New Pesky Picks Q&A Released Today! Plus JP Miller Takes The World To Magistrate Court and Regina Ward Joins COJ Next Week
Happy SUNday!!!
I am so thankful for the Premium Members that joined Thursday’s recording of our Pesky Picks Q & A focusing on the Amanda Knox documentary.
We’re sending all the kudos and thanks to Members Grace F., Jeff H, Julie S., and Stephanie T. for joining us in the studio to record an incredible conversation. Plus journalist Beth Braden and Luna Shark Librarian Kate Thomas helped lead the discussion to some expected and unexpected destinations. If you want to participate in future months, just send us an email to [email protected]. We’ll announce February’s Pesky Pick this week on COJ and we welcome all suggestions at that same email.
We picked the Amanda Knox documentary because I believe it is a case study in why its crucially important for the media to question its coverage, examine bias, and separate truth from “access journalism”. After our interview of Amanda Knox on COJ #107, I’m still so impressed with her resilience and recognized leadership in helping exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
On this special bonus episode, our small but mighty media club shared unfiltered thoughts and reactions as we explored the misguided media coverage of the case and the perverted relationship between the media sensationalism and the misogynistic police narrative. We talked about The impact of sensationalized journalism and how it shaped public perception of Amanda Knox. We discussed how the media, including American outlets, portrayed Knox as likely guilty, despite the lack of evidence.
We critiqued super jerk Nick Pisa’s role in promoting a false narrative and the Italian police for their lack of remorse and for manipulating the situation. We examined how Knox’s perceived personality and reactions were used against her, compounded by a language barrier and her youth. Plus we talked about the influence of reality TV and the objectification of women in the media. We emphasize the importance of critical thinking about media narratives, drawing comparisons with other documentaries and cases, noting that documentarian’s often inject their own bias without overtly sharing that position with the audience.
In the end, we all seemed to be in agreement about Amanda’s resilience, strength and wisdom beyond years. Check out the episode on your preferred app or listen from the Supercast member dashboard from the link below. And please consider buying Amanda’s first book and new book releasing this March to get a fuller understanding of her perspective.
We talk about bias a lot on our shows because media bias often infiltrates reporting and can have dire consequences. I like to think we are pretty open about our biases and where my allegiances are… So for anyone that wants clarity on where we stand, here are three positions and groups that we support with our perspective and financial resources.
We have donated from Luna Shark, so as Premium Members, please accepting our sincere appreciation for helping us fund these initiatives:
For the past eight months, a small group of protesters has been peacefully protesting in pursuit of justice for sweet MICAwhile raising awareness about domestic violence, coercive control, and abuse and corruption within churches. Now, some of the protesters are facing legal action, and they are asking for your support.
As you all know from coverage back in April 2023, Sandy Smith led a fundraising effort to fund an independent exhumation and investigation into her son Stephen Smith’s unsolved 2015 homicide. The overwhelming support from this initiative raised over $130,000 to pay for the immense expenses needed to properly examine and return Stephen plus fund a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Stephen’s killer(s). Sandy now feels its critical to seek a new fundraising goal – to Raise The Reward for Information That Leads To An Arrest to $50,000.
Christa Bauer Gilley’s death on Oct. 8th, 2024, has been an unbelievable tragedy for everyone in her community, which spans states and stages of life, from South Carolina to Pennsylvania to Texas, childhood to new colleagues and neighbors. During this incredibly difficult time, Christa’s family needs our help. Please consider a donation to support her family and mitigate the burden of legal, court and travel costs, so they can focus on surrounding her children with love and stability in this devastating time, and for years to come. Your help will also go towards childcare, food and housing expenses that will allow them to concentrate on Christa’s babies, and not the financial stress of this heart-wrenching loss. Any money raised beyond the immediate needs of the family will go directly to Christa’s children to help provide for their futures.
GoFundMe Links
I’m still in awe that Liz and I were able to chat with Lt. Misty Carausu on Cup of Justice #114… Lt. Misty Carausu wowed audiences of “American Nightmare” with her tenacity and devotion to her job. And she showed what can happen when police come from a place of BELIEVING victims instead of treating victims like suspects.
After helping investigate a home invasion in her jurisdiction, Misty discovered a connection between the suspect in her case and Denise and Aaron’s case, proving that Denise and Aaron were telling the truth all along. On Cup of Justice #114, we dive deeper to discover more beneath the surface of this harrowing story and how we can inspire more women like Misty to Protect and Serve.
And last week on Cup of Justice #115, Liz, Eric and I dove into the intricacies of Magistrate court as Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller files more than a dozen complaints against protesters and creators seeking Justice for Mica. What is JP up to and why did he choose Magistrate Court, where the most damages he could win tops out at $7,500? How can the protesters/creators defend themselves? And will the judge — who isn’t a member of the South Carolina Bar Association and doesn’t appear to have ever been a lawyer — be fooled by JP’s claims?
And next week, Liz and I were proud to welcome Mica’s attorney Regina Ward to the Cup of Justice recording studio. Regina discusses the complexities of restraining orders, noting the inconsistency in court treatment compared to Mica Francis’ case. Regina emphasized the need for better legal resources and support for victims, particularly in family court. Ward emphasized the importance of authenticating evidence and the rules of evidence in magistrate and circuit court. Plus so much more and I can’t wait for you to listen tomorrow!
On True Sunlight #85 this week, Liz and I continue shining sunlight on the Mica Francis story. On TSP episode, a former church member being sued by JP Miller turns the tables on him with a fiery counterclaim from attorney Regina Ward. According to court filings, THREE DAYS before Mica’s death, JP asked this church member to write “Dedicated to Mica” on the website of the church’s Dare2Care program, a mission that was important to Mica. Was this unfortunate timing? Or does this point to something more nefarious? Plus, an update in the Sara Lynn Colucci case and Christa Bauer case. This episode gets deeper into these very twisted stories…
As always, your support is immensely appreciated and keeps us motivated to expose the truth wherever it leads, give voice to victims and get the story straight.
Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky, and Stay In The Sunlight…
– Mandy
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