Should parents face criminal charges for the violent acts of their children?

On this episode of the Discovery podcast, we feature a thought-provoking conversation with assistant professor of law Shirin Bakhshay from UCLA Law. Centering on the landmark People v. Crumbley case, Bakhshay explains why the convictions of the parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley represent a major — and potentially dangerous — expansion of criminal liability.

Bakhshay unpacks the legal theory behind involuntary manslaughter charges against parents and why she believes the prosecution misunderstood both criminal law doctrine and modern parenting realities. Drawing on her psychology expertise, she also explores why parents are often poorly positioned to predict adolescent violence, especially amid rising youth mental health struggles, social isolation and widespread access to guns.

Bakhshay also advocates for prevention-focused responses rooted in schools, mental health resources and community support rather than punitive prosecution after tragedy strikes.

Imagine that you are living in your car. One day, it's stolen for a joyride, abandoned and eventually towed away. You get a court order for the return of your car, but then discover that your very home, your 1991 Camry, has been sold for $175. Later, you find out that the towing company has the car back in their possession and holds it hostage for over a year, accruing $21,684 in storage fees.

Amanda Ogle didn't have to imagine it because this happened to her in 2017. To help navigate the bureaucratic nightmare, she enlisted the help of Kevin Eggers, J.D. '17, who had just graduated from UW Law and was providing legal aid through the Northwest Consumer Law Center. Ogle's case was Eggers' very first out of law school.

After a Seattle Times reporter wrote about the situation, Ogle was contacted by screenwriters who wanted to make her story into a movie. "Tow" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and opened in theaters nationwide on March 20, 2026. Directed by Stephanie Laing, it stars Rose Byrne and features an ensemble cast including Octavia Spencer, Demi Lovato, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Debose and Corbin Bernsen.

In this episode of Discovery, we talk with Eggers and Ogle about the towing dispute and their experiences with the real-life case turning into a movie.

In this episode of the Discovery podcast, Jevan Hutson, J.D. '20, incoming assistant professor of law and director of the Technology Law & Public Policy Clinic, discusses the article "Forget Me Not? Machine Unlearning's Implications for Privacy Law," which he co-authored in The Columbia Science & Technology Law Review. The article explores the intersection of generative AI, privacy and data protection law and focuses on "machine unlearning," an emerging tool designed to address privacy concerns. As generative AI systems increasingly process vast amounts of personal and sensitive data, the challenges they pose to privacy regulations are intensifying.

Machine unlearning allows for the selective removal or suppression of specific data — such as personal information that individuals request be deleted — from AI models. This process aims to help organizations comply with legal obligations and policy goals, particularly in response to data subject requests for data deletion. Hutson assesses whether the legal and remedial aims of privacy laws can be reconciled with the technical capabilities of machine unlearning.

Listeners are invited to consider the future of privacy law in an AI-driven world and the role of machine unlearning in preserving privacy rights.