『The Dirty Verdict』のカバーアート

The Dirty Verdict

The Dirty Verdict

著者： Kyle Herbert
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 Get all the dirty details and legal insights from Houston Lawyers, Kyle Herbert and Peter Taffe, as they explore exciting cases. Kyle Herbert: https://herberttrial.com Peter Taaffe: https://comeauxmediation.com/attorney/peter-taaffe/ Bill Ogden: https://fbtrial.com/attorneys/bill-ogden/2022 世界 社会科学
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  • S3 Eps 30: Sean Teare - Harris County DA

    S3 Eps 30: Sean Teare - Harris County DA
    2025/12/17

    The Dirty Verdict crew is back with Houston mediator Peter Taaffe and co-host Kyle Herbert—plus producer Amanda—welcoming back Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare for a wide-ranging, candid conversation. Teare breaks down what he's learned in his first months in office, how he's rebuilding morale by bringing veteran prosecutors back, and why he's personally getting back into the courtroom. The discussion also dives into criminal justice priorities, jail population trends, a new diversion concept partnering with trade unions, and how today's immigration enforcement climate is impacting witnesses, prosecutions, and public safety in Harris County.

    Main Highlights (with time stamps)

    • 00:00:38 – Peter and Kyle kick off the show, explain Bill Ogden's absence, and bring in producer Amanda
    • 00:01:44 – DA Sean Teare returns: recap of his election win and what he's focused on now
    • 00:04:41 – Rebuilding the DA's office: Teare shares how experienced prosecutors and leaders are coming back
    • 00:05:39 – Teare talks trying cases himself—including a major intoxication manslaughter conviction—and why it matters
    • 00:07:11 – Leadership style shift: "rolling up sleeves," working dockets, and boosting office morale
    • 00:13:02 – Key jail and crime stats: shifting focus away from low-level drug cases toward violent crime priorities
    • 00:17:21 – Big opportunity: diversion programs + an innovative partnership with unions/apprenticeships to cut recidivism
    • 00:31:04 – Immigration enforcement's real-world courtroom impact: witnesses too afraid (or unable) to testify
    • 01:03:42 – "Serial killer?" rumor addressed: Teare explains why the cases point to homelessness/addiction issues instead
    • 01:07:51 – Wrap-up: where to follow the show + Teare hints at branding the union diversion initiative
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    1 時間 8 分
  • Trial by Fire: Sammy Ford's Story

    Trial by Fire: Sammy Ford's Story
    2025/12/08
    On this episode of The Dirty Verdict, Peter Taaffe, Bill Ogden, and Kyle Herbert sit down with Houston trial lawyer Sammy Ford of AZA Law Firm for a wide-ranging conversation about big cases, career pivots, and what it really takes to build a life in the courtroom. Sammy walks us through his journey from growing up in Houston's Third Ward and dreaming of Wall Street, to Harvard, UT Law, a Fifth Circuit clerkship, and stints at powerhouse firms Sussman Godfrey and Abraham Watkins—before landing at AZA. Along the way, he shares war stories from Enron-era work, hedge fund blow-ups, MDLs, and trying complex commercial and injury cases in front of some of Texas's most memorable judges. From buying his first Bitcoin at an ATM "as a joke" to taking on billion-dollar trading companies after Winter Storm Uri, Sammy breaks down how high-stakes litigation actually works, how big verdicts happen, and why relationships, bar work, and smart marketing still matter. The episode closes with practical, no-nonsense advice for young lawyers who want to carve out a serious trial career in a chaotic legal landscape. Segment Highlights (with timestamps) [00:00:38] Opening banter & Halloween costume chatter Peter welcomes listeners back, introduces Bill and Kyle, and the crew roasts Bill's "athletic fit" shirt and his Halloween costume plans. [00:01:16] Introducing guest trial lawyer Sammy Ford (AZA Law Firm) The hosts welcome returning guest Sammy Ford of AZA, joke about going in "totally cold," and tease hot-button topics from Garza to politics. [00:02:14] Politics, Garza, and why Peter refuses to go full pundit Light sparring over politics, "woke" jokes, and Peter's insistence on mostly avoiding political rabbit holes in a polarized world. [00:02:34] Peter vs. Sammy's résumé (and a call to Jennifer Pinkerton) Peter admits Sammy's bio is so stacked he had to stop reading, call friend Jennifer Pinkerton for emotional support, and regroup before finishing it. [00:03:12] Growing up in Houston's Third Ward & inner-city Catholic school Sammy shares his roots in Third Ward / Riverside Terrace, inner-city Catholic school, and the transition to St. Thomas High School. [00:03:38] "Absolutely not": Why law was not the first plan In high school, Sammy wanted away from Texas—chasing finance or computer science in California or New York and aiming for Wall Street or Silicon Valley. [00:04:02] Choosing Harvard & the dot-com bust / Enron era pivot Sammy picks Harvard, then watches the dot-com bubble burst, markets slide, and Enron collapse back home—pressure that nudges him toward law. [00:05:20] Government major, hated econ, and the "study what you like" lesson He bails on economics, studies government, considers folklore & mythology, and explains why "it doesn't matter what you major in" hits different at Harvard. [00:07:13] Early Houston litigation work during the Enron fallout Sammy returns to Houston summers to work at Nickens, Keaton, Lawless, Farrell & Flack, seeing Enron officers cycling through the office and Houston from a new, big-firm vantage point. [00:09:30] UT Law, the infamous Buda apartment & early big-firm life He heads to UT Law, gets tricked into living way out in Buda, and splits summers between Vinson & Elkins and Andrews Kurth, while big-firm tort defense starts to fade. [00:15:19] Fifth Circuit clerkship with Judge Jerry Smith Sammy talks about clerking for Judge Jerry Smith, why one year of clerking is usually plenty, and how some co-clerks parlay that path all the way to the Supreme Court. [00:17:27] Sussman Godfrey & the $500M hedge fund blow-up case At Sussman Godfrey, he dives into a major arbitration over a hedge fund blown up by aggressive margin calls during the financial crisis. [00:20:01] The first Bitcoin buy: $20 at a bar ATM Sammy tells the story of buying about $20 of Bitcoin from an early ATM at a Houston bar, forgetting about it, then finding the receipt years later when it was worth far more. [00:23:24] Moving to Abraham Watkins for real trial experience He joins Abraham Watkins, tries around 20 cases in five years, and works with Randy Sorrels, Benny Agosto, Mo Aziz, Brant Stogner, and others on serious PI and explosion cases. [00:29:03] First lead trial: Handwritten appearance at the holiday party At the firm holiday party, Judge Wyman conscripts Sammy into representing a pro se plaintiff the next morning—he handwrites his notice of appearance on yellow legal pad and jumps into his first lead trial. [00:37:00] Landing at AZA: A blend of Sussman and Abraham Watkins Sammy explains how AZA came onto his radar, why it feels like a mix of high-end commercial litigation and plaintiff-side trial work, and how teams rotate instead of being siloed. [00:41:07] Winter Storm Uri & the $123M "force majeure" showdown He breaks down representing an Oklahoma producer against Koch Energy over Winter Storm Uri: force majeure declarations, withheld payments, a $123M damages model, and a fast jury ...
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    59 分
  • S3 Eps 28: Imrana Manzanares from Nurse to PI Attorney

    S3 Eps 28: Imrana Manzanares from Nurse to PI Attorney
    2025/11/17
    Mediator Peter Taaffe and trial lawyer Kyle Herbert host a "diet" edition of The Dirty Verdict with a powerhouse guest: Imrana Manzanares, former ICU nurse turned trial lawyer at Abraham Watkins. Imrana walks through her journey from the Texas Medical Center to the courtroom, what it's really like doing ICU nursing in Houston, how she pivoted into law school, and how her medical background gives her a serious edge in personal injury cases. She also opens up about raising kids while building a career, surviving floods and tornadoes at the firm's iconic building, and why yoga and fitness are non-negotiables for lawyers' mental health. Episode Highlights & Timestamps 00:00:40 – "Diet Dirty Verdict" intro Peter and Kyle kick off a slimmed-down episode, joke about hot yoga, matcha, and introduce guest trial lawyer and former nurse Imrana Manzanares. 01:27 – From ICU nurse to medicine snob Imrana talks about working as an ICU nurse at St. Luke's and Methodist in the Texas Medical Center, handling pulmonary and surgical ICU patients, and seeing world-class care up close. 03:07 – Growing up in Houston & education path She shares about growing up in Alief, moving to Sugar Land, bouncing between Second Baptist and Hastings, then heading to UH, UTB for nursing, a psychology degree, and finally law school at Thurgood Marshall (TSU). 05:04 – The pivot from nursing to law Imrana explains how she knew bedside ICU nursing wasn't a lifelong fit, looked at NP and MBA programs, then on a whim took the LSAT, earned a scholarship to TSU, and followed that door when it opened. 07:26 – Moving to LA, graduating early & joining Abraham Watkins She describes finishing law school in 2.5 years to join her husband in Los Angeles, coming back to Houston during the 2009 recession, and landing at Abraham Watkins after a Christmas party invite—and staying for 16 years. 09:12 – Building a career while raising young kids Imrana talks about starting at the firm with a toddler, getting pregnant with her son, and how the firm let her work 9–3 for years so her career could grow alongside her children. 10:22 – Teenagers, growth spurts & mom life She shares where her kids are now (15 and 17), the 4.5" summer growth spurt, and a moment when her son officially became taller than her. 11:29 – Husband the builder: arenas, rails, and high-rises Imrana explains her husband's career building major projects like the Spurs' arena, convention centers, the Houston light rail, and a downtown LA high-rise that once housed Soulja Boy. 13:16 – Leaving the bedside & how hard ICU really is She opens up about why she didn't want to stay at the bedside forever, how emotionally and physically brutal ICU work can be, and why we should be grateful for doctors and nurses. 15:21 – Medical background as a superpower in PI Imrana and the hosts dive into how her nursing background helps her read records, understand medical jargon, and go toe-to-toe with medical experts in depositions. 16:35 – Translating doctor/nurse shorthand She explains how she can "read between the lines" in nurses' notes and build a more accurate damages model from medical records. 19:10 – The brutal reality of med-mal in Texas Imrana breaks down why she mostly moved away from medical malpractice: tort reform, causation fights, non-economic caps that haven't budged in 20+ years, and why most med-mal cases just don't make economic sense anymore. 22:03 – Steering the kids: engineering & debate team She talks about guiding her daughter toward chemical engineering and her son toward law via debate, plus a hilarious "llama haircut vs. Sephora products" argument that shows how sharp he is. 24:26 – Work–life balance, networking & "lady who lunches" Imrana explains learning the importance of networking in law (vs. healthcare), juggling lunches, happy hours, mom life, and why her supportive husband and family make it possible. 27:18 – Flexible schedules & long-term loyalty She describes how being allowed to work part-time created a win-win: she stayed present for her kids and the firm gained a long-term, loyal trial lawyer. 28:21 – Post-Covid remote work & opportunity for women lawyers Imrana shares why she thinks Covid changed the game—Zoom, remote work, and how a little flexibility can unlock huge value from talented moms and caregivers. 30:02 – Floods, tornadoes & the legendary Abraham Watkins building The crew recaps multiple floods at the downtown building, converting the flooded first floor into a parking garage, then getting hit by a tornado, and plans for a new three-story expansion. 32:59 – Memorable Metro bus case Imrana talks about a tough case against Metro involving a pedestrian client and disputed liability, how many lawyers turned it down, and how she fought through video and liability issues to get a meaningful result. 42:15 – Premises tragedies: manhole death & gym shooting She walks through two heartbreaking cases: A woman ...
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    1 時間 9 分
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