Courtroom Confidential

Could Matthew Farwell have been better off putting his case before a judge instead of a jury? Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter answers your Sunday Funday Q&A questions about bench trials, who must agree to them, and the federal issue at the heart of the prosecution over Sandra Birchmore’s death. Also in this episode: Naresh Bhatt’s testimony and why admitting conduct does not automatically require a guilty plea; Lindsay Clancy’s custody after a mistrial and t...

Naresh Bhatt admits dismembering and concealing his wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s body, but denies killing her. Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter welcomes Paul from Reporting Live From My Sofa to examine Bhatt’s changed account, his explanation for not calling 911 and the cross-examination confronting his earlier lies. What do those admissions establish, and what must prosecutors still prove? At 36:11, Josh breaks down the closing arguments in Matthew Farwell’s federal...

Matthew Farwell’s defense rested on November 4 without calling the former police detective to testify. Federal prosecutors allege Farwell killed Sandra Birchmore and staged her death. His defense disputes that account. Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter examines the competing expert opinions and what the forensic evidence can tell jurors about how Birchmore died. In Virginia, Naresh Bhatt took the stand in his own defense against the charge that he murdered his wif...

Lindsay Clancy’s November 2 hearing ended with major questions still unresolved. Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter welcomes Billy Bush, host of Hot Mics with Billy Bush, to examine the defense’s effort to prevent a retrial, the Commonwealth’s response and the dispute over questioning the holdout juror. They also discuss Kevin Reddington’s courtroom approach, juror privacy and the proposed gag order ahead of the November 16 status hearing. At 26:09, East Idaho News...

Sandra Birchmore’s final recorded phone activity came minutes before Matthew Farwell left her apartment building, according to testimony discussed in this episode. What does that timeline establish, and how could the defense challenge its significance? Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter joins attorney Randolph Rice to examine the competing interpretations, William Kilroy’s testimony and the defense’s effort to raise reasonable doubt. Farwell has pleaded not guilty. ...