Sensational headlines, societal upheaval and a gruesome crime that shook Fall River, Massachusetts, to its core.

Turn off the lights and cozy up to the fireplace as we bring you the spookiest type of story we can — one straight from the history books.

America's first trial of the century came from an unusual source: Lizzie Borden, a 32-year-old unmarried upper-class woman in 1892 New England. Borden's father and stepmother met their final moments in one of the most brutal of ways, at the hands of someone with an axe.

Did she do it? With the help of two writers, we bring you inside the courtroom for Borden's trial, a legal spectacle set against the backdrop of yellow journalism and a nation gripped by details of a crime among the affluent, complete with an all-star cast of attorneys.

Special guests:

• Cara Robertson, author of The Trial of Lizzie Borden
• Mark Olshaker, co-author of The Cases That Haunt Us

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens.

Editorial staff is Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.

It's October, so you know what that means ... spooky season is finally here! And with it, the Supreme Court is back in session, complete with ghosts of the gun variety.

In this year's SCOTUS preview, we bring you the cases you need to know. The court will weigh in on a Biden administration rule to redefine firearms to address the public safety risk of ghost guns in America. We delve into the complexities and legal arguments that ignited a heated debate with gun manufacturers and the NRA over what truly constitutes a firearm.

The court will also hear about the death penalty case of Richard Glossip, who has faced the specter of execution nine times for a crime he claims he didn't commit. From the dubious testimony of the actual murderer to the systemic failures that have kept Glossip on death row, the case has led even unlikely proponents to question the mechanics of our justice system.

And we tackle Tennessee's controversial SB1 law, which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors. This controversial legislation pits the state's focus on the experimental nature of such treatments against the medical community's endorsement of their necessity. This legal battle doesn't just impact Tennessee; it could reshape the landscape for transgender rights nationwide.

Special guests:

• Don Knight, Richard Glossip’s attorney
• Robert Dunham, director at the Death Penalty Policy Project and special counsel at Phillips Black
• Oklahoma state Representative Justin Humphrey
• Sasha Buchert, director of the Non-Binary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal
• Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law
• Cody Wilson, director of Defense Distributed
• Kevin Tobia, a professor of law and philosophy at Georgetown
• Erin Erhardt, litigation counsel at the National Rifle Association

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens.

Editorial staff is Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.

Zombie voters. Sham elections. Voter fraud.

In the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, election lawsuits are flooding courts across the U.S., with the timing of some geared more toward grabbing headlines than achieving legal resolutions. Allegations aren’t considered true until a judge’s final order, but that doesn’t stop people from believing them.

In our 10th episode this season, we uncover the raw truths behind the politicized world of election integrity starting in Grand Junction, Colo., where a 2021 municipal election became a flashpoint for ideological battles and unfounded claims of voter fraud leading to the intricate legal quagmire surrounding Tina Peters, a former Colorado election official embroiled in controversy.

From there, we zero in on the world of pre-election litigation and voter registration errors in legal battles raging across states like Arizona, Ohio and Pennsylvania, touching on the delicate balance between security and transparency.

Special guests:

• Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr.
• Bobbie Gross, clerk and recorder for Mesa County, Colo.
• Abe Herman, mayor of Grand Junction, Colo.
• Marly Hornik, chief executive officer of United Sovereign Americans
• Leah Tulin, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program
• Witold "Vic" Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens.

Editorial staff is Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.