assist adoptees, the donor-conceived community, people with an NPE, birth parents, gamete providers, new genetic family, recipient parents, raising families, and significant others. In learning and growing from each other, we must put the voices of adoptees, donor conceived, and people with an NPE first.For more information about Right To Know - or if you have a story you want to tell - please visit us at https://righttoknow.us/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: In a few days, as of this writing, I, Donna, will turn 50 - halfway to 100. In this episode, my producer Alan sits in and we talk about how we got here - how our paths crossed and resulted in this podcast. We'll also talk about how doing this podcast has changed both our lives - entirely for the better - and what to expect from this podcast going forward. It's a heartfelt look in the bathroom mirror at a major life pivot point - and you're invited to listen in!SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: On this podcast, we adore people who care deeply about other people. That's the kind of person Morris Derry is. While a convict in 1996, Morris had an epiphany about himself and the inmates around him. That led to Morris creating No More Pain, an organization that mentors individuals who suffer from substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, cancer, ex-cons and youth development. Morris is a poet, too! And a very, very good one!SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pSHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: My friend Victoria - Tori - survived a childhood as harrowing in its way as mine was in mine. Lots of our mutual friends compare Tori's childhood to the TV show "Shameless". It was that kind of family. Tori's mom was a caregiver on the one hand (a nurse) but an addict on the other. The addict always won. But Tori's story is oe of survival, complexity and the long but necessary road to understanding. SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Though Donna has known her friend Katie O'Donnell for twenty years, it wasn't until Katie sat for this conversation that Donna learned the whole truth about Katie's childhood. Katie's independent spirit clashed with her parents' more middle class values. She was a runaway from 14, doing what she had to to survive on the streets. Plenty of drugs and bad men. Then her parents committed Katie to a behaviour modification boarding school. And that's when things got really dire. SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: As Donna herself admits, when it comes to terrible, challeging childhoods, hers can't hold a candle to episode guest Eric Ruth's childhood. Eric, as you'll hear, grew up with a mother who couldn't overcome her own addictions and circumstances. Despite that, Eric found his way out of that cycle and into law school where he truly excelled. Eric believes down to his mitachondria that good things will come if you find a purpose bigger than yourself.SHOW NOTESYou can find Ruthless, Eric's book at Amazon among many other places.You can learn more about Eric's life and business coaching services at archonadvising.com.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Sit in on a sisterly conversation between Donna and her half-sister Beth. Beth is one of Donna’s other donor-conceived siblings. Like Donna, Beth is a massage therapist and bartender. That's where the similarities justbegin. Theirs is an unusual – and unusually deep relationship and, in this episode, you’ll get to eavesdrop on a truly heartfelt family chat. Only true sisters can talk to each other like this! And where else are you going to hear an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch “pig’s stomach” recipe? SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: A big part of Donna's story was her discovery - at age 40 - that she was donor conceived. As unsettling a revelation as that was, it explained a lot. Like why she always felt "other than" or "different from" the siblings and family in which she grew up. In this episode, you'll meet Donna's half sister Diana - and hear the story of how learning this secret about her opened an amazing door to family she didn't know she had. SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Domestic violence can take unexpected forms. A former boyfriend of Donna's - Christopher George - took to abusing Donna's dog Rocky when they all lived together. It took Donna a while to catch on, but when she did - she wanted justice for Rocky. Jonathan Long, then a prosecutor in Pennsylvania, took up Donna's case when few others in authority would. How Donna - and Jonathan - got justice for Rocky.SHOW NOTESTo reach Jonathan Long at Bellwoar Kelly LLP -  Phone:610-314-7066 Email:[email protected]:126 W. Miner StreetWest Chester, PA 19382 www.bellwoarkelly.comThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: A little while ago, while cleaning out a drawer, Donna found an old diary she'd kept during her childhood - a diary she feared was lost. But, the new-found diary verified still more of Donna's story. In this deeply emotional episode, Donna reads from her diary and discusses it with The Hall Closet Podcast producer Alan Katz.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Sandeep "Sonny" Bharadia literally laughed when Georgia police served him an arrest warrant. He was a good person leading a good life. But Georgia convicted Sonny for robbery and sexual assault, sentencing him to life without parole, despite the fact that he had a solid alibi and had never even been to the town where the crime was committed. SHOW NOTESYou can read more about Sonny and his remarkable story here and here.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Calvin Duncan epitomizes grace. In this episode, Donna and Noah Pines talk with Calvin and hear how he became "The Most Incredible Jailhouse Lawyer". While serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit, Calvin helped hundreds of other inmates get the fair hearings they'd been denied. Then he got himself not just freed, but exonerated, and began a whole, satisfying life on the outside, continuing his deep passion for justice.SHOW NOTESYou can learn more about Calvin here, here and here.Congratulations, Calvin! Calvin was just elected to serve as New Orleans' chief criminal court record keeper - a truly remarkable turnaround!CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: From the moment Donna's daughter introduced her friend to Heather to Donna, Donna and Heather Bonded. Donna sensed another person with a life journey as harrowing as her own. Breaking the silence is what this podcast is all about. Wait till you hear what that sounds like coming from the mouth of Heather - a remarkable, resilient young woman with a jaw dropping story.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: From the moment Donna's daughter introduced her friend Heather to Donna, Donna and Heather bonded. Donna sensed another person with a life journey as harrowing as her own. Breaking silence is what this podcast is all about. Wait till you hear what that sounds like coming from the mouth of Heather - a remarkable, resilient young woman with a jaw-dropping story.SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.p Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: In this episode, we continue The Joey Watkins Story. Joey Watkins spent 22 years in prison on a life sentence for murder. Problem: Joey was demonstrably innocent! How Joey found justice, got out and - with a remarkable mental attitude - set about reclaiming his life. How Joey remained unbreakable and emerged from his ordeal unbroken.SHOW NOTESFor more information about Joey Watkins please visit The Georgia Innocence Project. For more information about Noah Pines and his work, please visit Ross & Pines.For more great podcasts, please visit Costard & Touchstone.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Joey Watkins spent 22 years in prison on a life sentence for murder. Problem: Joey was demonstrably innocent! How legal stories co-host Noah Pines along with the Georgia Innocence Project helped right a terrible wrong. In this episode, what made Joey unbreakable?SHOW NOTESFor more information about Joey Watkins please visit The Georgia Innocence Project.For more information about Noah Pines and his work, please visit Ross & Pines.For more great podcasts, please visit Costard & Touchstone.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLURB: Growing up inside my lower tier crime family was a constant challenge. Though our neighbors in Levittown never felt the full effects of my family's incredible criminality (they remained oblivious of the worst), they experienced it nonetheless. In this episode, meet Susan, one of our neighbors from back in the day. What did our criminality we look like from close proximity?SHOW NOTESThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In This Episode: Donna introduces one of season two's occasional cohosts, her good friend, defense attorney Noah Pines who works with the Georgia Innocence Project. In season one, we met Walter Ogrod and Herb Haak (Donna's brother), two people who served serious time (Walter especially) for murders they didn't commit. Those are the kind of people Noah defends. Noah discusses several of the people he's worked to free - and what motivates him to fight such challenging battles. Show NotesFor more information about Noah - or, if you need rock solid legal advice - https://www.rossandpines.com/We here at The Hall Closet support The Kyle Pease Foundation. KPF's purpose is to create awareness and raise funds to promote success for persons with disabilities by assisting them to meet their individual needs through sports and beyond. It's an extreelhttps://kylepeasefoundation.org/blog/2025/8/22/from-the-courtroom-to-the-race-coursehttps://kylepeasefoundation.org/Georgia Innocence Project Website - https://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: I told the story in season one about how, when I was six, my best friend Stacie told me she wasn't allowed to play with me anymore - or even be my friend. That's because of how bonkers my family was. For the first time in 45 years, Stacie and I catch up and we talk about the impact living next door to us had on the whole neighborhood. SHOW NOTESI cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: Season 2 begins with a testament to the healing power of storytelling and a therapeutic (therefore "the couch") conversation between Donna and The Hall Closet's other executive producer, Alan Katz. Both know from life experience how the Truth absolutely will set you free. How telling our truths - via podcast or merely via a friendly chat - sets us all free. SHOW NOTESI cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BLUB: In this BONUS EPISODE of The Hall Closet, Donna talks to Kathy Sherlock who turned unspeakable tragedy into meaningful legislation that has saved many lives already. Unfortunately, KAYDEN'S LAW (which seeks to prevent violent parents from getting unsupervised visitation or custody) couldn't save three young girls from their father in Washington state. Meet Kathy before she flies out to stand with the mother and help Washington pass its version of Kayden's Law.You can learn more about Kathy Sherlock here -KAYDEN'S KORNERKayden's Korner – Kayden's Korner is dedicated to the protection of children innocently involved in domestic custody challenges. Kayden’s Korner is dedicated to the protection of children innocently involved in domestic custody challenges.On INSTAGRAM@kaydenskorner13 https://www.instagram.com/kaydenskorner13/On FACEBOOK@kaydenskorner13https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kaydens%20kornerOn TIKTOK@kaydenskorner13And, of course, you can become part of OUR community at our Hall Closet PATREON PAGEpatreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: John Hall was a MASTER CRIMINAL. And yet, DONNA HALL's mom, PHYLLIS managed to break him and turn him from the PHILLY PD's favorite SNITCH into a homeless dead guy. If there's really a master criminal here, it might just be PHYLLIS. How this bonkers TRUE CRIME family saga became a podcast - and what will happen in season two!SHOW NOTESIn season one of The Hall Closet, I wanted to give you an overview of The Halls - a family that seemed compelled to live outside the law. And, I wanted to introduce you to the principle players - my mom Phyllis and John Hall in particular.It turns out that telling the truth does set you free! I have wanted - perhaps even needed - to tell this story for a long time. The process of telling it - and the way we've told it - has been incredibly therapeutic. I'd even say cathartic.As my storytelling partner in this podcast would put it, how you tell a story IS the story. We've all listened to people massacre a joke. Even a great story can die if not told the right way. Alan Katz has been telling stories for a long time. Back before he was a podcaster, he wrote and produced movies and TV shows like HBO's iconic "TALES FROM THE CRYPT". In fact, Alan CO-CREATED THE CRYPT KEEPER!Alan's approach to storytelling - and I really do hope you've enjoyed that approach here - is to try and see the world through his storytelling subject's eyes. To make the audience feel everything I felt.In Season Two of The Hall Closet, I'll tell you even more stories about John and Phyllis and the rest of the Halls. In the mean time, please connect with us via our PATREON PAGE (follow the link below).Subscribers will be the first to know when Season Two is ready to drop. But subscribers will get sooooo much more! There's my DAILY DIARY and EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AND AUDIO CONTENT created just for SUBSCRIBERS.And, once a month, I'll invite subscribers INTO The Hall Closet - so they can ask me questions about my life and family and how I survived growing up in a lower tier crime family in the 1980's outside of Philly.I really do look forward to seeing you there!Donna HallI cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: It's TRUE CRIME served up FAMILY STYLE! You've heard DONNA HALL's side of what it was like growing up in a lower tier CRIME FAMILY. Now Donna's brother HERB tells his side of the John Hall story - and in incredible detail, too. It's a story about deep CORRUPTION in the PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT and DA's office.SHOW NOTESWe've told the John Hall Story from my perspective. We've told it from a journalistic perspective - thanks to our friend, the journalist Tom Lowenstein. Now we get to tell it from my brother Herb's perspective.And Herb's perspective is particularly insightful because, like our friend Walter Ogrod, Herb was one of John Hall's victims.John had lots of legal liability. At the very same time that he was destroying Walter Ogrod's life (as we described in episode 5) and destroying the life of a man named David Dickson (a security guard accused of murdering a Drexel University student), he set out to destroy my brother Herb's life - in large part as payback for Herb preventing our younger sister from freezing to death.As we described in episode 4, Herb ratted out my mom for abandoning our younger sister. The cops showing up made John angry. The press showing up made it worse. With Herb's case, John seems to have reached a kind of snitch's critical mass. Except, rather than explode, John's snitching career imploded. Most importantly, what happened to Herb broke the hold John Hall had on our family. This wasn't the end of our dance with John, but we could see now that the music was going to end. And John was going to be the one getting kicked to the curb.Donna HallWe cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: Not only did MASTER CRIMINAL John Hall change the Halls when he hooked up with DONNA HALL's mom PHYLLIS, he nearly destroyed them. But then, that's life in a lower tier TRUE CRIME family. Because Herb had ratted out my mom as "The HOME ALONE MOM Of Bucks County", John Hall went after Herb with a FALSE CONFESSION that put Herb behind bars for 18 months on a MURDER CHARGE. SHOW NOTES:John Hall didn't corrupt Philly, he merely exploited its corruption. The number of confessions John Hall had secured from criminals the authorities couldn’t secure should have sent up red flags.It’s pretty amazing what a corrupt snitch like John could do to a corrupt DA and police department. Eventually, the rising stink of bullshit permeated every bit of John and the confessions he was peddling to reduce his own considerable legal jeopardy.To his credit, John was a studious rat. He’d do research in the prison law library (he liked being the law librarian) and then send Phyllis, my mom, to get the right details on the ground.John took it very personally – more personally than did Phyllis – when Herb called the authorities about our sister and put Phyllis in prison for 6 months. Though John would never stoop to murder – he wasn’t violent in any way – as he told my mom in a letter to her from prison, he had no problem with the state murdering Herb via capital punishment.As Herb learned the hard way, when you’ve spent your life victimizing people, it’s hard for the system to see you as a victim. Even though Herb, where John Hall was concerned, was very much the victim. Of a crime!Donna HallWe cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: The Hall's TRUE CRIME Saga continues. DONNA HALL's stepdad - MASTER CRIMIINAL John Hall - plunged the Halls into two of Philadelphia's most notorious UNSOLVED MURDERS. The Philly PD's favorite snitch, John Hall concocted his FALSE CONFESSIONS - supposedly made by other prisoners - to lessen his own considerable legal jeopardy. The first confession put an innocent man named WALTER OGROD on DEATH ROW for 24 years. This is how that happened.STORY NOTESJohn Hall didn't turn my family into criminals. More like, he was the accelerant that sent us over the edge. In very little time, he'd plunge my family into two of Philadelphia's most notorious unsolved murders!The first concerned a murdered little girl named BARBARA JEAN. As you'll hear - with the considerable assistance of journalist TOM LOWENSTEIN (The New Orleans Innocence Project and THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD) - a floundering Philadelphia police investigation turned its focus on a neighbor of Barbara Jean's - Walter Ogrod. Poor police work and corruption led the two lead investigators to pressure and coerce Walter into a confession that simply didn't jibe with any of the evidence.Walter's first jury noticed that. And they were told - and took into account - the fact that Walter is on the autism spectrum and that he was severely sleep deprived at his first interrogation. The one where, after thirteen hours of intense questioning, he confessed (though without ever speaking to or having access to a lawyer!). That first jury was on the verge of acquitting Walt when one of the jurors recanted, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial.At Walter's second trial, the prosecution managed to exclude most of Walter's defense while basing their whole case on a brand new jailhouse confession provided by John Hall (run through a second inmate named Jay Walchansky).Want to know how powerful bullshit can be? In the face of all the logic problems created by Walt's new, bullshit confession, the prosecution insisted that the jury believe the confession at all costs. That confession ultimately put Walt on Death Row for 24 years!But, wouldn't ya know it? There's a twist!We cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: Every TRUE CRIME family needs a leader. The Halls had JOHN HALL, a veritable MASTER CRIMINAL. When Donna's mom PHYLLIS hooked up with John Hall, The Halls went from being petty criminals to the criminal big time. John Hall would plunge Donna's family into two of Philadelphia's most notorious UNSOLVED MURDERS. But, first, John would change Phyllis from being just a really terrible mom into a flat out criminal one. Or, as the newspapers called her "The HOME ALONE MOM From Buck's County".SHOW NOTESBefore my brother Herb met John Hall in prison and introduced him to my mom who, in turn, quickly became infatuated with him, the Hall family were lower tier petty criminals, always in and out of trouble. But, John Hall turned my mom from merely a terrible mother into a criminal one.You have to remember - in my family, child neglect and child abuse were normalized. Abandonment happened on a regular basis. So, when Phyllis chose to live with John in the city (his legal issues made it better for him there), and my younger sister ended up living alone in the suburbs for six months, the rest of us kids (some were young adults by then) didn't see it as unusual.To his absolute credit, my brother Herb reported this abandonment to the authorities. But, the reality at the time was, he didn't do it because of my sister. He did it to get back at John Hall - his former prison buddy who'd become his rival for my mom's attention.Phyllis and John knowing Herb had done this would cause them to declare war on Herb. That's a mother declaring war on her son because he did the right thing (albeit for the wrong reason). That was how it rolled at the Halls.Our lower tier crime family was moving up in the world!Donna HallThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGSThe Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic and sexual abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTThreads: @the.hall.closet.pWEB SITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: It was hard enough that DONNA HALL grew up in a lower tier TRUE CRIME FAMILY where the adults committed one crime or another almost every day. But Donna also grew up feeling deep down inside that SHE DIDN'T BELONG. She learned when she was 40, that she was right: she didn't belong: her actual biological dad was a sperm donor and none of the various men her mom Phyllis told her was her dad. But, the truth wouldn't come until much later. As a kid, Donna would have to figure out for herself how to find safety.SHOW NOTESFamilies can be like icebergs. They seem kind of harmless on the surface. Underneath however? They're massive monsters, always lurking, threatening to rip your guts out. My family was complicated because my mom Phyllis was incapable of sexual fidelity. Something inside her just couldn't tolerate being "loyal" that way. And, so, there were always new and different men coming into and out of our lives as I grew up. My siblings have different fathers.For the first 12 years of my life, I thought a man named Frank was my father. And though he sexually abused me, I still related to him as "daddy". When Phyllis decided to leave Frank for another man (Miguel), I wanted to stay with Frank despite the sexual abuse. Because, I thought, he was my dad.As we drove away that night, my mom disabused me of that idea. "He's not your real father anyway," she told me.As time went on - and I tried to find out who really was my biological father - a few more "suspects" appeared and disappeared. I thought I knew who my dad was when, at 40, I took a 23AndMe DNA test - not expecting any surprises. Not only did I find my actual biological father (well, I found out who he was/is), I found a whole family of donor conceived siblings - "diblings"!And, can I tell you? It's truly wonderful feeling like you do belong to a family!Donna HallThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGSThe Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic and sexual abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTThreads: @the.hall.closet.pWEB SITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcastThere, you'll find COMMUNITY, BONUS CONTENT GALORE and AD-FREE EPISODES! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: Meet DONNA HALL's mom PHYLLIS, maybe the WORST MOM EVER. If there's a reason The Halls were a TRUE CRIME family, it's mostly because of Phyllis. Surviving one's mother is a universal experience - if one survives. But, how Donna survived growing up with a mom like Phyllis is a truly remarkable story.SHOW NOTESBeing a mother, I know: parenting is hard work. Not everyone’s good at it. Some people are downright terrible at it. And then there are people like my mom – Phyllis Hall – who was, in fact, criminally bad at being a mom. She literally went to prison for six months for abandoning my younger sister.I was seventeen at the time – living in a shelter so I could avoid living at home. My mom, Phyllis, had fallen hard for a man named JOHN HALL. He became the love of my mom’s life, more important to her than her 12 year old daughter. Rose had lived pretty much alone in our house for six months – out in Bucks County while Phyllis shacked up with John in Philadelphia.John needed to stay in Philadelphia because he was a criminal who’d figured out how to manipulate the criminal justice system. He was known around the DA’s office and the Police Department as “The Monsignor” because he got so many people to confess to him. They didn’t really confess, John made up all the confessions. But the authorities didn’t care because they were closing cases thanks to John. That was what mattered to them, not justice.In this episode, I’ll explain what I think makes my mom tick. What drove her and still drives her to do the things she does be they careless, corrupt, chaotic or criminal? If ever there was a “mom from hell”, it’s Phyllis. And it’s time to meet her!Donna HallThe Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGSThe Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTThreads: @the.hall.closet.pWEB SITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcastThere, you'll find COMMUNITY, BONUS CONTENT and AD-FREE EPISODES! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN THIS EPISODE: Meet DONNA HALL and enter a world where TRUE CRIME happened nearly every single day. The Halls were a lower tier CRIME FAMILY who lived in and around PHILADELPHIA, PA in the 1980's and 90's. The Halls weren’t the CORLEONE'S, but they made national headlines just the same! Donna's mom Phyllis - went from flirting with criminality to actually sleeping with it. She spent 6 months in prison for CHILD ENDANGERMENT. Her stepdad – John Hall – was the Philadelphia PD’s FAVORITE SNITCH. By the time he was done, he’d insert my family into two of Philly’s biggest UNSOLVED MUURDERS. That didn't end well for anyone! Ah, but first, you have to meet the family!SHOW NOTES:I cannot recommend highly enough that you buy and read Tom Lowenstein's "THE TRIALS OF WALTER OGROD". It contains lots of juicy details about John Hall and my family. You can buy it here at Amazon or here at Goodreads.The Hall Closet is written by Donna Hall and A L Katz. Costard & Touchstone Productions produced it. Donna Hall and A L Katz are the executive producers.CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: The Hall Closet is not intended for sensitive audiences. Domestic abuse, violence, child endangerment, adultery, explicit language.SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: @THEHALLCLOSETPODCASTInstagram: @THE_HALL_CLOSET_PODCASTTikTok: @the.hall.closet.pWEBSITEwww.thehallclosetpodcast.comSUPPORT THE SHOWPlease visit our Patreon Page: patreon.com/TheHallClosetPodcastThere, you'll find BONUS EPISODES and all our episodes AD-FREE! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.