Wait...Is That Legal?
A Podcast about TV Shows and Movies and the legal issues they raise. Each episode looks at a legal topic presented in a Movie or TV Show and analyzes it based on the real laws where the episode or movie is set.
Episodes
Re: Piracy/Captain Phillips (2013)
What is Piracy? Who has jurisdiction over the high seas?
Sources:
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Art. 100-110 (1982).
S.S. Lotus (Fr. v. Turk.), 1927 P.C.I.J. (ser. A) No. 10 (Sept. 7).
United Nations Security Council. Resolution 1816, S /RES/1816 (2008). Adopted June 2, 2008.
U.S. Constitution, Art. III Sec. 2 and Amend. 6.
Fed. R. Crim. P. 18 (2024 ed.).
Piracy and Privateering, 1...
Re: Medical Emancipation/My Sister’s Keeper (2009), Chicago Med (2015-)
When can a child exercise control over their own body and medical decisions? Does a child have to fully emancipate themselves from their parents in order to make those medical decisions?
Sources:
Bellotti v. Baird, 443 U.S. 622 (1979).
In re E.G., 549 N.E.2d 322 (Ill. 1989).
Smith v. Seibly, 431 P.2d 719 (Wash. 1967).
Michelle Davis and Andrea Fang. “...
Re: Chinatown (1974)/Water Rights
Why does Los Angeles exist? Where does L.A. get its water? How do water rights work?
Sources:
County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, 124 Cal.App.3d 1 (Cal.App. 1981).
County of Inyo v. Yorty, 32 Cal.App. 795 (Cal.App. 1973).
County of Mono v. City of Los Angeles, 81 Cal.App.5th 65 (Cal.App. 2022).
Irwin v. Phillips, 5 Cal. 140 (Cal. 1855).
People v. City of Los Angeles, 34 Cal.2d 695 (Cal. 1950).
L...
Re: RICO Act/Sons of Anarchy (2008)
What is RICO? What does it stand for? How is it used?
Sources:
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968 (2023 Edition).
18 U.S.C. §§ 932 (Straw Purchasing of Firearms), 933 (Trafficking in Firearms), 2339B. (Providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations) (2023 Edition).
“Homicide,” California Penal Code §§ 187-199.
“...
Re: The Lake (2022)/Trusts and Estates
What is a trust? Why would someone use a trust to transfer property? Can you inherit less than a complete interest in real property? If you do have a less than absolute interest does that put limits on what you can do with the property?
Sources:
Conveyancing and Law of Property Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.34, s. 5 (1), 10, 29-30.
Succession Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26, s. 2-3, 29-30.
Re: Life Insurance, Accident Policies/ Double Indemnity (1944)
What is a double indemnity clause? When can an insurance company deny a life insurance claim?
Sources:
Diamond v. New York Life Ins. Co., 286 N.Y.S. 625 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1936).
Funk v. New York Life Ins. Co., 60 N.Y.S.2d 349 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1946).
National Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Edwards, 119 Cal.App.3d 326 (Cal. App. 1981).
People v. Snyder, 159 N.E. 408 (N.Y. 1927).
Pr...
Re: Double Jeopardy/Double Jeopardy (1999)
Can someone be charged for the same crime twice? Can they be charged with the same crime in multiple places? Is murder not always a crime?
Sources:
U.S. Constitution, Amend. 5, 10, 14.
Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S. 784 (1969).
Blockburger v. U.S., 284 U.S. 299 (1932).
Brown v. Ohio, 432 U.S. 161 (1977).
Gamble v. U.S., 139 S. Ct. 1960 (2019).
Heath v. Alabama, 474 U.S. 82 (1985).
In re ...
Re: Insanity Defense/The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it (2021), The Devil on Trial (2023)
What is an insanity plea and is it a get out of jail free card? Can someone be acquitted of a crime due to demonic possession?
Sources:
Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984, 18 U.S.C. § 17(a) (1984).
Federal Rules of Evidence, 704(b).
General Statutes of Connecticut, § 53a-54a, 53a-13 (2023 Edition).
Durham v. U.S., 214 F.2d 862 (D.C...
Re: Emancipation of Minors/Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), Roswell (1999), Gossip Girl (2007), New Amsterdam (2018)
What is legal emancipation? Can anyone under the age of 18 be legally emancipated? Is it as easy to be emancipated as they show on TV?
TV Episodes:
Degrassi: The Next Generation, S.3 Ep.21: “Our House” (aired 2004); S.7, Ep.24: “We Built This City” (aired 2008).
New Amsterdam, S.4, Ep.14: “…Unto the Breach” (air...
Re: The Sandlot (1993), Bridge to Terabithia (2007)/Premises Liability, Attractive Nuisance
Sources:
CA Civil Code §§ 846, 1714, 3342-3342.5.
Adams v. Bullock, 125 N.E. 93 (N.Y. 1919).
Dennis v. Odend'Hal-Monks Corp., 182 Va. 77 (1943).
Haywood v. South Hill Co., 142 Va. 761 (1925).
Martinez v. Bank of Am. Nat’l Trust & Sav. Ass’n, 82 Cal. App. 4th 883 (Cal. App. 2000).
McDaniel v. Sunset Manor Co., 220 Cal.App.3d 1 (Cal. App. 1...
Re: 12 Angry Men (1957), Veronica Mars (2004)/Juries
Sources:
Declaration of Independence (1776).
U. S. Constitution, Art. III §2; Amends. 5, 6, 14 §1.
Ballew v. Georgia, 435 U.S. 223 (1978).
Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U.S. 145 (1968).
Smith v. Texas, 311 U.S. 128 (1940).
Sparf v. U.S., 156 U.S. 51 (1895).
Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78 (1970).
Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1978).
Judicial Council of California Criminal Jury Inst...
Re: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)/Contracts
How is a contract formed? What makes a contract enforceable? Can minors sign contracts? What if a contract has super tiny print or is in Latin?
Sources:
Restatement (Second) of Contracts (1981).
Uniform Commercial Code.
Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture Co., 350 F.2d 445 (D.C. Cir. 1965).
Stacey Lantagne, "Contract Issues in 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory....
Re: Outer Range (2022)/Adverse Possession, Ethics
What happens when there is a dispute between neighbours over property lines?
Sources:
ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (2020).
Wyoming Statutes Annotated, 1-3-103, 1-3-104.
Brumagim v. Bradshaw, 39 Cal. 24 (1870).
City of Rock Springs v. Sturm, 39 Wyo. 494, 273 P. 908 (Wyo. 1929).
Shores v. Lindsey, 591 P.2d 895 (Wyo. 1979).
“Adverse Possession Background” Research Memo for Wyoming...
Re: A Cinderella Story (2004), Another Cinderella Story (2008), Not Cinderella’s Type (2018)/Inheritance and Child Abuse
What rights does a child have when a remarried parent dies? What rights does a stepparent have to the portion of the estate that belongs to a minor child? What is child abuse?
Sources:
California Probate Code, Division 2. General Provisions, Secs. 100-147.
California Probate Code, Division 6. Wills, Secs. 6100-61...
Re: Insatiable (2018)/Murder
What is murder? What is the difference between murder and manslaughter? What defenses are there for murder and what is self-defense?
Sources:
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 16-5-1, 2, 3, 21, 23.1, 40; 16-2-2; 16-3-21, 23; 16-4-1, 5; 16-7-22, 23, 60, 61; 16-10-31, 94.
Bright v. State, 265 Ga. 265 (1995).
Davis v. State, 269 Ga. 276, 496 S.E.2d 699 (1998).
Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976).
Hall v. Le...
Re: Manifest (2018), The 4400 (2004)/Death in Absentia
How can someone be declared dead without a body? What happens if someone who was declared dead is still alive?
Sources:
Social Security Administration Handbook, Sec. 1721.
New York Consolidated Laws. Estates, Powers, and Trusts Law, Sec. 2-1.7.
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Title 10, Chapter 57, Absentees and Presumed Decedents.
“Presumption of Death” Wikipedia.
Jeanne Carri...
Re: Outer Banks (2020)/Abandoned Shipwrecks
What happens when a shipwreck is discovered? How is ownership of a shipwreck determined? Who keeps the artifacts found on a shipwreck?
Sources:
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf
Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, 43 U.S.C. 39 §2101.
Salvage of Abandoned Shipwrecks and Other Underwater Archaeological Sit...
Re: Outer Banks (2020)/Lost and Abandoned Property, Treasure
What happens when lost or abandoned property is found? Who owns that property? Who can claim ownership of hidden treasure?
Sources:
Archaeological Resources Protection Act, North Carolina General Statutes, Ch. 70, Art. 2.
Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act, N.C.G.S. Ch. 70, Art. 3.
Grande v. Jennings, 278 P.3d 1287 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2012).
Katy Stei...
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