Miss an episode? Check out the podcast archive.
Episodes
Friday Apr 06, 2018
FF 118 - Convicted Murderer Takes Advantage of a Second Chance
Friday Apr 06, 2018
Friday Apr 06, 2018
On today's episode of Felony Friday Ta'Rell Burton Sr. joins host John Odermatt to discuss his journey from convicted murderer to becoming a positive force for change in the community.
Ta'Rell is the founder of A True Change, which is a non-profit organization that promotes stability and guidance to inner city at risk-youth and families by providing resources and education. The goal is to help these individuals build a foundation for self-betterment, achievements, and positive lifestyle change.
In 2003, Ta’Rell made a mistake and angered a rival gang. Things escalated, and he found himself responsible for the death of another man. Ta'Rell was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He utilized the time by educating himself at Northeastern Junior College; he found solace in religion and in the thought of coming home to his daughter and son one day, no matter how many years that would take.
Ta'Rell spent thirteen years in prison. A week before he was to be released, rival gang members shot and killed his 18-year-old son. Now he strives to live for his son, as well as his daughter and two grandsons.
He’s acted as a motivational speaker, and he said that his hope is that talking about his struggles and triumphs will give someone the guidance they need to turn away from the path he took.
Find past editions of Felony Friday at the Felony Friday Archive!
Today's Sponsor: Dan Wise, YouTube's Top Prison Consultant, Sentence Reduction and Federal Prison Consulting services. Stop the stress and get your life back.
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Feb 16, 2018
FF 111 - 13 Years in Prison for $500 Worth of Drugs
Friday Feb 16, 2018
Friday Feb 16, 2018
Find past editions of Felony Friday at the Felony Friday Archive!
Today's Sponsor: Dan Wise, YouTube's Top Prison Consultant, Sentence Reduction and Federal Prison Consulting services. Stop the stress and get your life back.
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Jan 12, 2018
FF 106 - Convicted Drug Dealer Starts Community Revival
Friday Jan 12, 2018
Friday Jan 12, 2018
Today on Felony Friday Frantz Michel joins host John Odermatt to discuss his journey from a life sentence to becoming a positive force in his local community.
On the show Frantz says that he made bad choices, which led to bad decisions, which resulted in consequences. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics; cocaine, cocaine base and heroin. This resulted in a life sentence!
Luckily, Frantz Michel was commuted by President Obama on November 22, 2016. Soon after getting out he made it his mission to help young people to avoid the same pitfalls that derailed his life. Frantz founded Guns Down, which is a community development and improvement 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce the cycle of gun-related crimes through education and economic empowerment. Guns Down is NOT a gun control organization. Guns Down teaches alternatives to conflict and makes the resources available for at-risk youth to pick up new, constructive and productive skill sets. Guns Down strives to empower the youth as individuals and to strengthen their communities.
Donate to the Better Money PAC
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Nov 24, 2017
FF 099 - How Larry Levine Turned the Prison System Upside Down
Friday Nov 24, 2017
Friday Nov 24, 2017
On today's show Larry Levine joins Felony Friday host John Odermatt for an entertaining and hard-hitting discussion. Larry is federal prison consultant. In April 2007, he founded American Prison Consultants, a legal service firm that provides information and federal criminal litigation assistance to lawyers, and offenders going through criminal proceedings and who are about to enter the federal prison system.
On August 3, 1998, Levine was arrested in Northridge, California. He was convicted in December 1999, on conspiracy charges relating to narcotics trafficking, securities fraud, obstruction of justice, racketeering, and possession of automatic weapons. Levine was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. While in custody, Levine served time in 11 different Federal Correctional Institutions in California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Oklahoma, where he educated himself in Federal Criminal Law, and upon release in 2007, became a renowned International expert on the U.S. Federal Criminal Justice System.
This episode is marked explicit for a reason, so be prepared for plenty of cursing. Larry is a straight shooter and he doesn't sugar coat anything.
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any qu estions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Nov 03, 2017
FF 096 - From Hijacker to NYC Mayor? Aaron Commey Defends His Past
Friday Nov 03, 2017
Friday Nov 03, 2017
On today's episode New York City Mayoral candidate Aaron Commey joins host John Odermatt. Aaron is running for Mayor of New York City under the Libertarian Party banner. This is Aaron's second time on Felony Friday. He first appeared on Episode 26, where we discussed his controversial past. You see, Aaron Commey spent more than a decade in federal prison without ever having a criminal conviction.
The incident, which occurred 17 years ago, was detailed in a recent NY Post article, NYC mayoral candidate once tried to hijack an airplane. Aaron admits he was severely mentally ill at the time he attempted to hijack an airplane. Ultimately, Aaron was charged with five crimes, including attempt to commit aircraft piracy.
However, he was never convicted of a crime and he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2003, but still remained in the federal prison system until January of 2015. That's more than a decade where individuals, doctors employed by the federal prison system, essentially held him captive.
Now Aaron is running for Mayor of NYC to advocate for changes to the system that caused him so much pain. Aaron's campaign is focused on reforming criminal justice and education. He seeks to improve economic conditions for low wage and middle wage families by increasing opportunities to escape poverty through entrepreneurship and small business ownership.
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any qu estions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Apr 28, 2017
Friday Apr 28, 2017
Today on Felony Friday host John Odermatt is joined by Officer Dominick Izzo. Officer Izzo is a 16 year veteran police officer. You've probably seen his videos that he often shoots in his car, pop up in your Facebook feed. During his time as a police officer Officer Izzo received numerous honors and awards while serving in his community and he says on his website that it's his goal to bridge the gap between the police and the public through education, empowerment and respect.
In 2015 he started publishing videos where he began to expose police corruption. Officer Izzo spoke against the War on Drugs and revealed shady dealings behind the scenes in the Round Lake Police Department where he was employed. He vocally opposed a system that he believed was using officers to punish the very people they were hired to serve. Late last year, Officer Izzo called for his Police Chief's resignation. Ultimately, this resulted in Dominick Izzo being terminated from his position at the Round Lake Police Department.
During the interview Officer Izzo shares what led him to pursuing a career in law enforcement. Izzo discussed the events that led him to speak out against corruption in his department. Finally, Dominick explains the point system his Police Chief used to manipulate the police officers in his department to pursue charges for victimless crimes and other petty revenue generating offenses.
You can find the show notes page >here<
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Wednesday Sep 14, 2016
245. Lions of Liberty's 3 Year Anniversary Party!
Wednesday Sep 14, 2016
Wednesday Sep 14, 2016
On this episode of the Lions ofLiberty podcast, host Marc Clair is still stuck in all alone in a hotel in the middle of Utah, sipping on some wine and reflecting upon the last 3 years of hosting and producing the Lions of Liberty podcast. Much to his surprise, he is joined by several contributors of Lions of Liberty past, as "The Godfather" Howie Snowdon, "Mr. Johnson's Libertyhood" host Brian McWilliams, and "Felony Friday" host John "Odie" Odermatt pops their heads in to share some drinks and some liberty talk! In the show you'll hear:
- How Howie first introduced Marc to the ideas of liberty, and how he eventually spread this infection to Brian and Odie.
- A discussion about the campaign of Gary Johnson, and whether or not libertarians should even want him to get into the Presidential debates.
- A healthy debate over the concept of "non-intervention" - is it truly a libertarian principle? How can it be applied in our modern context?
- The Lions reflect on their favorite moments of the past three years of the Lions of Liberty podcast, from favorite segments to favorite guests, and make some bold predictions for the future!
Friday Aug 05, 2016
Friday Aug 05, 2016
Nationally-syndicated radio host, documentary filmmaker and author John Ziegler joins Felony Friday host John Odermatt for a third time to discuss the fatally flawed media narrative known as the Jerry Sandusky scandal. John Ziegler has appeared two time previously on this show to discuss the scandal. On episode 8 and episode 14 of Felony Friday Ziegler exposed flaws in almost every aspect of the case.
Why is John Ziegler back for a third time to discuss this scandal?
Two reasons. First, to discuss the recent media firestorm that resulted from unsealed documents that were part a court case between Penn State and their insurance company. The case centered upon disputes over which entity is responsible for paying some claimants included in the $100 M of victim settlement payments. The documents included contained victim depositions that alleged Joe Paterno and other Penn State coaches knew as early as 1976 that Jerry Sandusky was allegedly abusing boys.
The second and perhaps a more important reason for John coming back is to release a chain of emails that will put to rest the rumor that a video exists of Jerry Sandusky abusing a boy. These emails, along with part of a letter Jerry wrote last month in prison, you can find below. They are being released exclusively through Lions of Liberty.
Check out the show notes!
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Jul 15, 2016
Friday Jul 15, 2016
On today's episode of Felony Friday host John Odermatt and guest Marc Hyden tackle the always controversial topic of the death penalty. John and Marc discuss what led him down the path to a career in politics and into his current role as National Advocacy Coordinator with Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty. Prior to joining CCADP he served as a Campaign Field Representative in Florida for the National Rifle Association (NRA). Marc also has experience working as a Campaign Manager for a Republican Congressional race in North Carolina. And Marc has served as the Legislative Liaison and Public Affairs Specialist with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
Marc shares the genesis of CCATDP and some common reasons conservatives oppose the death penalty. John and Marc then discuss an article he wrote detailing a disturbing story out of Oklahoma. Prison officials in Oklahoma used incorrect chemicals during an execution and attempted to cover it up. Check out Marc's article at Voices of Liberty where he details the disturbing story.
Check out the show notes!
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Check out the show notes!
Submit any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas to felonyfriday@lionsofliberty.com. This show is not my soapbox, it is a vehicle to communicate and amplify the injustices rampant in the criminal justice system. We need your help to make it the best it can possibly be! If you like what you hear please share it with a friend and subscribe for free via iTunes (don’t forget to leave us a rating and review ) or the Stitcher Radio App
Join the conversation in our private Facebook Group: The Lions of Liberty Forum!