District Attorney Summer Stephan

On July 21, 2023, 20 year-old Adam Thomas of Sacramento was tried for 1st degree murder for the death of his brother, Trenton Thomas. Trenton was found shot to death by a crossbow in a park in San Diego. Was it an accident or was it a murder? Deputy District Attorney Christina Eastman joined the podcast to discuss this trial.

Facts:

Adam drove from Sacramento to San Diego and told his family he was going to San Diego to visit Trenton for his birthday. Adam and Trenton went to a park in San Diego and Adam blind folded his brother so that he could surprise him with his birthday gift. While blindfolded, Adam went to the trunk, grabbed a crossbow, and shot his brother in the head. Trenton ran over 100 feet but succumbed from his injuries after pulling the arrow from his head. Adam fled the scene and tossed the crossbow into a canyon, which was later found by police. Officers investigated the case and served a search warrant of Adam’s home and car in Sacramento, finding a matching quiver for the crossbow and handwritten directions to the park. Adam admitted everything, except said he was giving his brother the crossbow as a gift and it accidentally discharged.

Deputy District Attorney Christina Eastman prosecuted the case and convinced the jury it was 1st degree murder. Adam Thomas was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. 

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books and quiz the panelists to see if they can guess which law is fake. 2 are real, 1 is fake--can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. In Indiana, it's illegal to sniff model glue with the intent to cause a condition of euphoria. 

B. In New Hampshire, it's illegal to hypnotize a person with the intent for that person to commit a crime. 

C. In Texas, it's illegal to sell or offer to sell your organs.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 San Diego Podcasts!

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Author N. Leigh Hunt joins the podcast and talks about his book "I Don't Like Mondays: The True Story Behind America's First Modern School Shooting". This book uncovers key details behind the 1979 school shooting at Cleveland Elementary School, in the San Carols community of San Diego, CA.  

On the morning of January 29, 1979, 16 y.o. Brenda Spencer shot several elementary children and adults, killing principal Burton Wragg and custodian Mike Suchar, who both died trying to help the children. Spencer infamously said "I don't like Mondays" when asked why she committed the murders. Spencer pled guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 35-life in prison. The Boomtown Rats released a song in July 1979 with the title "I Don't Like Mondays" which was very controversial and still popular in the UK. 

N. Leigh Hunt spent years researching and uncovering shocking details from officers, investigators, and lost police dispatches. He has interviewed people who were on the scene and local reporters who spoke with the perpetrator directly after her shooting spree. Hunt has even cultivated an unlikely rapport with the killer and shed light on previously unknown details about her upbringing and influences.

Click here to purchase the book from Amazon (we do not receive any money for this referral). 

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books and quiz the panelists to see if they can guess which law is fake. 2 are real, 1 is fake--can you guess which one is the fake? The theme this episode is the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 section 54 – nuisances by persons in the thoroughfares (in the London Metro area).

A. It’s illegal to slide upon ice or snow to the common danger of the passengers.

B. It’s illegal to use insulting words or behaviour during the time of divine service.

C. It’s illegal to ring a door-bell without lawful excuse.

Thank you to all of our listeners! We sincerely appreciate all of you and thank you for listening to our show. Please be sure to leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DAs Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 San Diego Podcasts!

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Deputy District Attorneys Teresa Pham and Jorge Del Portillo talk about their trial strategies in prosecuting People v. Jade Janks.

On December 21, 2022, Jade Janks was found guilty of first degree murder. Janks murdered her former stepfather, Tom Merriman, after discovering nude photographs of herself on Tom's computer. Tom was the founder of the Butterfly Farms in Encinitas, CA and the murder took place in Solana Beach, CA.

This case received lots of publicity and was featured on CourtTV. 

FACTS:

On December 23, 2020, Tom was transferred from Scripps Hospital to an aftercare facility and Jade Janks decided to clean Tom’s apartment for him before he was discharged. While she was cleaning Tom’s apartment, she discovered nude photos of herself on his computer. She was so disturbed by the discovery that she couldn’t shower alone and feared Tom would be discharged early and come home.

She began plotting the murder and sought help from a “fixer”, Alan Roach, who was a friend of a friend. The plan was to dose Tom with sleeping pills, get him to his bed, suffocate him, and stage it to look like an overdose. 

On December 31, 2020, Janks dosed Tom after picking him up from Aviara Healthcare, but the fixer never showed up. The fixer sent his buddy Brian Salomon to help out, but when she asked Brian to strangle Tom, Brian immediately left. 

Janks called her friend Adam for help. When Adam showed up, she confessed to dosing , suffocating and strangling Tom to death. She asked Adam to move Tom’s body into a wheelbarrow and into Tom’s bed to make it look like an overdose. Adam didn’t want any part of it and left.

Adam reported to the police that his friend confessed to murdering Tom. When authorities were looking for Tom, they couldn’t find him. When they brought Janks in for questioning, she claimed not to know where he was.

After hours of searching inside the property, in the early morning hours of Jan 2, 2021, detectives found Tom’s body buried under a pile of trash. After arresting Janks and searching her cell phone, detectives found very suspicious text messages including:

• I just dosed the hell out of him.
• I really didn’t want to involve that many people.
• It’s going to be Weekend at Bernie’s.
• I can’t keep a kicking body in my truck. (*says truck but likely meant trunk)

An autopsy found no signs of strangulation but did find toxic levels of zolpidem, otherwise known as Ambien.

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books and quiz the panelists to see if they can guess which law is fake. 2 are real, 1 is fake--can you guess which one is the fake? The theme of this episode are laws from the Solana Beach Municipal Code.

A. It’s illegal to have an apiary in a residential zone.

B. It’s illegal to tattoo a person’s skin if it has a rash or pimples.

C. It’s illegal to have bamboo over 15 feet tall. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 San Diego Podcasts!

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan was re-elected in 2022 after a rare uncontested election. DA Stephan returns to the podcast to discuss her accomplishments in her first term and some of her goals for her next term. DA Stephan discussed a recent school threat assessment conference and a new app to help the homeless find an available bed. DA Stephan also discussed the success of opening the new family justice center in the North County--One Safe Place. 

Crime or Fiction: Each week we quiz the panel on laws on the books or crime related facts; 2 are real, 1 is fake, and see if you can guess which one is the fake.

A. The youngest DA in San Diego history was William McNealy, 21 years old, elected in 1870.

B. In England and Wales, the common law right to pursue a private prosecution was repealed by UK Parliament in 2017. 

C. The United States is the only country in the world where citizens elect their District Attorneys.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Thank you to all of our listeners out there, and please leave a review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to follow us on social media; you can find the links below. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 San Diego Podcasts!

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

San Diego Human Trafficking prosecutor Flavio Nominati joins the podcast to discuss the crime of human trafficking.  January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and we wanted to speak with our local expert on this important topic. Deputy DA Flavio Nominati tells us about how he prosecutes these crimes, what are the red flags to look for, and what parents can do. He also discusses how young boys are often overlooked as targets of human trafficking. If you're in San Diego County, make sure to check out "Human Trafficking 101" on January 10, 2023 between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at One Safe Place, 1050 Los Vallecitos Blvd, San Marcos, CA 92069, or the Spanish version on January 13, 2023 at the same place.

Report suspected human trafficking activity by calling 1-888-3737-888 or texting BeFree (233733).

We took a long break because Jorge Del Portillo was in a murder trial in the case against Jade Janks, which was covered by CourtTV. More on that case in the future!

Bio: Flavio Nominati has been a prosecutor for approximately 11 years. In that time, he has been assigned to a diverse array of specialized units, including Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse, Juvenile Prosecution, Crimes Against Peace Officers, and the Gang Prosecution Unit. Currently, he is assigned to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. In this capacity he serves as the Human Trafficking Team Leader for the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division. He works with approximately 10 Task Force officers (TFOs) as they develop their human trafficking cases. In addition, he serves as the Executive Chair of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books; 2 are real, 1 is fake, and I quiz my panel of experts to see if they can guess which one is the fake. The theme this week is sex laws.

A. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to maintain a brothel, which is defined as a house with 16 or more women living together, unintentionally banning most sororities since 1951.

B. In California, it is illegal to inveigle a person under 18 into a house of ill fame.

C. In Sweden, prostitution is legal, but it is illegal to be a “John” or customer of sex work.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 San Diego Podcasts!

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Deputy DA Ben Barlow joins the podcast to talk about prosecuting domestic violence cases, the impact of these crimes, and helping survivors recover from abuse. 

Harris County, Texas reported that 35% of homicides in its county were related to domestic violence.  Atlanta reported 25% of homicides in its county were related to domestic violence. Domestic violence is a topic that is, unfortunately, always in the news. Just recently, in McGregor, TX, 5 people were shot dead in a suspected domestic violence rampage. And in San Bernardino, California, a suspect was on the run after killing the mother of his child and abducting their 15 year-old child. Tragically, the 15 year-old girl was killed after the suspect began shooting at the police and her death is still under investigation. 

If you or someone you know needs assistance, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. If you are in San Diego County, you can go to One Safe Place in San Marcos, or the Family Justice Center in downtown San Diego.

Bio: Benjamin Barlow began his career as a prosecutor in the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office in 2010. During his career, he has served in the South Bay office, the Vista Office, the Sex Crimes Division, and the Family Protection Division. He was first elected to the DDAA Board in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. Mr. Barlow was elected Vice President in 2018 and elected as President in 2020 and reelected in 2022.

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books; 2 are real, 1 is fake, and see if you can guess which one is the fake. The theme of this episode is the history of domestic violence laws.

A. In 1899, California was the first state to criminalize domestic violence.

B. In 1871, the Alabama Supreme Court was the first in the nation to rescind the legal right of men to beat their wives.

C. In 1911, the first Family Court in the nation was established in Buffalo, NY. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Detective Anthony Tripoli with the San Diego Sheriff's Department joins the podcast to talk about investigating fires, what makes it an arson under the law, and what it takes to dismantle a bomb.

Arson has been in the news lately, from wildfires to buildings being set on fire during protests, and attempted arsons at the home of political figures. Earlier this year in San Diego, a suspected arson was started at the home of County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. 

On September 12, 2022, authorities are investigating an arson case at the home of the mayor of Vancouver, Washington. 

And in another case from last month, in Auburn, Washington, the bomb squad is looking for the suspect who placed a bomb in a car of a funeral attendee and causing it to explode. 

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books; 2 crimes are real, 1 is fake, and you have to guess which one is the fake. The them this episode is: fire laws.

A. In Florida, it’s illegal to fail notify your neighbor of a dangerous fire you started on your property.

B. In Illinois, it’s illegal to eat in a restaurant that is on fire.

C. In Racine, WI, it’s illegal to refuse to aid a firefighter.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Frank Figliuzzi was the assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, where he served 25 years as a special agent and directed all espionage investigations across the government. He is a national security contributor and regular columnist for NBC News and MSNBC. He is the host of the popular podcast “The Bureau with Frank Figliuzzi” and he is the author of the national bestseller “The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence.”

Crime or Fiction: Each episode we look at the laws on the books; 2 are real, 1 is fake, and can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. It’s illegal to attempt to modify the weather.

B. It’s illegal to skydive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

C. It’s illegal to drill beyond the earth’s crust.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

A dangerous trend is happening across the country called street takeovers, where numerous cars block an intersection and perform dangerous stunts. Police in Bristol, Connecticut said they have seen a rise in takeovers, and recently in Los Angeles, California witnesses said 2 women died after fleeing from a street takeover.  And it's happening in San Diego, too. According to an NBC report, the San Diego Police Department has identified 172 people or vehicles that were involved in these street takeovers.

San Diego Police Sgt. John Ampol joins the podcast to discuss the dangers and consequences of street takeovers.

Laws on the Books Quiz: 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. In Nevada, it’s illegal to ride a camel on the highway.

B. In Alabama, it’s illegal to ride a motorcycle without wearing shoes.

C. In Vermont, it’s illegal to ride a snowmobile on a highway.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimenewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

In April, an investigative report from the North Carolina State Auditor states a North Carolina charter school falsified student records and misused school funding, to the tune of $400K. Earlier this year a man in Minnesota was charged with misspending $30M dollars in federal funding for meals for children, spending it instead on luxury cars and lakefront properties. Other charter school scandals have been reported throughout the country. 

San Diego Deputy DA Leon Schorr joins the podcast to discuss the A3 Charter School Fraud case. Deputy DA Schorr led the prosecution team that uncovered a scheme that defrauded California of $400M. After a year of investigation, thousands of pages of discovery, and the testimony of 70 witnesses, a San Diego grand jury returned a 235-page indictment. The prosecution team secured numerous convictions, recovered $230M in stolen funds, and imposed a $37M fine against the main two fraudsters.

Quiz: 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. Charles Ponzi, convicted of mail fraud in 1920, schemed his investors by promising them a 50% return in 45 days if they invested in his business of buying and selling postal reply coupons.

B. The phrase “If you believe that, then I've got a bridge to sell you” comes from the crimes of George C. Parker, who in the late 1800s was convicted of fraud after duping customers by selling them the Brooklyn Bridge.

C. The term “con man” comes from “confidence man”, a term attributed to Frank Murphy who was convicted of fraud in 1929 after selling fake stocks outside the New York Stock Exchange. 

Please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to the podcast. Thank you for listening!

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to crimnewsinsider@gmail.com.

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.