Cases discussed on TV

Jeffrey S. Mandel

e-mail Jeff Mandel at njappeal@aol.com

Jeffrey S. Mandel has discussed the following cases involving criminal law, civil law and/or appellate law on TruTV (formerly Court TV) (www.trutv.com), CNN (www.cnn.com), Cablevision, and/or Fox News Channel (www.foxnews.com):

Each case will soon have its own section:
   TID BIT: . . .
   CASE SUMMARY: . . .
   LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: . . .
   WHERE IS HE/SHE NOW? . . .

California v. Avila
TID BIT: This case inspired Califonira to expand Amber Alert.

CASE SUMMARY: Alejandro Avila was charged with kidnapping, molesting, and asphyxiating 5-year old Samantha Runnion who was taken while playing with her friend outside of her home. Avila allegedly asked the girls if they saw his Chihuahua, at which time he grabbed Samantha and drove away with her. The jury convicted him of all counts. When the judge sentenced him to death, the judge told him that he had "forfeited his right to live." Being confined to death row may actually have been a blessing in disguise because it segregated him from the 'justice' that he would have received from inmates who know how to punish child molesters.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: Coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? California's San Quentin state prison, which is located approximately 20 miles north of San Francisco and which houses all of California's male death row inmates.

California v. Scott Peterson
TID BIT: MY FIRST TELEVISION SHOW WITH KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE.

CASE SUMMARY: Convicted of murdering Lacey Peterson and dumping her body in the San Francisco Bay. She was pregnant at the time . . . (more to come)

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: More to come . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? California's San Quentin state prison, which is located approximately 20 miles north of San Francisco and which houses all of California's male death row inmates.

California v. Phil Spector
TID BIT: In 1989, inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

CASE SUMMARY: Former music icon accused of sticking a gun in the mouth of actress Lana Clarkson and pulling the trigger. The blast blew her teeth out, severed her spinal cord, and perforated the lining of her brain. The case involved interesting testimony about a psychological autopsy performed on Lana Clarkson. The defense contended that Lana Clarkson committed suicide. The case also saw the court compel one of Spector's former attorneys to testify, which is highly unusual. The attorney's testimony was used by the State to show that the defense team (specifically, the famed Dr. Henry Lee) took evidence from the crime scene that was never turned over to the State. The first trial resulted in the jury being deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction; thus, a mistrial. A second trial has not yet occurred.)

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: More to come . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? More to come . . .

California v. Sommer
TID BIT: More to come . . .

CASE SUMMARY: More to come . . .

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: More to come . . .

WHERE IS SHE NOW? coming soon . . .

California v. Taylor
TID BIT: coming soon . . .

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon . . .

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon . . .

California v. Michael Jackson
TID BIT: MY FIRST TELEVISION APPEARANCE WITH NANCY GRACE. I must've discussed this case a thousand times on Court TV and also on Fox News Channel.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon . . .

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? Six feet under..

California v. Barry Bonds
TID BIT: MY FIRST TELEVISION APPEARANCE ON CNN.

CASE SUMMARY: When this was first covered, it was technically not 'California v. Bonds' because it was before the state sought an indictment against Bonds. We discussed Barry Bonds and this case as part of the Balco investigation. It also involved issues of violating a court order by leaking information to the press/

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? In the "big house"- a mansion, that is.

Colorado v. Kobe Bryant
TID BIT: coming soon . . .

CASE SUMMARY: Basketball star Kobe Bryant was accused of rape. More coming soon . . .

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? In some big mansion, free as a bird (except, of course, free from the guilt of cheating on his wife).

Estate of James Glovsky v. Massachusetts Bay Transit Auth.
TID BIT: The caption under this case should be "Kids, don't try this at home".  This case was one of the few civil cases that made its way onto Court TV.

CASE SUMMARY: The parents of a deceased child sued the MBTA because they felt that the MBTA could have done more to prevent their child from, allegedly, trying to "surf" or ride the outside of a subway car while it was moving. He did not plan on being crushed.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? Six feet under.

Florida v. Andresshon
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Dickens, et al.
TID BIT: Florida boot camp case. Speaking about this case on Court TV generated the most hate mail and/or derogatory comments about me on the internet than any other case that I have discussed.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Couey
TID BIT: Jessica Lunsford murder

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Fuller
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Hughes
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. LaFave
TID BIT: Teacher having sex with students.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Locascio
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Lunz
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. McGlade
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Morton
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Nowak
TID BIT:  "NASA astronaut wearing diaper case".

CASE SUMMARY: This case involved an alleged plot by a NASA astronaut to eliminate her competition. Not her competition for flying to the moon, but rather her competition over a male astronaut. The probable cause affidavit in this attempted murder case referenced to Ms. Nowak driving across the country while wearing a diaper. She allegedly did not want to stop on the way and thought that soiling a diaper would be the better course of action.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. O'Brien
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Piotrowski
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: This case involved the duel sovereign doctrine. It really troubled me because it went against all of my notions of double jeopardy under the Constitution. To be updated and explained . .

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Samuels
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Serrano
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Smith
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Florida v. Walsh
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Georgia v. Nichols
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Georgia v. Sullivan
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Georgia v. Turner
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Idaho v. Perry
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Massachusetts v. Entwistle
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: A jury convicted Neil Entwistle os murdering his wife and infant daughter. He received a life sentence. At trial, the defense alleged that Neil arrived home to find his wife and child dead, decided to cover their bodies with a blanket, travel one-way to London, and not alert authorities that he found his wife and child dead . . ., but he did not kill them. Days prior to the murder, somebody conducted an internet search on the family computer on "how to kill people".

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Massachusetts v. Fitzpatrick
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: Defendant allegedly upset that his lover would not leave her husband. To eliminate the competition, he allegedly shot the husband and a co-worker. Critical evidence in the case involved EasyPass records that recorded the time and route of the vehicle that Defendant allegedly used to commit the murders, Defendant's fingerprints in the vehicle, and videotape of the vehicle at the scene- none of this, however, directly linked Defendant to the murder, though the inference is plausible. The jury deadlocked and the court delcared a mistrial.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Massachusetts v. McCowen
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Massachusetts v. Pring-Wilson
TID BIT: MY FIRST EVER APPEARANCE ON TELEVISION. MY FIRST APPEARANCE WITH VINNIE POLITAN. I only got through this show because of Vinnie Politan - the Court TV anchor - who helped settle my nerves seconds before we went live. Vinnie was a favorite of the fans and of those who appeared on this show.

CASE SUMMARY: Alexander Pring-Wilson, a Harvard graduate, stabbed Michael Colono to death during a fight that seemed to be more violent than it should have been due to the effects of alcohol. After a jury convicted Pring-Wilson of manslaughter, an appeal was filed which resulted in a reversal and Massachusetts promulgating new law in cases involving the defense of self-defense. The Supreme Judicial of Massachusetts (the highest appellate court in that State) held that, in self-defense cases, jurors should be told whether the victim has a violent history. On retrial, the jury deadlocked. Pring-Wilson thereafter plead guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter. In essence, rather than sticking to his self-defense theory, he admitted to "an unintentional killing occasioned by an act which constitutes such a disregard of the probable harmful consequences to another as to be wanton or reckless" of "an unintentional killing resulting from a battery."

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Massachusetts v. Shanley
TID BIT:  This case was one of several filed against priests of the Boston Archdiocese.

CASE SUMMARY: In this case, defrocked priest Paul Shanley was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison for raping a boy repeatedly in the 1980s, sometimes in a church confessional. In another case, John J. Geoghan, the former priest whose abuse of children over decades opened the door for a scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church, was convicted too. He, however, received 'justice' from another inmate who strangled him to death.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

McGreevey v. McGreevey
TID BIT: Divorce or ex-Governor of New Jersey.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Michigan v. Deering
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Michigan v. Orlewicz
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Michigan v. Soares
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Mississippi v. Killen
TID BIT: Mississippi Burning case

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Nevada v. Guzman
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Nevada v. Mack
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Nevada v. O.J. Simpson
TID BIT: OJ round 2.

CASE SUMMARY: This time OJ is accused of a myriad of crimes after allegedly breaking into a hotel room to retrieve sports memorabilia that he claimed to be his

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? Jail, in Nevada. The Supreme Court of Nevada heard oral argument on his appeal, but has not rendered a decision.

New Jersey v. Banks
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

New Jersey v. Barney
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

New Jersey v. Bayer
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

New Jersey v. McGuire
TID BIT: Suitcase murder case.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon . . .

New Jersey v. Jayson Williams
TID BIT: Former basketball player for the New Jersey Nets. I use this case as an example for my students in Appellate Advocacy at Rutgers Law School.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

New Mexico v. Posey
TID BIT:  Sam Donaldson is linked to this case.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Ohio v. Holder
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Ohio v. McCoy
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Ohio v. Robinson
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Pavelko v. Discovery Tours
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS IT NOW? coming soon

Pennsylvania v. Ludwig
TID BIT: MY FIRST TELEVISION SHOW ON FOX NEWS!!!

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Roberts v. Bombardier, Inc.
TID BIT: MY FIRST TELEVISION SHOW WITH RON KUBY!!! I walked into the makeup room - yes, they put makeup on us - and told Ron how I grew up not liking him - I used a stronger word-, but I left the set realizing that he is a great, nice, and absolutely brilliant person. He is also really really funny.

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Chandra Levy Disappearance
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS SHE NOW? Hmmm, good question.

Tennessee v. March
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Tennessee v. Martin
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Tennessee v. McLean
TID BIT: The wife having an affair was not worth fighting for, let alone killing for (no wife could be worth that).

CASE SUMMARY: Defendant's wife repeatedly flaunted her affair with her 18 year old former student (the student was kicked out of school for unrelated reasons). One night, defendant snapped after his wife was seen with the boy, in the marital home, and the boy - apparently not satsifed with only stealing the wife - said that he would soon be taking defendant's children. Defendant put a bullet through the boy's face. The State sought first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory 51 years in prison.   After 11 hours of deliberation, the jury found defendant guilty of reckless homicide, which carries a 2-4 year sentence.

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Tennessee v. Overbay
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Teresa Norris v. Missouri West Conference of the United Methodist Church
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS IT NOW? coming soon

Texas v. Pitonyak
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Vermont v. Schreiner
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Virginia v. Rountree
TID BIT: This case was made into a 48 Hours murder mystery show

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS SHE NOW? coming soon

Washington v. Haq
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Wisconsin v. Bartlett
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Wisconsin v. Flynn
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Wisconsin v. Gascoyne
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Wisconsin v. Hoskins
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

Wisconsin v. Vang
TID BIT: coming soon

CASE SUMMARY: coming soon

SOME INTERESTING LEGAL/APPELLATE ISSUES: coming soon . . .

WHERE IS HE NOW? coming soon

This web page contains my personal recollection of cases that I discussed on television. Some of my accounts are based on information decided by judges, some by juries, some by news organizations, some following an appeal, and some by my recollection from watching the trial and/or reading news accounts while preparing for the television shows or reading what occurred on appeal. These are my personal recollections combined with my personal opinions, which may or may not be accurate and which may or may not be fact.