Comedy, case law, chaos. Practicing attorney and TikTok gal @rebmasel breaks down bizarre, chaotic, and intriguing cases and anecdotes from the legal field you've (probably) never heard of. Listen to Reb's hilarious and informative takes on the weird, the awesome, the horrifying, the inspiring, and the everything-in-between happening inside and outside the courtroom.
***NOT LEGAL ADVICE***
https://www.youtube.com/@RebuttalPod
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(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) In 1986, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech describing this plaintiff as "outrageous," "absurd," and "loony". His name was Charles Bigbee, and his leg had been torn from his body. This is Bigbee v. Pacific Telephone & Telegraph, Co., et al. (1983)—the story of a drunk woman, a telephone booth, and the most famous "frivolous" lawsuit of the 1980s. Enjoy. *** Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at http://www.skims.com/rebuttal #skimspartner *** MERCH STORE ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) “I am astonished how successful these urban legends have been in influencing policy. . . . The people that created these stories did so with remarkable skill .” The Grazinski case, the Carson case, and the Walton case, to name a few. They've all been cited as true by a wide range of major media outlets, including CNN and U.S. News & World Report. There's just one problem: These cases don't exist. And neither do the people in them. No, AI didn't hallucinate the...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) This is our fourth **Reb's Round-Up** episode—A rapid-fire (or as rapid as Reb can make it) list of cases that deserve to be included in the Rebuttal Podcast universe but are too short to devote a full episode to. For this Round-Up, Reb gives you * 14 bonus cases * for you to tell unsuspecting friends and strangers all about, including: Drones delivering packages to prison; An ex-lawyer in a purple G-string hallucinating a Giant Panda; A bank robbery research pro...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) "By all appearances, a man who went by William Woods had turned his life around. . . .There was just one problem: Although William Woods is a real person, the man is not that person. " –Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Reb visits a really messed up hot dog cart from 1988 and a saga that'll make you question everybody's last name. Just to be sure. This is United States v. Keirans (8th Cir. 2026). Enjoy. SOURCES : 8th Circuit Opinion (April 23, 2026): https://ecf.ca...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from." –Cormac McCarthy, No Country For Old Men. Two tiger sharks, a tattoo, and a richocheted bullet off a man's skull. Reb dives into the Shark Arm Case (1935), the Confrontation Clause, and the Dead Witness Dilemma. Enjoy. *** Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at THIS LINK: https://www.skims.com/rebuttal #skimspartner *** MERCH STORE IS LIVE! Shop Reb Masel and Rebuttal Pod merch: ht...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) One August day in 2019, Ina and David Steiner, a married couple in their late 50s and early 60s respectively, were in their offices at their Natick, Massachusetts home when they each noticed an email pop into their inboxes. The message was bizarre. It said their “wet specimen” was ready and asked, Did they want to accept delivery? . . . . Reb explains the (very insane, very stupid, very scary) case of United States v. Baugh, et al. (2020). Enjoy! *** MERCH STORE ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) A psychic, a bitcoin influencer, a 70 year-old bank robber, and a University faculty p*rn star walk into a bar.... Case #1 - Fortune teller Rose Marks and her eight family members swindle $25 million out of vulnerable (rich) people who just want to curse a few people, is all. Unfortunately, one of those victims was a famous author with a lot of ex-husbands. (2013) Case #2 - A Bitcoin influencer (oof) paid a group of Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies $20,000 per day ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) On a cloudless day in Kentucky in 1876, enough raw meat to cover a football field fell from the sky out of nowhere. No one knows where it came from, but there are theories and (unfortunately) jelly beans. Reb covers the 1876 Kentucky Meat Shower and Raising Cane's most recent 2026 lawsuit against people who were surprised to learn that a chicken store smells like chicken. Enjoy! *** MERCH STORE IS LIVE! Shop Reb Masel and Rebuttal Pod merch: https://r...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) A doctor tries to escape a lawsuit over his cows and a cow tries to escape a slaughterhouse over her flesh. Two cases, one theme. This is Tunnell v. Archer, et al. (2016) and Emily the Cow. Kamoo. *** Links: The Peace Abbey— https://www.peaceabbey.org/animal-rights-emily-the-cow/ Book | The Story of Emily the Cow: Bovine Bodhisattva (2008): https://books.google.com.pr/books?id=Yh7ow2u7e84C&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&q&f=false *** MERCH STORE IS LIVE...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) This is our third Reb's Round-Up episode —A rapid-fire (or as rapid as Reb can make it) laundry list of cases that deserve to be included in the Rebuttal Podcast universe but are too short to devote a full episode to. For this Round-Up, Reb gives you ** 17 bonus cases ** to giggle, scoff, and yell about, including: A Bar Mitzvah "from hell"; The judge who swore prostitutes make the best soup; A lawyer who forgot his client was dead; Seaman's Manslaughter; A dange...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ). On November 24, 2002, a medieval catapult violently hurled willing human beings several stories high and into a net 100 feet away. Those who built the catapult and organized the stunt were inspired by a notorious group of misfits from the 1970s. This is the story of the Dangerous Sports Club and the 2004 manslaughter trial following the tragic killing of Kostydin "Dino" Yankov. *** MERCH STORE IS LIVE! Shop Reb Masel and Rebuttal Pod merch: https://reb...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) This is our second Reb's Round-Up episode —A rapid-fire (or as rapid as Reb can make it) laundry list of cases that deserve to be included in the Rebuttal Podcast universe but are too short to devote a full episode to. For this Round-Up, Reb gives you ** 18 bonus cases ** to giggle, scoff, and yell about, including: A 236-page manifesto some local librarians were asked to proofread; A prosecutor who would've killed it at the Salem Witch Trials; Drunk driving a Ch...
Reb Masel breaks down four incredibly unusual legal cases, starting with a London zoo's Christmas party turning violent over a llama keeper love triangle. The chaos continues with an Australian man using raw pork chops as shoes, causing an injury and a lawsuit that highlights the assumption of risk. Next, a Kentucky man attempts a novel caffeine-induced insanity defense for murder. Finally, the podcast explores a Texas mayor's bizarre dognapping and her subsequent elaborate cover-up and resignation. These stories reveal the comical and chaotic side of the legal system.
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) "Everybody in the art world thinks he's telling the truth, and thinks I'm crazy, but people outside of the art world are skeptical… I know why he [disavowed the painting]. He did it because he can’t draw. Everything he does is projected, and he sketches it from the picture…This painting we have proves it." Described as one of the "most bizarre art authentication trials in recent memory," Reb unpacks (paints?) Fletcher v. Doig (7th Cir. 2025). *** MERCH STORE IS L...
"The Louisiana Arson Family" unravels a harrowing tale of an eight-year crime wave in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, marked by arsons, booby traps, and vandalism. The episode exposes critical police incompetence, as authorities repeatedly framed an innocent family, the Phillips, while ignoring their own confidential informant, Gary Wilson, who was the actual perpetrator. The narrative culminates in the Wilson family's tragic double suicide and a multi-million dollar settlement for the wrongfully accused Phillips family, highlighting systemic failures in law enforcement.
Delve into two wild legal cases in this episode. First, uncover the surprising history of how Supreme Court justices determined obscenity, including mandatory basement screenings of adult films and the contemporary implications of such rulings. Then, follow the bizarre multi-year lawsuit against Rick Springfield, where a fan claimed she was knocked unconscious by his buttocks at a concert, leading to a mistrial, dramatic testimony, and a final verdict.
This episode delves into the complex case of United States v. Cornelius Green, involving a motorcycle club, an alleged kidnapping, and a joint trial. The discussion highlights the critical legal issue of mutually antagonistic defenses and inadmissible character evidence that ultimately led to a rare and significant appellate victory. Green's conviction was vacated, and his case remanded for new proceedings, underscoring the importance of a fair trial.
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) An IED blowing up your truck and feces in your lunchbox. It’s a workplace of nightmares, and that’s not even the half of it: Add in BB guns, potato guns, and more feces. I’m sure the boss did something about it, right….Right?…..RIGHT....?!?!?!?! This is our first Reb's Round-Up episode —A rapid-fire (or as rapid as Reb can make it) laundry list of cases that deserve to be included in the Rebuttal Podcast universe but are too short to devote a full episode to. For...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) HAPPY NEW YEAR! Pro-tip: If you're planning to leave 60+ threatening, profanity-laced voicemails for the Franklin County, Ohio judge presiding over your drunk-driving case, be *sure* to identify yourself by name, leave your phone number, and let her know you're *also* calling in bomb threats to a local bar, a Home Depot, a Best Western, and two nearby schools. AND don't forget to call the local sheriff's office 100 times to advise them, among other things, that o...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) On December 7, 1941, pilots from the Imperial Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor in a surprise attack on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. After strafing Pearl Harbor in the second wave of the attack, Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi was in dire straits—his plane was too damaged to make it back to his aircraft carrier. If necessary, all Imperial Japanese pilots were instructed to crash land on Ni'ihau, a small Hawaiian island they were cert...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) Before 2019, no crimes had been committed in space (that we know of). After poring over records, the New York Times could only come up with three things: (1) damage to a Russian satellite that was allegedly China’s fault; (2) a lawsuit seeking to recover a deposit somebody put down for a space-tourism trip; and (3) a U.S.-government sting operation aimed at recovering a moon rock. Only one of those happened in space, though, and none of them are crimes. That is, ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) ***CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENT DEATH*** By the time police arrived, there was little that could be done for her. A medical examiner testified that the only parts of her body that were spared were the "top of her head" and the "soles of her feet." ... This is the story of two lawyers. But more importantly, this is Diane Whipple's story. *** REBUTTAL POD MERCH WILL BE LIVE ON 12/4/25 AT THIS LINK!!!!!!!!! *** CLICK HERE to PREOR...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) The record for most helicopter escapes goes to convicted murderer Pascal Payet, who has used helicopters to escape from prisons in 2001, 2003, and most recently 2007.... Reb goes down a Wikipedia rabbit hole for this Thanksgiving episode. Happy holidays! See you next week!!!! REBUTTAL POD MERCH IS LIVE!: https://rebmasel.shop/ *** CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of O...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) “We walked straight into (Arizona Department of Corrections). We handed it to them. [S]he was kind of confused at first ... Two days later, instead of serving 22 more years, David Cramer walked out of Lewis Prison..." This is State of Arizona v. Cramer (2015), but mostly every bizarre twist that came after it. REBUTTAL POD MERCH IS LIVE!: https://rebmasel.shop/ *** CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's G...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) The State of Connecticut charged Teresa Beatty $249 per day, every day, while she was in prison for a minor drug offense from 2000 to 2002—But she wouldn't discover this until 20 years later. When her mother died in 2020, the State of Connecticut filed a notice in probate court demanding approximately 35%—over $83,000—of Beatty’s inheritance. And it was perfectly legal. In fact, at least 45 states in America force you to pay (literally) for the privilege of being...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) “You’ve got an impressive slate of candidates,” Brian Manookian said to a panel considering applications for a Tennessee Supreme Court seat. “Judge [Kelvin] Jones is not one of them.” Why? Check his backyard. And his divorce transcripts. Reb reminds you to keep your mouth shut in Jones v. Jones (Ten. Ct. App. 2022) . REBUTTAL POD MERCH IS LIVE!: https://rebmasel.shop/ *** CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawye...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) BREAKING: If you arrest AND charge a man over a few (really funny) jokes, The Onion will probably file a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to let you know how stupid you are. And yes, they'll call the Justices "total Latin dorks" on Page 4. This is Anthony Novak v. City of Parma, Ohio (2022). >> LINK TO THE ONION'S BRIEF REBUTTAL POD MERCH IS LIVE!: https://rebmasel.shop/ - CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) **LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED, GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF TRAUMATIC DEATH INVOLVING CHILDREN** Shortly after 2:00 A.M. on July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow paced nervously in front of a mock Vietnamese village at the Indian Dunes park just north of Los Angeles. Morrow could not help but feel uneasy as he watched the Huey helicopter approach the village for a final rehearsal. Years earlier, Morrow had had a premonition that he was going to die in a helicopter crash. . ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) How far would you go for your wardrobe? 16 years of litigation, perhaps? Witness the unraveling of Judge Roy Pearson in Pearson v. Chung (2007). *** CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of Our Legal System, *God No, Not Actual Legal Advice *** Follow @RebuttalPod on Instagram and Twitter ! Follow @Rebmasel on TikTok , Instagram , and Twitter ! *** ...
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE ) “His statement was that [the other man] had summoned ‘Bigfoot’ to come and kill him. That’s why he had to kill [him first]. . . " Sasquatch is (somehow) always in court. Let's go hunting. These are the Bigfoot cases. *Reb's reference to an incomplete (but larger) list of Bigfoot case law: Click here *** CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of Our Legal System, *God No, Not Actual Leg...
