What is a public defender really up against? Emily Galvin Almanza fought for over 2000 clients in some of America's toughest courts and saw firsthand how even being accused of a crime can derail someone's life. Today, we speak with Emily about her most memorable cases and her new fight to reform the criminal justice system.

Emily's book: The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attorney Michael Cowgill joins us to discuss a wrongful death lawsuit involving Kratom, the widely available and largely unregulated substance sold in gas stations across the U.S. At the center of the case is Patrick Coyne, a 39-year-old husband and father, whose death has been attributed to Kratom use. We explore the legal battle, the risks associated with the substance, and the questions surrounding oversight and consumer safety.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Fronczak discovered that he was not biologically related to his parents, Dora and Chester Fronczak, but was born in New Jersey as Jack Rosenthal. He also learned he had a twin sister, Jill, who was missing. Paul's search for his identity had expanded. He was now looking for three people: the real Paul Fronczak who was kidnapped in 1964, the kidnapper, and his biological twin sister, Jill.

Referenced in the episode:

Paul Jack Fronczak's podcast: The Fronczak Files

Paul Jack Fronczak's books: The Foundling and True Identity

Documentary: The Lost Sons

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.