Welcome! This is a casual place to keep up with trials and court cases in real time. Trial watches, appeals, motions, deep dives, and the occasional “wait… what?” story.
We look at cases with two pulses here -
1) What do you think happened?
2) Did the prosecution (or plaintiff) actually meet their burden to prove their case?
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Katt Not Williams
What happened here is insane. Thomas Raynard James spent 32 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit because he had the same name as the guy police were actually looking for.
> Witnesses/tips pointed to a "Tommy James" from Coconut Grove with a mother named Mary
> Police search their database for "Thomas James"
> Pull the mugshot of Thomas Raynard James, a low-level pot dealer from a completely different neighborhood
> His mother's name is Doris
> Put him in a photo lineup anyway
> One eyewitness (the victim's stepdaughter) IDs him
> Tells the jury "I will never forget his face. I will never forget his eyes"
> No fingerprints match him (9 sets lifted from crime scene)
> No DNA, no ballistics, no murder weapon linked to him
> Other witnesses either can't ID him in court or were going off rumors
> Real suspect Vincent "Dog" Williams was identified fleeing the scene and never charged for this
> Public defender meets him for less than 3 hours total
> Calls zero defense witnesses
> James doesn't testify
> Convicted in 1991, sentenced to life at 23
> Spends the next three decades filing appeals (all denied)
> Innocence Project passes on his case twice because no DNA
> From prison he figures out there's another Thomas James whose mom is actually named Mary
> That Thomas James later tells a reporter "the officers were looking for me"
> Family knocks on doors and a young lawyer logs 2,000 free hours
> 2021 GQ story finally forces the State Attorney's office to reinvestigate the case
> Eyewitness recants and says they got the wrong guy
> James passes a polygraph
> Prosecutors write that it was a "chance coincidence" over the similar name
> Call the evidence at best "unclear and unconvincing" and at worst "just plain wrong"
> Declare him actually innocent
> Judge vacates the conviction the same day
> He walks out at 55 after losing more than half his life to a name mix-up and one super-certain eyewitness ID
Very much excited to hit play on this one and hear from Thomas James.
2 days ago | [YT] | 4
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Katt Not Williams
UPDATE: Cathy Russon posted a summary of the YNW Melly hearing yesterday. See below and follow her on X here: x.com/cathyrusson/status/2117744596394647758?a=emz…
3 days ago | [YT] | 25
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Katt Not Williams
Two new hearing dates have been added - Nov 23 and Nov 24, a Monday and Tuesday. The Nov 20 hearing date, Friday, is also still listed without any notes. Perhaps this date will be removed at a later time? Not sure why they wouldn't notate it right away, though.
All three dates are for "All Pending Motions."
3 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 34
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Katt Not Williams
YNW Melly - New Filing - Notification of Inmate Refusal dated November 1, 2026.
Apparently, Melly told BSO he's "Not going to court" at some point before this was signed on Sunday, Nov 1.
I wonder if he was asked again this morning or not.
I don't know any other details about today's hearing as Judge Fein was only allowing attorneys in for the Zoom hearing. @floridadefenseteam spoke with Melly's attorney Drew Findling last week and if you don't already follow them, they do great work and I highly recommend you subscribe to them :)!
4 days ago | [YT] | 50
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Katt Not Williams
Hearing on MOTION TO STRIKE set for Nov 2! Lisa and @floridadefenseteam talked to Drew Findling about what's next:
1 week ago | [YT] | 12
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Katt Not Williams
Judge Whitaker interview MONDAY! Via ClassE News:
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 24
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Katt Not Williams
ANDREW HAYES: The Shelby County DA’s Office has joined Andrew Hayes’ motion to disqualify Judge Lee Coffee.
Hayes is arguing that Coffee's comments demonstrate he's prejudged the case. Additionally, Coffee indicated Hayes would not be released regardless of his decision.
The motion is set for hearing on November 6, 2026.
Hayes also agreed to be transferred to a Nashville facility following this week’s stabbing at the 201 Poplar jail. dailymemphian.com/section/metropublic-safety/artic…
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 45
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Katt Not Williams
KOSOWSKI SPENCER HEARING:
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 4
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Katt Not Williams
DOUBLE TRIALS TODAY! Currently watching the Tyreek Hill Trial (Day 2 - it's wild). Now that the jury has been seated in the long-awaited Faith Hedgepeth trial, opening statements are kicking off.
Here is a case primer if you want some background information before we start day 1:
https://youtu.be/bI6TsnvWZgI
And below is the link to watch day 1 with us. Starting this evening around 5:30PM ET and skipping breaks.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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