Light 'Em Up: Recent Episodes
Phillip Rizzo
"Light 'Em Up" takes a deep dive on the criminal justice system, crime scene investigation and leadership. We take you under and behind the crime scene investigation tape to get at the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God! Justice comes to those that fight ... not those that cry!
ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seems to have a mandate to kill. They’ve struck again!
Welcome to this explosive, fact-finding episode of Light ‘Em Up.
On Tuesday July 7th in the early morning hours, 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo took his coffee and food his wife had prepared for him, said goodbye to his wife and their dog, and left the house he built.
He drove his white van, picked up three co-workers, and headed towards a construction site to work on some houses.
But Salgado never made it to work.
During a “targeted enforcement operation”, ICE officers shot and killed Salgado and arrested the three other men.
ICE says Lorenzo Salgado Araujo tried to ram agents with a van before one shot him dead. Almost immediately, questions emerged over how the encounter had escalated. In initial statements, homeland security officials said that Mr. Salgado Araujo had tried to use his vehicle as a weapon.
History and the evidence have shown that ICE has a long track record of lying. They lied about Renee Good and they lied about Alex Pretti as well. Pam Bondi immediately held a national press conference to spin farcical stories to help cover the Trump administration’s asses. Claiming that agents shot Renee Good because she “refused commands to exit her vehicle” and “attempted to run over an officer with her car” — weaponizing her vehicle.
Through their legal representation, the three witnesses who were in the vehicle with Mr. Araujo (all Mexican nationals) dispute the account by ICE of the fatal shooting. A lawyer for these men (a Mr. Hugo Balderas-Ibarra) said that account of ICE was untrue.
Salgado’s death marks the 10th of 11 fatal shootings by federal immigration officials nationwide since the second Trump administration took office, a review of public reports by Light ‘Em Up shows — as the Trump administration continues with its anti-immigrant crackdown.
For 35 years, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was undocumented and chasing the American Dream. He hoped to obtain legal status, his family said. Those dreams ended when he was gunned down in the streets — something you wouldn’t even do to a rabid dog — gunned down last week by an immigration agent who was looking for a different man.
This comes on the heels of learning that there will be no charges for the federal officers who killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In this incendiary episode we’ll investigate in-depth:
— Can you sue an ICE agent who has gone rogue?
— Will there be any accountability in this case?
— Will the government try to protect their story and deport the witnesses before they have an opportunity to tell their full stories in a court of law?
— With the Trump administration, does ICE have a mandate to kill?
The deadly confrontation has set off protests in Houston, prompted investigations by local and federal officials, and renewed national focus on President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
An independent inquiry has been called for in this specific case. Will one be granted? If yes, what might be the outcome? Only time will tell.
Trust isn’t something that this administration has built up regarding any topic — especially as it relates to ICE enforcement and matters of immigration.
— Can the federal government ever be trusted under this administration to tell the truth?
We speak the truth, protect the vulnerable and always pursue justice.
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Tonight, in this incendiary investigative edition of Light ‘Em Up!
We’re burying our nose into the international intrigue, kidnapping and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The arrest of Maduro is not the first time the US has captured a sitting head of government in Latin America.
In December 1989, the George H.W. Bush administration launched Operation Just Cause, deploying over 24,000 U.S. troops to depose Panama’s Manuel Noriega and bring him to the United States to face federal drug-trafficking charges.
For the longest time, President Trump has had a “hard on” for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro is accused by U.S. authorities of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers, actively working with cartels to smuggle fentanyl-laced cocaine into the U.S. and engaging in narco-terrorism.
In March 2020, Maduro was charged in a Southern District of New York federal indictment for:
— narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine,
— possession of machine guns and destructive devices,
— and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 960a and 963, and 18 U.S.C. § 924.
— The U.S. Government initially offered a reward offer of up to $15 million for any information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nicolás Maduro Morosin 2020. The Biden Administration’s Department of State on January 8, 2025, announced raising the reward offer to up to $25 million and ultimately $50 million under Trump 2.0.
President Trump's opposition to Maduro was driven by Maduro’s alleged authoritarian governance, political corruption, and alleged involvement in large-scale drug trafficking.
Trump also frequently criticized Maduro for undermining democratic elections (as he himself has done) and allying with U.S. geopolitical rivals like China, Russia, and Iran.
In this episode, we’ll shine the antiseptic light of the truth and examine:
The allegations that Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro stand accused of — and have been indicted on.
As you know from previous episodes of Light ‘Em Up:
Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty at trial or by plea.
— Straight from the indictment we’ll investigate the Trump administration’s case and legal arguments …
— We’ll examine the legal nuances of the DOJ indictment detailing narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges,
— As well as the international impacts and law that cover head of state sovereignty, state sovereigntyand the “legality” of such a sweeping international action.
— All with an intense focus on the response from the EU, Latin America, China, Russia.
Trump says, “The Venezuelan people are “Happy”. We’ve learned differently.
The fallout from this raid continues to shape international relations, with global leaders split between condemning the breach of sovereignty and supporting the removal of an autocratic regime.
Arresting and extraditing your political enemies can serve as a convenient way to get rid of political rivals — but it doesn’t make the process clean, easy or lawful.
Was this massive use of military force in Caracas a violation of international law, and more specifically Article 2 §4 of The UN Charter?
Is Mr. Maduro entitled to immunity as the head of state of a sovereign country? The U.S. government maintains that he obtained the status through a fraudulent election. General Noriega made a similar claim and lost.
Nicolás Maduro declared himself a prisoner of war, a status that the last Latin American leader seized by U.S. forces, Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, also claimed.
What will be the geopolitical impact for Venezuela and what does its future look like in conjunction with President Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would “oversee” Venezuela’s transition, and the subsequent installation of Maduro’s Number 2 … interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
These actions will certainly have broader geopolitical and energy implications for the region. The search for the truth and justice begins RIGHT HERE … and RIGHT NOW!
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Tonight, on this penetrating, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up…
With the 250th birthday of the United States rapidly approaching — we take a critical and intensive look at the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and at its foundation and the importance of a free press in a democracy.
The most basic liberties guaranteed to Americans — embodied in the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — assure Americans a government that is responsible to its citizens and responsive to their wishes. These 45 words are as alive and important today as they were more than 249 years ago.
These liberties are neither liberal nor conservative, Democratic nor Republican — they are the basis for our representative democratic form of government.
45 words that grant us the inalienable right that:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thomas Jefferson in 1787 famously articulated that a “well-informed public holds ultimate power; without truth and oversight, even the best-intentioned government can devolve into tyranny”.
Jefferson's preference for “newspapers without government” over “government without newspapers” was essential to the fledgling U.S. democracy and, as the truly wise man that he was, these maxims hold true to this day as the press is being tested like it never has been before.
President Trump had his most recent “meltdown” in an on-air interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker. The world bore witness to “Exhibit A” … of Donald Trump’s face becoming as red as a beet … as he shouted at and insulted another female, minority reporter — this time it was Kristen Welker, an NBC journalist who is biracial.
Welker’s mother is black and her father is white.
It is crystal clear Trump is triggered by reporters that aren’t ass-smooching sycophants as the members of his entire presidential cabinet are.
Intelligent women in general and minority women especially trigger Trump the most.
We’ll shine the antiseptic light of the truth on the importance of having an independent free press and how it has proven to be an essential ingredient in the making of and maintaining a democracy.
Also, we’ll investigate the damage the free press has suffered at the hands of Donald Trump and his constantly dishonest style of “scorched-earth politics” — where he rails against all media, unless of course, it’s his coveted Fox News.
And we’ve researched and plan to share with you if there are any fair and accurate comparisons to Mussolini’s Fascist Italy and Hitler’s Nazi Germany and their treatment of the press in the lead-up to their power-grabs as they sought to change the balance of power for the free world.
Every time Donald Trump attacks a reporter — the free press dies a little bit each time.
The second Trump administration's core campaign pledge to protect open discourse has sharply clashed with its executive actions, resulting in a systemic contraction of First Amendment protections.
Critics and civil liberties watchdogs argue that while the administration aggressively targets what it deems "left-wing bias" and "federal collusion" with tech platforms, it simultaneously deploys state infrastructure to:
— penalize critical media,
— restrict assembly,
and …
— mandate strict government-approved speech orthodoxy.
The fact of the matter is:
Donald Trump rails against EVERYONE who doesn’t blow smoke up his ass — as a lot of people do.
He’s always done this. He will continue to do so. He’s a thin-skinned, weak-charactered, congenital narcissist — THIS is what they do. They can’t take any criticism … a narcissist to this degree can’t even entertain anything that isn’t praise.
We’ll examine all this … pero mucho más aquí y solamente aquí — on this edition of Light ‘Em Up!
The search for the truth and justice begins RIGHT HERE … and RIGHT NOW!
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Tonight, on this explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up.
If you are hearing this episode, it is a miracle from God. Believe me!
About a week ago with no advanced warning, we suffered the most serious catastrophic equipment failure that we’ve ever experienced — thanks to Windows 11. The Security settings on Windows 11 cancelled our access to our “drivers” which support our show.
We scrambled; we researched the problem day and night, tried one of everything and troubleshot the issue until we were asleep on our feet.
Long story short, we’re back! Bill Gates can’t keep a good show down!
Tonight, we focus our investigative reporting skills with the intensity of a surgical laser on better understanding officer- induced jeopardy, which also can be referred to as officer- created jeopardy.
"Officer-induced jeopardy" refers to situations where a police officer’s own unreasonable tactics, actions, or decisions prior to a force encounter unnecessarily create or escalate the danger, increasing the likelihood that force will be needed.
The phrases of “officer-induced jeopardy” or “officer-created jeopardy” describe actions taken by police officers that increase the risk of injury to the officer and escalate the probability of use of lethal force by officers, which may have been avoided had the officer not placed himself or herself in a self-created dangerous situation.
Be clear in the fact that this action stems from willful actions taken by the officer that put the officer and the person of interest or suspect in danger … such as:
— rushing in without backup,
— poor de-escalation skills and tactics,
— or standing in front of a fleeing vehicle, which may have been avoided.
Officers rarely are but can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects. However, the facts bear out that fewer than 3% of killings by police result in officers being charged with a crime.
Recently, a fan of the show contacted us and informed us of an incident where their family — in their home -- became inadvertent ear and eyewitnesses being directly next door to where the Akron Police Department had terminated a vehicle pursuit — barricading and cornering a driver in his vehicle and ordering him to exit his vehicle while at gun point: More than 10 officers with their weapons drawn and pointed at the person who had previously committed what would amount to minor misdemeanors.
The family that contacted us were concerned because they were in the direct line of crossfire if the officers decided to fire.
This unnecessary contact with a 66-year-old black man (the suspect) could have easily turned into a “contagious fire” incident, with many of those shots coming from high-powered, military style assault rifles.
In this explosive episode, in order to further our understanding about officer- induced jeopardy — as a case study we’ll examine Barnes v. Felix, 605 U.S. ___ (2025), which is a recent Supreme Court decision which assesses whether an officer acted reasonably in using force under the Fourth Amendment, and that a court must consider all the relevant circumstances, including facts and events leading up to the climactic moment.
And we’ll touch upon a few brief case summaries and instances that support our topic …
As well as:
— How the use-of-force management training has changed over the course of the last decade.
— How has the use of less-lethal tools and devices changed?
And …
— What we feel law enforcement agencies in the 21st Century should focus more on when it comes to officer- induced jeopardy and the use-of-force continuum.
All this, pero mucho más aquí y solamente aquí — on Light ‘Em Up!
The search for the truth and justice begins RIGHT HERE … and RIGHT NOW!
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On this explosive edition of Light ‘Em Up:
We probe and examine the Federal Death Penalty.
On Friday, April 17th, 2026, the Trump Administration said it would allow executions by firing squad and restore the use of lethal injections in federal death-penalty cases.
The Trump Administration has no problem with:
— dropping missiles on little schoolgirls in Iran
— supplying the weapons that have killed over 72,000 people including women and children in Gaza (since the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack) — and
— blowing up boats piloted by unarmed civilians off the coast of Venezuela.
We ask: If the federal and state governments have proscriptions against murder, why are they in the business of killing?
The federal death penalty applies in all 50 states and U.S. territories but is used relatively rarely.
We’ll examine the hypocritical facts whereby:
— Most MAGA cult-members are “pro-life”, yet at the same time profess to be “pro-death penalty”. How do those opposites align? Are they just okay with being hypocrites? Does this fact bring them closer to their Orange Jesus?
— Pope Leo XIV says those two ideological positions can’t align and they never will. Pope Leo XIV has stated that, according to Catholic teaching, being against abortion but in favor of the death penalty is not "genuinely pro-life". Church teaching opposes capital punishment as "inadmissible" under all circumstances.
Tune in specifically to hear Pope Leo’s specific thoughts.
We also want to know what YOU think:
— Is the death penalty unfair, especially the way it is applied?
— Are lethal injections saved for the poor? (As a means of controlling the excess population) that AREN’T in the Epstein Class?
— Is there a racial bias that permeates the entire criminal justice system?
— Is capital punishment an effective deterrent or just an irreversible means of retribution?
A firing squad is exceptionally gruesome.
Adoption of such a heinous execution practice, however, should surprise no one.
This country, from its inception, has had a perverted affination with violence and brutality.
On the state level, in South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union on December 20th, 1860 — the method in the Palmetto state involves three corrections employees firing live rounds from 15 feet away at the condemned inmate, who is in a chair with a target over their heart.
As a society, do we really need this?
As a case study we look at the execution of Brad Sigmon, who was sentenced to death for the April 2001 murders of Gladys and William David Larke, the parents of his ex-girlfriend, in Greenville, SC.
Explore more details on the process, here: How does the firing squad work in South Carolina?
On April 24th, 2026, this administration released its official report entitled: Restoring and Strengthening the Federal Death Penalty. They maintain that “capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) strongly opposes the use of firing squads, viewing them as a "barbaric" and "inhumane" method of execution. The organization advocates for the total abolition of the death penalty, arguing that all forms of capital punishment constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" in violation of the Constitution.
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Tonight, on this intense, explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up, we re-double our focus on Israel’s top war criminal, Bibi Netanyahu’s illegal war with Iran — that Donald Trump was so easily suckered into.
We were tracking and watching the clock — in a full-fledged countdown like on New Year’s Eve in Times Square … to see if Donald Trump would carry out his threat to end Iran’s entire civilization — and with less than 1 hour remaining in the deadline, TACO! Trump Chickened Out — he blinked! As we predicted he would.
Trump typically does back down or chicken out. As a bully, he doesn’t have much of a stomach for push back — so much so that he has earned an acronym for himself.
“TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out)!
The events of the War in Iran are fluid and rapidly changing.
As of 4/18 the death toll from the war has risen to more than 3,300 people killed in Iran and over 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon during Trump & Bibi’s war of choice.
Coming up … on this exclusive episode:
There’s been so much talk on TV about war crimes —
We’ll investigate what exactly constitutes a war crime? Where does this authority originate?
We’ll educate and empower you regarding the ICC (The International Criminal Court) and The Geneva Conventions.
Much of Donald Trump and the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s communications amount to orders to violate the laws of war and have put the U.S. and its servicemen on an unavoidable path with committing war crimes, notably Trump’s explicit threats against civilian infrastructure and statements regarding “collective punishment” and Hegseth’s “no quarter” comments.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the U.S. that attacks on civilian infrastructure are banned under international law.
Under the U.N. Charter, nations are only permitted to use force against another nation if it has been authorized by the Security Council or in self-defense. The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, not the other way around.
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, it was widely documented as the deadliest attack in Israel's history and the single worst one-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. It is considered one of the worst terrorist attacks in world history, ranking as the third deadliest since data collection began in 1970 — yet Israel attacks Iran, Lebanon and Gaza in the exact same fashion daily.
Does it ever end? Will the killing ever stop?
We’ll unpack:
— A few extra special demented social media posts by Trump that have led us to the current situation. When War Crimes Rhetoric Becomes Battlefield Reality: The Slippery Slope to Total War and War Crimes with Iran.
It is important to point out that rhetoric becomes war crimes when it moves beyond political speech to openly incite, authorize, or threaten grave violations of international humanitarian law. You don’t have to believe me, just ask any Tutsi from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
The cognitively challenged Republican president often oscillates between heated threats, announced delays, and proclamations that the negotiations were going well, … sometimes in the same statement — as he conducts foreign policy online from his Truth Social profile.
If Joe Biden attempted anything close to this the legacy news media would soil themselves and be screaming at the top of their lungs calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment.
Why the hypocrisy?
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As the globe is being strangled economically by Donald Trump & Bibi Netanyahu’s unnecessary war of choice with Iran — we take an-in depth look at the rapidly spiraling out of control act of aggression against the sovereign state of Iran.
Prior to going to air with this episode, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, said in his resignation letter to President Donald Trump that he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran and that the Islamic Republic posed no imminent threat to the United”.
We submit that the evidence shows that Donald Trump doesn’t have the foggiest idea of what to do next in Iran — surrounded by “yes men” and imbeciles — people who are uniquely unqualified for the roles that they hold in his administration.
All military plans change within the first hour of the battle. It’s clear that the Trump administration had no plan. No plan survives contact with the enemy.
It is essential to be flexible, to show leadership, and adaptability, as plans often require immediate revision based on real-time feedback and unexpected situations.
Before the war began, Trump disregarded the direct advice of his top military adviser, Gen. Dan Caine, who warned him that Iran would likely respond by attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and effectively closing it. Trump replied by suggesting that Iran’s government would capitulate before it could close the strait or that the U.S. military could keep the strait open.
Neither of those two things have taken place. Trump was wrong on both aspects.
One of the wisest and most capable war tacticians ever, Sun Tzu, reminds us of one of his core principles from The Art of War, which was to emphasize the fact that the best way to win a war is to never conduct one in the first place.
Tzu felt that the highest form of victory is winning through strategy, diplomacy, or psychological warfare rather than costly physical battle. Trump knows nothing of those concepts — pigeonholing himself because he simply does not read.
Many observers consider the unprovoked strikes by the U.S. and Isreal to be a breach of Article 2 section (4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of another state.
The government of Isreal does this regularly with no consequence.
For the last 20 years Netanyahu has been saying that Iran was 2 weeks away from getting a nuclear bomb. Iran does not have a nuclear bomb.
Reports of destroyed homes, schools, and health facilities, as well as significant civilian fatalities — (again, all acts of war that Isreal takes part in regularly) including over 1,300 deaths in initial strikes—have prompted allegations of war crimes.
The United States has faced criticism for actions interpreted as having a "no quarter" policy, as stated by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — such as sinking Iranian naval vessels rather than capturing them, which is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
— We’ll drill down on the history of US/Iran relations.
— Provide details on the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
— And deliver the up-to-the minute facts regarding the war with Iran as well as the impact of the Strait of Hormuz being closed to most traffic and the effects of this.
Trump’s “little excursion” (as he termed it) has forced global oil prices and the cost of gasoline at the pump sharply higher; it has imperiled the food supply across the globe as well as causing fertilizer prices to skyrocket with no sight in subsiding any time soon.
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Welcome to Light ‘Em Up!
At the conclusion of the editing and postproduction process for this episode in preparation for its upload and debut - DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was fired from her role as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Tonight, on this brand-new, intense episode we’ll investigate and examine the more than 32 deaths that have happened at the hands of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
It may come as a surprise, but the killing of Renee Good (a mother of three) and Alex Pretti (an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System Hospital in Minnesota) were not the first and they won’t be the last.
We’ll drill down on the Department of Homeland Security — an organization led by individuals who lack both qualifications and integrity.
This witch’s brew often forces an organization — whether desired or not -- to eventually face severe consequences, ranging from operational inefficiencies to catastrophic, fatal incidents.
Research indicates that when leadership prioritizes self-interest over competence and honesty, it creates a toxic culture that undermines safety and performance. ICE has made our streets unsafe with its tyrannical tactics, terrorizing our own people in the name of Trump.
Since returning to office in 2025, President Trump has implemented a "hardline" and "maximalist" immigration policy focused on executing the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history.
The administration doesn’t care how the policy is carried out — ONLY that it is — so that Stephen Miller can satisfy his own sick, sadistic wishes.
Miller is credited with shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies of President Trump, and Noem oversaw carrying those decisions out, which include:
— zero-tolerance policy, also known as family separation,
— the Muslim ban and
— ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
As we go to air with this episode, a federal judge accuses the White House of ‘terror’ against immigrants in the U.S.
The administration has pursued a whole-of-government approach to identify, detain, and remove undocumented immigrants, aiming for a "1 million per year" deportation goal.
But, in the process, there've been:
— tremendous oversights,
— poor procedural safeguards and protocols put in place,
— very little to no training for new hires,
— negligence and outright lies which have led to more than 32 people’s death across the nation.
We’ll introduce you to those who have lost their lives at the hands of the governmental “political theater” that is unfolding right in front of our own eyes, daily.
We will report that the (former) DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem is an outright liar — as is her boss. That isn’t opinion — that is fact and we have the receipts to prove it.
Be sure to tune in for our reporting regarding a completely fabricated story — that Noem stated in one of her press briefings to the nation — about a man in deportation proceedings “cannibalizing” others, then, himself, like the fictitious character Hannibal Lecter, who Trump thinks is a real person.
As we speak truth to power, we never cower — as we expose the fact that Secretary Noem has deported U.S. military veterans AND U.S. citizens and lied and covered up about that as well.
As a painter paints and a singer sings, a liar lies.
The streets of the U.S. are safer with Noem ousted at the top of DHS, but the man tapped to be her replacement isn’t much of an improvement.
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Welcome to this fact-laden, episode of Light ‘Em Up.
As we go to air - we're halfway through Black History Month.
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, first established as "Negro History Week" by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in February 1926. The 2026 national theme is “A Century of Black History Commemorations”, honoring 100 years of recognizing the achievements and contributions of Black Americans to U.S. history.
Black history is American history!
We feel richly blessed and highly favored to sit down and visit, honoring Black History Month, with a dear friend of ours and a show favorite. Dr. Sandy Womack, Jr.
Dr. Womack Jr. has devoted his life to being a servant leader, educator and striving to be the best at whatever he attempts. He is an NCAA All-American wrestler with a doctorate in educational leadership, author, former principal, district administrator, equity trainer, motivational speaker, and much more.
He is retired from his current role at the close of January (2026) after a generation (33+ years) of dedicating his life to urban education.
This year’s Black History Month arrives as our democracy is being tested in unprecedented ways, and the future of the republic hangs in the balance.
Dr. Womack expressed grave concerns that we are “in an in between place similar to the times during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War (1865 – 1877) where the Federal Government sent in troops to ensure that the freed Blacks had and maintained the right to vote, to assemble, and the rights to a public education”.
Based on reports, executive actions, and policy initiatives from 2025 and early 2026, the second Trump administration has pursued a broad agenda focused on rolling back diversity initiatives, changing civil rights enforcement, and altering educational and economic policies that critics argue disproportionately affect Black Americans. And federal agents are arresting journalists (Don Lemon) and gunning down civilians in the streets.
In this exclusive interview, we’ll drill down on:
— Assessing the pulse of the country — where are we as a nation and as people with the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis?
— The importance of taking an active role in the franchise (voting) how voting “changes policy, policy impacts practices and practices impact politics”.
He feels deeply that the future “depends on the youth of today” — to see wide eyed the abuses and oversteps by this administration which will “serve as the catalyst to push the younger generation to the polls to vote in large and impressive ways”.
He stressed the importance of “collectively coming together” and working to find some “communality” — at the end of the day, we have “more things that unite us than divide” — we sadly choose to focus and give attention to those aspects that are tribal and exacerbate division.
We’ve strayed beyond an inflection point — democracy is actively in peril.
“We have to become students of history. We have to read, write, speak and most importantly be able to think critically” to be educated and informed sufficiently to question the current status quo — for those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
He emphatically declares that: “Outcomes won’t change until incomes change.” He urges all who will listen to “don’t let your lying eyes fool you”.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” ― George Orwell, 1984
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Welcome to this explosive, comprehensive episode of Light ‘Em Up.
As we come to air with this episode, another person has been shot and killed in Minneapolis, MN, this time by Border Patrol agents. The tension and the stakes in the streets couldn’t be any higher.
Tonight, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth and examine in-depth the killing of Renee Good, 37, mother of 3, by an Immigration & Customs Enforcement Officer during a large immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7th.
As Minnesota state officials demand an end to the Trump administration’s divisive, brutal “immigration crackdown” in Minnesota:
Renee Good should still be alive today. This episode confronts the deadly consequences of deploying federal officers into U.S. cities as a political ploy rather than a public‑safety necessity. When federal power is used as a stage prop, communities become collateral damage, and human lives become expendable.
In this episode:
— We’ll examine what the landmark Supreme Court decision Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989)is and what is says, as itwill certainly be applied to this case.
— We’ll introduce the legal concept of “officer induced jeopardy” which argues that police officers should be held liable—criminally or civilly—when their own, unjustifiable, or reckless tactical choices create a dangerous situation that forces them to use deadly force. It posits that police cannot intentionally escalate a situation to a point of fatal risk and then justify shooting as self-defense.
We dig deeper into the Supreme Court-crafted “qualified immunity” concept.
As we examine the authority of the police to use force -- as it represents one of the most misunderstood powers granted to representatives of law enforcement by the public at large -- we will ferret out just what is meant in this process by being “objectively reasonable”, again, which very few people outside of legal scholars truly understand.
— And we’ll analyze and break down frame by frame the fateful shooting.
The Feds have failed to cooperate with Minnesota officials as countless details remain in dispute. President Trump, just moments after the shooting, already put his thumb on the scales of justice by saying that the “agents had acted in self-defense”.
This comes from a man who has lied on and vehemently demonized innocent immigrants who were in this country legally and in a legal and protected status in Springfield, Ohio, saying that they were “eating the dogs and the cats” there.
Through careful reporting, historical context, and a clear-eyed look at the federal government’s expanding use of force, this episode asks a fundamental question: What happens when political theater is backed by a gun and a badge?
There is an epidemic of moral cowardice in this country. No one is safe from ICE.
Many people probably believed that even in “Trump’s America”, citizens would still have inviolable liberties to stand up to the jack-booted, masked agents who have swarmed upon the communities where they call home.
This is what happens when the Federal government sends troops into our cities.
Did anyone learn anything from the tragic events at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970?
All of our “rights” have been eroded. How does that sit with you? Is this what you voted for?
We’ve got “on the scene audio” as it was happening.
We’ve got boots on the ground in Minneapolis. Tune in to our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot! We want to hear from you! Support the show
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Happy New Year!
Welcome back for the kickoff of Season 7 episode 1 of Light ‘Em Up.
In this debut episode:
We welcome back to the witness stand a dear friend of the show.
Sarah Cintron. Sarah is the mother of Juan Cabrera. We were honored to sit and interview her on March 30th of 2024 as we shined the antiseptic light of the truth on a 2019 murder case out of the State of Michigan. That case was, The People v Cabrera (Juan Cabrera, her first born son).
Our first episode that we shared together is entitled:
“My Son Was Judged to be Guilty Before He Ever Stepped One Foot in the Courtroom”: Life Lessons, Revelations & Preventative Awareness from the mother of a Son Convicted of 1st Degree Pre-meditated Murder.
You can find that episode here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/823981/episodes/14787590-my-son-was-judged-to-be-guilty-before-he-ever-stepped-one-foot-in-the-courtroom-life-lessons-revelations-preventative-awareness-from-the-mother-of-a-son-convicted-of-1st-degree-pre-meditated-murder.mp3?download=true
Juan was convicted of premeditated intentional murder at the age of 18 by a jury that only took 120 minutes to decide on a charge that mandated him by statute to serve Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) — for a murder where the actual “video evidence” in the case did not in any way, shape or form show the face, clothing, nor any single, solitary identifying physical characteristic of the shooter.
How does a jury reach a unanimous decision of “beyond a reasonable doubt with “evidence” such as this? This case cries out for a fair and unbiased look at it — something that has not happened to date.
Seven years her son has been behind bars for a crime he and his mom maintain he did not commit. Seven long, difficult years.
Since day one Sarah has become an advocate for her son. She has worked hard to educate herself regarding the brokenness of the criminal justice system and specifically the egregious errors in her son’s case.
The criminal justice system's "brokenness" stems from deep-seated issues like mass incarceration, extreme racial disparities (disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities), forcing innocent people into plea deals, and a cycle of poverty/re-offense for non-violent offenders.
Inefficiencies arise from slow processes, lack of data uniformity, and outdated technology, leading to high costs, lost public trust, and poor public safety outcomes.
Up to her last breath on this earth, she has vowed to continue to advocate for her son’s innocence and for those who find themselves buried, battered and overwhelmed in, by and among a corrupt system.
Using her voice and her social media platforms, she is educating and empowering those who find themselves in a similar situation.
She works tirelessly demanding reform to address systemic bias, harsh sentencing, and unequal accountability.
Just after midnight on February 16, 2019, a group of teens gathered at a hotel to celebrate the belated birthday of a mutual friend.
Two of the party attendees have a verbal altercation in the hallway right outside of the room. A fight ensued. All hell breaks loose, and lives are changed forever.
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As we close out another fantastic, record-breaking year filled with one accomplishment after another for us —which included new sponsorships, new underwriters and new listeners — we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.
We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your “TSL” (time spent listening) to us throughout this past year.
We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 147 countries globally as we close out Season 6.
Most podcasts never make it this far.
We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we were never concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.
Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system — and look what it has become! We have been able to advocate for so many people.
The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off to rest and recover and enjoy some quality time with our families (returning on either January 3rd or the 10th 2026).
We then will begin the process for Season 7 of Light 'Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break even more records with the reach of our podcast.
We are adding a new Listener Support Program whereby our most loyal and dedicated listeners can now take a financial interest in seeing that this program continues.
We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else regarding the U.S. criminal justice system.
We're loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners. We are truly here for you and because of you!
Our commitment to you here on Light 'Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle real topics that touch your daily lives.
We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the "voice of the people".
Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.
Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last full-length episode of the year regarding the concept and legality of governmental extra-judicial killings — summarily executing people. Extrajudicial killing is the deliberate killing of a person without legal authority from a judicial process.
Thank you to Feedspot — online at Feedspot.com as we are featured in their top 50 poll of the 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We look forward to you joining us in 2026!
Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad & Happy Hanukkah and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.
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Welcome to this incendiary, shocking and investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up!
As we rapidly approach the end of the calendar year, we’re so glad that you’ve joined us!
Share us with a friend. We’re being actively downloaded in 146 countries, globally.
Contact us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tonight, we examine the concept and legality of governmental extra-judicial killings — summarily executing people. Extrajudicial killing is the deliberate killing of a person without legal authority from a judicial process.
It is “extra” “judicial” … or outside the scope of the normal route where a person is arrested, charged and given a trial before a verdict is rendered.
In fact, as we go to air with this episode, the Trump administration has embarked on a deadly serious campaign of openly targeting and killing people who have only been clandestinely labeled as “drug smugglers” — within the administration’s small, secretive, circle without offering any hard evidence, nor extending to these people a single solitary ounce of due process of law.
At the time of recording, since the 1st of September, when President Trump announced the first strike on a boat he claimed – without providing evidence – killed 11 “Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists” under the control of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, through the end of October, the U.S. had claimed to have killed 64 alleged drug smugglers on 16 boats.
This situation is fluid and difficult to track, however, to date, since September 2, Donald Trump has summarily executed 70 civilians suspected of drug trafficking in 17 separate airstrikes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.
The administration admitted in a closed-door briefing to Congress that they don’t even know the identities of the people they’ve killed. How in the hell is this possible? Congress has abdicated its power(s), duties and responsibilities to the public.
To support our claims — as evidence, we’ll provide historical examples of other governmental extra-judicial murderous actions.
And we ask the question has America under Trump become even more of a pariah on the world’s stage?
We’ll expose the risky behavior in how governmental extra-judicial killings trigger a cascade of destabilizing consequences across legal, political, social and psychological domains.
These effects can:
— erode democracy and democratic institutions
— inflict trauma on the populace
— and can perpetuate further cycles of deadly violence.
Two people who survived boat bombings were released back to their home countries because the Trump administration lacked sufficient evidence to even arrest them.
In the words of one member of Congress who attended the briefing, “This is just murder.”
We are shining the antiseptic light of the truth further exposing Trump’s illegal killing spree. Some analysts now believe Trump has tasked “his generals” with planning a full-scale regime change war against Venezuela.
So much for Trump’s campaign claim of never entering into endless wars.
Democracy is dying right in front of us.
Justice isn’t about laws … it’s about lives!
In a time of crisis — facts matter most!
Tune out the world and tune-in to Light ‘Em Up — Right here and right now!
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Welcome to this explosive, investigative, fact-finding edition of Light ‘Em Up!
We are incredibly pleased you decided to join us for one of our most comprehensive episodes to date!
Tonight, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth at the intersection of hate speech and the violence that stems from it.
While a great many people on the right strongly disagree with the truth, and struggle to accept it, the fact that the radical right is far more violent than the left is unwavering. Far-right attacks continue to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism.
As a kid do you remember expressing the children’s rhyme that says, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but names can never hurt you?” While this is a nice thought — it isn‘t true. Words matter; words can hurt — words can lead to murder.
In the Holy Bible, the Book of Ephesians (4:29) advises: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, which may benefit those who listen.”
We need only look to the country of Rwanda in 1994 and the genocide that took place there. Collectively and pejoratively, the Tutsis were referred to as “cockroaches”. Who acts neighborly or welcomes a cockroach into their home? Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days. (The Tutsi and Hutu are ethnic groups established primarily in Rwanda and Burundi.)
Evidence shows that the use of radio impacted and effected mobilization for violence in the Rwandan genocide.
For more than a decade we’ve been exposed to the hate filled vitriol of Donald Trump. The words he willingly and intentionally chooses are often filled with hate.
It is evident from his outward behavior; Donald Trump is not happy. Barack Obama haunts him in thought, word, and past deed.
Trump regularly refers to anyone who isn’t in his “in-group” as “the enemy of the people” … “animals” and “scum”, you name it.
His targets have been the press as a whole and individual journalists, immigrants, Blacks, LGBTQ+ people, Democrats, and whomever he chooses in the moment.
His third-grade vocabulary has no filter. His political party does nothing to hold him to account for his vile, hate-filled rhetoric, even opting to echo and use it often.
Rarely does he open his mouth without denigrating, dehumanizing, blaming, or accusing another person of doing something with no evidence.
In this explosive episode we will highlight:
— As a case study we’ll examine how hate speech can and does facilitate violence. From the genocide that took place in 1994 in Rwanda we offer a special feature in hearing from Henriette Mutegwaraba, survivor of the genocide and founder of the Million Lives Genocide relief fund.
— Multiple examples of the vile, hateful, and demagogic language that Donald Trump spews with regularity and comparing and contrasting his words with that of the Rwandan genocide.
And much, much more!
“The enemy of the people” are words Adolph Hitler used to describe the Jews before his “final solution” was put into effect which killed some 6 million people.
This is the language of insecure, fascist, racist, dictatorial demagogues, and it is extremely dangerous.
In his book entitled Behemoth, first published in 1942, Franz Neumann wrote that violence served to establish totalitarian control over German society.
Violence throughout the Third Reich was used as a rational instrument of political power.
Donald Trump’s administration does the same.
Democracy is dying right in front of us.
Tune out the world and tune-in to Light ‘Em Up — Right here and right now!
Tune in and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot!
We want to hear from you!
Welcome to this explosive, fact-finding edition of Light ‘Em Up!
We’re very pleased you decided to join us!
With the nation abuzz with the shooting of Charlie Kirk — his shooting recalls a disturbing pattern: Even the champions of “pro-gun” politics are not immune to America’s epidemic of gun violence.
We’ve been flooded with requests from our clients to address in-depth Special Event Contingency Planning for Public Safety Agencies — and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
In an era where public discourse is increasingly polarized and high-profile events carry heightened risk; the shooting of Charlie Kirk raises urgent questions about how we protect both speakers and attendees.
This episode explores the intersection of Special Event Contingency Planning and political symbolism, unpacking how public safety agencies can—and must—design protocols that anticipate threats without compromising civil liberties.
We examine the anatomy of a well-executed safety plan, the psychological dynamics of radicalized environments, and the strategic blind spots that can turn a rally into a crisis. Whether you're a public safety professional, a communications strategist, or simply someone concerned with the fragile balance between free speech and public harm—this conversation is for you.
This episode will provide essential guidance for event planners, speakers and ticket holders/(spectators). This episode is an in-depth, thorough examination of how to keep events like Charlie Kirk’s safe, for all involved.
Physical Security is the focus of Rizzo’s Protective Group, Ltd.
As education is always a key pillar of Light ‘Em Up, by the end of this episode if we achieve our learning objectives in full, you will:
Understand clearly and be able to:
Define what qualifies an event as being “special” and
— Identify for your own edification and knowledge what a special event contingency planning team consists of and looks like.
— You’ll be guided in conducting a hazard analysis for a special event.
— You’ll hear how the incident command system (ICS) can be used in response to an incident at a special event.
— We’ll give examples of special events (providing clear direction on how you must prepare for them as a provider and spectator).
Mark my words, clearly, security measures are going to change and change drastically following this incident.
Special Event Contingency planning involves creating a formal document with detailed procedures, responsibilities, and actions to address potential emergencies or hazards during a public gathering, such as at a festival, concert, or sporting event.
A few of the main aspects, goals and strategies when conducting a thorough hazard analysis are to:
— identify risks,
— develop a response strategy,
— establish a command structure with assigned roles,
— and define communication protocols for both internal and external stakeholders, including attendees and emergency services.
— The primary goal is to prevent injury, suffering, or death by ensuring the event is safe and successful despite unforeseen circumstances.
Don’t move a muscle!
Tune out the world and tune-in to Light ‘Em Up. Right here and right now!
You can listen to us: on-the-go, at work, home or when resting.
Remember that we are here for you and because of you!
In a time of uncertainty, facts provide clarity … even if they upset you!
This episode is rated “E” for EVERYONE!
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Welcome to this brand-new episode of Light ‘Em Up!
We’ve had our cake and ate it too (and it was delicious) celebrating achieving our 100th episode!
Now it is time to get back to work. Thank you to all of our previous guests, listeners and fans who contacted us, sharing warm, caring and nice thoughts about the show.
We are truly here for you and because of you!
On this fact-finding, incendiary and investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up, we’ll interrogate the question:
— Why does someone join a cult?
Is it because of their:
— desire for belonging,
— search for purpose or
— emotional vulnerability …
Some of these, none of these or ALL of these and more?
Is the MAGA movement a cult? What does MAGA mean to America? And we examine charismatic leadership.
— What makes a person charismatic to where countless people revere, worship, follow them, perhaps ultimately giving their lives for what THEY believed in?
We’ll explore all of this through the intersection of violent extremism and the radicalization process with a little Greek history lesson sprinkled into the mix — as we continue our quest to use data to improve democracy!
Cults, like gangs, fall in the realm of deviance, and both types of groups encourage members to become situationally dependent on the "group identity."
Both gangs and cults recruit members based on the human need to be accepted and a part of a group that will affirm personal significance.
The fact pattern shows it clearly: Militant, nationalistic, white supremacist-violent-extremism has increased in the United States.
According to the American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology, a cult is “a religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world, and an authoritarian structure. Cults tend to be highly cohesive, well organized, secretive, and hostile to nonmembers.”
Hardened through years of social upheaval, conspiracy rhetoric, and loyalty tests, the voting bloc known as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, has evolved into a subculture marked by deep emotional identification with Donald Trump, and his:
— rejection of institutional legitimacy, and
— a worldview shaped less by shared policy preferences than by a shared sense of grievance and defiance.
At the heart of the MAGA movement lies a narrative of persecution and betrayal.
For many Trump supporters, their embrace of the 34-times-convicted felon, despite his endless stream of observable falsehoods and incendiary rhetoric, is not rooted in traditional (Ronald) Reagan-like conservatism but in a belief that he alone articulates their alienation. They seem to need a Superhero.
He is their “revenge”. He has said as much, as well. MAGA members feel violated and offended by everyone that isn’t them.
This sentiment is frequently reflected in the language of victimhood:
Are MAGA members perpetually victims?
In 2024, Trump was not merely a candidate, but a martyr under siege by “corrupt elites” … according to him and his “Klan” of followers and supporters.
We’re calling on you to employ your critical thinking skills throughout this entire episode as we examine in depth behavior that explains the step-by-step process in becoming a tyrant and behaviors that would normally repulse traditional voters, which is celebrated by MAGA supporters as authenticity.
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Welcome! We’re thrilled and excited that you joined us as we celebrate an enormous milestone — our 100th episode of Light ‘Em Up.
This achievement has been 5 years in the making and something we honestly never envisioned accomplishing when we started this project in January of 2020.
Email us here, prizzo7778@rpgconsutingltd.com and let us know how you first heard of us and when you began tuning in to our podcast! Are you a regular listener? Thank you!
Tonight, our focus takes us to the Pelican State of Louisiana (a state where several of our dearest friends reside) as we continue our pursuit of speaking truth to power.
Louisiana is Pro-life. Louisiana is pro-death penalty. We call hypocrisy on this!
Louisiana has enacted some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, effectively banning the procedure in nearly all circumstances with only very limited exceptions and no provisions for rape or incest — creating significant obstacles for those seeking abortion care.
The same lawmakers that have gone this far to stress their “pro-life” credentials then turn around and sound almost bloodthirsty in their support for capital punishment, which is, after all, the ending of a human life.
How does one reconcile these hypocritical, polar opposites?
We’ve got our hip-waders on and we’re going’ deep to examine this contradiction.
Are we picking a fight? No! We’re turning the spotlight on how the good people of Louisiana have adopted a rather puzzling set of policies.
In other words, how does a state so hostile to a woman’s right to choose to have a medical procedure performed on her body, which proudly boasts of its hostility to abortion and calls itself “pro-life” because of it, at the same time not only permits capital punishment, but boasts of it, and goes so far as to adopt an experimental method of choking the life out of a condemned prisoner as to pump pure nitrogen into his body?
Louisiana currently has 55 people on death row.
The state just recently resumed executions after a 15-year hiatus.
We’ll confront as best we can with the time we have issues asking:
— Does the death penalty deter crime?
— We’ll examine the 8th Amendment, which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail or fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.
— Is the death penalty applied in a grotesquely unfair, arbitrary and capricious manner that disproportionately impacts individuals of color?
Does your:
— race,
— socio-economic status,
— who you kill and
— where you kill them (geographically) play MORE of a role in getting the death penalty than anything else?
Ultimately, examining and asking:
— Should the death penalty be abolished?
All this and many, many more germane and critical questions … on topic as we challenge your critical thinking skills and abilities.
It’s a matter of life or death and we’ll unpack all of it right here and right now on this historic and memorable 100th episode of Light ‘Em Up!
How can you be pro-life and pro-death penalty?
Louisiana: Pro-life, pro-death penalty, hypoxia and hypocrisy.
Tune in for all the powerful facts and figures.
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Drop us a note to say hello and suggest a future podcast episode.
Let us know what we are doing well and what we need to fix or address.
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We welcome you to this in-depth, investigative, fact-finding episode of Light ‘Em Up.
Thank you for joining us — as we march one step closer to achieving an enormous milestone, our 100th episode!
In this episode we are diving into complex and impactful topics. We’ll drill down on the concept of Birthright Citizenship — enshrined by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment does not equivocate. It states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.” A president cannot change those facts with a stroke of his pen.
We will introduce to you in detail the concepts of jus soli and jus sanguinis.
Jus soli: The principle of law also known as birthright citizenship is the principle that a person’s citizenship is determined by the place of their birth, regardless of the parents’ nationality.
It contrasts with jus sanguinis, which determines citizenship based on parentage.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order trying to end birthright citizenship. Specifically, the order states that after February 19, 2025, citizenship will only be granted to babies born in the United States if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Birthright citizenship stems from the principle of jus soli, that all children born in the United States are U.S. citizens. Birthright citizenship has remained a bedrock of our country and was enshrined in our constitution in 1868 when the states ratified the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified to repudiate the infamous Dred Scott decision that denied Black people the protections of U.S. citizenship. In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents were entitled to U.S. citizenship in the case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
Over 250 years ago our founding fathers, in the constitution, established 3 separate branches of government: the Executive, Judicial and Legislative. The Supreme Court (and the MAGA 6 on the court) have ceded a great deal of the other 2 branches’ power to the Executive Branch — doing tremendous harm to the country.
Chief Justice John Marshall famously said, “It has always been the duty and responsibility of the Federal Judiciary to say what the law is, both as to constitutional and statutory law” The Federal Judiciary is not a political role, at all. Donald Trump has sought to “weaponize” the law and the judiciary to appease his whims. Rich people can afford their whims.
We examine in depth how Trump’s large-scale deportations will have devastating impact on employment across our nation. The nativist Trump administration is waging a war against the rule of law.
When all the migrant workers who pick and process the oranges in sunny Florida are arrested, detained and deported and when a glass of orange juice at your golf course county club will cost $35 — you’ll clearly understand the true costs and the real human effects of Trump’s campaign of xenophobic arrests, detentions and deportations will have on the economy and workforce of the U.S.
Barely 2 months into his administration he has issued over 100 executive orders. More shenanigans will ensue. Trump has declared war on the Federal Judiciary and the rule of law.
America is in a crisis, and many aren’t even aware of it. The Constitution is being tested like never before. Will it break? Will the Supreme Court continue to help make Donald Trump a dictator? The courts gave power to Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Tune in for all the powerful facts and figures.
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As we rapidly approach another enormous milestone — our 100th episode (currently #98) we’ve e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d our global footprint to 131 countries.
ONLY through your unyielding support could this achievement have been realized. Thank you!
Immigration is a “3rd rail” hot topic in the U.S. The issues of immigration decided the ’24 presidential election. At his core, whether you like to hear it or not, Donald Trump is a xenophobic segregationist that truly makes the former four-time Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, appear to be benign, benevolent and innocent like a choir boy.
On this explosive episode, we’ll investigate:
— Trump’s hatred towards immigrants in a country full of immigrants.
— The GEO Group (a private prison firm that has received significant negative press regarding its operations and alleged shady business practices) and the Trump administration; and
— The Trump administration's stance on immigration, which has been widely criticized for its negative impacts on children of immigrant parents, including documented, undocumented, and US-citizen children.
Here's how these policies have reportedly caused harm:
Increased Fear and Anxiety:
— Family Separation: The "zero-tolerance" policy, in particular, involved separating thousands of children from their parents at the border, a practice widely condemned for its traumatic effects. This policy has led to long-term harm, with many children still not reunited with their parents years later.
— Fear of Deportation: The threat of deportation and increased immigration enforcement created pervasive fear and distress among children and their families, regardless of legal status. This fear led to children worrying about separation from parents and potentially having to leave their communities.
— Toxic Stress: Exposure to this chronic fear and uncertainty has helped to cause "toxic stress" in young children, potentially altering brain development and negatively influencing their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. This can have lifelong consequences, impacting their ability to cope with adversity and achieve future success.
— As well as bans and bars to badly needed health care services, means of preventing food insecurity and essential care and support.
In the U.S. the “corporation” has always been “king” – where large corporations and big financial donors hold significant influence and power to shape government policies and societal structures. The Trump administration is notorious for pampering its “friends” and attempting to punish its enemies and those who would dare to hold him and the administration accountable.
Republicans, including Trump, initially criticized the use of the CBP One app, particularly as it was used under the Biden administration, to facilitate asylum appointments at the border. They argued that the app enabled unauthorized immigration and was an abuse of parole. Now, they swear by it and have embraced and rebranded its core functionalities into CBP Home, focusing on incentivizing voluntary departure as a tool for immigration enforcement.
A 360◦, hypocritical move that only MAGA Republicans have perfected.
As we celebrate Independence Day (2025) we now have a king. The Supreme Court has paved the way for this, by a string of decisions that subvert the judiciary, undermining the integrity, independence, and effectiveness of the court system. Its actions have directly challenged the judiciary's ability to operate impartially and fairly, potentially leading to a complete breakdown of the rule of law.
Tune in for all of the explosive details.
Without fear or favor we follow the facts and tackle the topics that touch your lives.
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Welcome to this educational and explosive, brand-new edition of Light ‘Em Up!
Share us with a friend! We are now being actively downloaded in 131 countries!
We continue our intense focus on how the Rule of law and democracy are being endangered.
Democracy hangs in the balance and is under constant daily attack — threatened on every front.
What better example than the current Department of Justice (DOJ) ordering its civil rights division to halt the majority of its functions, including a freeze on pursuing any:
— new cases
— indictments or
— consent decree settlements.
For civil rights this is a crisis! It has only been 59 years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. This was a landmark piece of legislation that helped to dismantle many discriminatory barriers and enforce the voting rights of African Americans. Imagine having that office shut down during the LBJ Administration! The KKK would have won!
In a democracy, the majority can wield immense power, potentially leading to the suppression of dissenting voices and the marginalization of minority groups.
You had better begin to ask yourself the tough question:
Are you okay with your civil rights being suspended until 2028 and maybe beyond?
White people, too, can have their civil rights violated. Are you ready for that?
Will the police be able to simply continue to brutalize people and get away with it as the Louisiana State Police did on May 10th, 2019, with Ronald Greene?
Greene was an unarmed 49-year-old black man who, on a dark night in Monroe, Louisiana, 6 members of the LSP “goon squad” tazed, punched, kicked, pepper sprayed, and dragged face down on the concrete, only to place him in a chokehold until he died.
Good night and good luck! Under this current Trump administration your civil rights will be “enforced” like his were.
We are staring in the face of “soft despotism" or "soft tyranny".
This occurs when a powerful, centralized state, while not overtly oppressive, gradually takes over the responsibilities and decision-making of individuals and communities.
The state becomes like a benevolent but overbearing parent, providing for citizens' needs and ensuring their well-being, but in doing so, it diminishes their capacity for independent thought and action. We’ve arrived there, stop fooling yourself otherwise.
We’ll discuss and analyze the current push from the ultra-conservative-talk-show host, Ben Shapiro to petition the adjudicated felon Donald Trump to federally pardon Derek Chauvin, the felon, former police officer — who drove his knee into the neck of George Floyd for more than 9 minutes, hastening his death on May 25th, 2020.
We have passed the 5-year mark of this deadly encounter on the streets in Minneapolis, MN and tell me, what has changed for the better?
Shapiro clearly sees this as an opportunity to continue to support his white, racist agenda as it gins up his base of white nationalist followers. MAGA-folk and beyond!
We ask out loud:
Could a president do that?
What would it matter, since Chauvin also is in prison on state charges?
And we’ll wrap things up looking at what happens to democracy when police regularly brutalize its citizens as the “politics of policing” has changed drastically since George Floyd’s’ death.
The truth is under attack! The truth is worth defending!
Tune in for all of the explosive details.
Justice comes to those that fight, not those that cry!
Without fear or favor we follow the facts and tackle the topics that touch your lives.
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Welcome to this explosive edition of Light ‘Em Up!
In these critical and delicate times that we find ourselves in — democracy is in clear and present danger.
As nothing feels certain or safe and everything appears to be in “transition” we interrogate and examine the Trump Administration and its efforts to suspend the “great writ” of Habeas corpus.
Habeas corpus is a legal doctrine whose original purpose was to contest detention by the king. The origins of the writ, or “written order” (its Latin name means, loosely, “produce the body”), can be traced to 13th century England.
On June 15, 1215, at Runnymede, the barons who had banded together to impose legal restrictions on King John's power forced him to affix his seal to the Magna Carta.
One of its curbs on the sovereign’s power reads, in part, “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned…except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.”
The writ of habeas corpus appears in the U.S. Constitution. Article 1, section 9, clause 2 includes this single sentence: “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”
Habeas corpus requires a jailer to produce a prisoner in a court of law so the basis for detention can be reviewed. The Constitution presupposes this right, but its use has been sharply restricted during past wars.
Fast forward to the present, as Donald Trump continues on his “revenge tour” — his administration has shown itself to be big on conducting legal proceedings without due process for the defendants it pursues, just as George W. Bush did with “enemy combatants” at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, post 9-11.
The Trump White House continues to break things like “Wreck it Ralph”— and has floated the idea of suspending Habeas corpus in the context of an “alien invasion” as it pertains to immigration, sparking widespread and grave concerns about the erosion of fundamental rights and the separation of powers.
With mass deportations taking place without due process and the suspension of Habeas corpus, the rule of law and democracy itself is under a serious threat.
While the Constitution allows for the suspension of Habeas corpus in cases of rebellion or invasion where the public safety is at stake, it is a power that must be exercised sparingly and only in extraordinary circumstances. Circumstances that we clearly are NOT in.
With this probing, penetrating and pointed look … we ask out loud if we are on a collision course with the tyranny that brought about a coup d’ état in Chile in 1973, where the military ousted then President Allende, General Agusto Pinochet seized power, democracy collapsed and repression, murder and great suffering followed (all backed and funded by the US CIA & State Department in the Nixon administration).
As we challenge you to think critically, we probe further, examining the historical suspension of Habeas corpus, we think you’ll be surprised to hear that one of the Presidents considered to be the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) suspended the writ of Habeas corpus, and we’ll deliver the facts not the fiction surrounding this.
We’ll itemize some of the “pitfalls” and potential terrible consequences of decisions such as this, as we’ve learned through a FOIA request that the FBI has ordered its agents to scale back white-collar crime investigations to pursue more immigration crime instead.
The rule of law and democracy are endangered!
Previous Supreme Courts have held in reverence and referred to Habeas corpus as, “the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action.”
The current Supreme Court has been at best tepid in its support and defense of the U.S. Con
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Tonight, on this explosive, educational, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up we will explore in-depth the issues of:
— The treatment of migrants & refugees
— Criminal Immigration
— How the radical right-wing politicized and took advantage of the death of Laken Riley when in reality they really didn’t give a single, solitary care about her — taking advantage of and using her death as a political football.
With this, our 95th episode, we are now heard in 122 countries around the globe.
Again, we challenge you to listen and think critically to this episode.
With the recent passing of Pope Francis, at the age of 88, on Monday April 21st -- the day after the Christian world celebrates Easter — we wanted to examine in-depth the “theory” of those people who claim to be “Christian” yet use race, color and country of origin as a sledge-hammer for fascism.
Whether they claim to be:
— Christian Nationalists
— Christian Fascists
— Christian Conservatives
— Evangelicals
You name it … people who claim to be “doing the work of Jesus Christ” while steadily:
— Denigrating
— Persecuting and prosecuting migrants … the foreign born
— LGBTQ individuals and
— People of color.
“Othering” pretty much everyone who isn’t them.
April 30th marked 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term — over the past three months, the president has issued more than 100 executive orders that aim to bypass Congress and change policy through unilateral action. His administration has:
— Imposed sweeping tariffs on virtually every country in the world
— Withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization
— Declared a national emergency at the southern border
— It has purported to rewrite election rules and end birthright citizenship.
— It is attacking major law firms and universities and much, much more.
But we ask, has this flurry of orders affected fundamental change?
To date, there have already been 46 challenges to executive orders pending in court, and the administration has had no outright victory in any of them. Judges appointed by presidents of both parties have put the brakes on Trump’s fascist plans for change.
Will the courts continue to thwart his lawless agenda?
This is a pivotal moment in the history of this country that will affect it for all time going forward — as the Trump administration strives to keep the politics of fear and panic alive.
Without fear or favor we follow the facts and tackle the topics that touch your lives.
Tune in for all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.
Promised links found within the body of the podcast audio file:
Criminal Alien Statistics | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Letter of The Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Of America - The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC)
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Tonight, on this explosive, educational, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We debut in 121 countries around the globe! Is that sick, or what?
Tonight, we challenge you to listen and think critically as we examine in-depth the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization called: Tren de Aragua.
Its origins can be traced to its foundation in 2014 inside Tocorón Prison, Aragua state, Venezuela. It has expanded exponentially: Spread across Colombia, Peru, Chile, and the US, exploiting Venezuelan migrants.
The gang’s growth has made it a transnational criminal organization.
A transnational criminal organization or (TCO) is a group of individuals who operate across national borders (not just in one country) to achieve gains in power, influence, or money through illegal means, often engaging in activities like:
— drug trafficking
— human trafficking (including smuggling of migrants)
— arms trafficking
— money laundering
— counterfeiting
— trafficking in firearms, counterfeit goods, wildlife and cultural property and sex and cybercrimes.
Suddenly we’re hearing this gang’s name blaring over the airwaves of MAGA-favoring “news” outlets like NewsMax or what I call the Fox “Entertainment News” Network … and among:
— Christian fascists,
— Christian nationalists,
— Members of the radical right,
— Trump Republicans who stand in front of the camera regurgitating GOP party talking points,
— White supremacists and xenophobes.
Among these select groups of people they know very few words in the Spanish language … and they don’t wish to learn any of the language or learn about its culture because they think people who speak Spanish certainly aren’t of the (Aryan) “master race”.
The Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and the 3 Percenters … and people of this ilk wouldn’t even see these people as human beings — because of their brown skin.
Tonight, unlike what one is likely ever to hear on one of those networks, without fear or favor we’ll deliver to you the truth about: Tren de Aragua.
— We’ll examine the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 …
— And we’ll relate how civil rights, civil liberties and hard-fought protections are being destroyed … under the guise of Making America Great Again!
Do you value your civil rights? Do you think civil rights ONLY pertain to people of color?
If yes, you are dead wrong. If one individual’s civil rights are being oppressed — then every person’s rights are being oppressed and diminished. This happened after 9/11 and it is happening again, today!
To know the present, you must be aware of the past.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is a famous aphorism attributed to the philosopher George Santayana, emphasizing the importance of learning from history in order to avoid repeating mistakes.
You’d never hear the truth about Venezuela, its past, or its present. Venezuela is a country that is in crisis. Its people are affected directly by the widespread political and civil unrest that has plagued their nation.
Their people need help. The situation has become a humanitarian crisis.
The current U.S. administration has willfully turned a blind eye to the plight of the Venezuelans. U.S. homeland security advisor and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his cronies are good at overlooking the suffering of others — yet claiming to be pious.
Don’t move a muscle —tune in to hear all the explosive details and the facts … not the fiction, about Tren De Aragua! Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.
Follow this link to the ASMR video on X.
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Welcome to this explosive and investigatory episode of Light ‘Em Up.
Our global audience has reached 119 countries. Spread the word!
This is the story of the tragic death of an “All-American Girl” and the sloppy investigation that ensued.
Out of Aubrey, Texas, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth to investigate the death of Haley Cheney, a 24-year-old, new mother who was found sitting in her car in the driveway of her boyfriend’s home early on December 3, 2023 — with a bullet in the right temple of her head.
We’re honored to sit and talk with (Mrs.) Jackie Stewart Alvarado, Haley’s aunt.
According to Jackie, “Haley had the biggest, bluest eyes and she gave THE ABSOLUTE BEST hugs. She always greeted everyone with the words, “hello beautiful”. She never met a stranger, and she absolutely loved, loved, loved animals. Haley loved life. She was filled with hope, promise and potential. She loved fully and completely her family and those around her. She was one of the most selfless individuals.”
Haley was thrilled to be a new mother — she adored her baby boy. Her life had barely just begun. Haley had to work very hard in order to maintain the peace and to encourage a positive perspective in the relationship with her boyfriend.
She wanted to be loved by her boyfriend, yet time and again, she was confronted with threats of physical violence by him. We'll showcase just one of many verbal threats made by Kristopher Winston, as was posted on Facebook (according to members of Haley’s family).
The City of Little Elm Police Department caught this case. That may have been one of the most detrimental and injurious factors in the case.
Police departments are entrusted with a diverse set of tasks requiring a high degree of integrity within their agencies. Without that integrity, bad things happen, and people and cases suffer.
Determining the correct cause and manner of death are among the chief responsibilities of the forensic pathologist, not a street cop or even a Detective Sgt. When confronted with a case having a questionable manner of death, it is important for scene evidence, witness statements, and forensic autopsy findings to be thoroughly reviewed before certifying the manner of death.
We examine the factors that hurt a thorough investigation and led to a rush to judgement that this case was a suicide. Haley’s family vehemently disagrees with this finding.
There’s nothing common about murder nor a suicide. Each case has its unique aspects and signatures. Every case, victim and member of the surviving family deserves to have their loved one’s case investigated to its fullest extent.
The investigative process involves both science and art. For an investigation to be effective it must follow a few basic principles. Following the acronym “T-A-R-O-T” (just like the card) ...
The incident must be investigated in a: Timely, Accurate, Relevant, Objective & Thorough manner. We'll break down each aspect of a proper investigation and discuss the 5 F's of Murder. We educate on IPV & IPH (Intimate Partner Violence and Intimate Partner Homicide).
3 women are killed every day at the hands of those who "claim" to love them.
You can judge for yourself if that's what transpired in this case.
We deliver the facts ... not the fiction.
Tune in to hear all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.
For case history, updates and more detailed information follow this page on Facebook Justice For Haley Cheney
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Welcome to this probing, brand-new, fact filled episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We are currently being actively downloaded in 119 countries, globally.
Please spread the word with a friend regarding our podcast! Remember, we are here for you and because of you!
We tackle the topics that touch your lives!
We hear so much talk about the topic of Qualified Immunity — but few really know what it is and what it consists of in much detail. THIS episode will put to bed ALL of those questions.
Bringing a §1983 Civil Rights lawsuit against any government entity is not an easy task to accomplish.
Qualified immunity is a judicially crafted legal doctrine and concept created by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Pierson v Ray in 1967.
The doctrine was created to protect government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, from frivolous lawsuits and financial liability when they acted in good faith in legally unclear situations.
We discuss the requirement (as the law states) that there must be a constitutional violation that infringed upon the rights of a person that was “clearly established” at the time it was committed.
Many legal scholars argue that qualified immunity has no legal basis and is not grounded in the text or history of the relevant statutes at 42 U.S. Section 1983. Many argue that the doctrine signals a retreat from the protections afforded to Black victims of racial terror by the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act).
Several of our guests on Light ‘Em Up have run face first into the stone-cold, hard truths and effects of qualified immunity.
— As a case study we’ll examine the fact pattern in a case called Betts v Brennan whereby an officer was sued for using his taser on a non-compliant motorist.
— We examine and amplify on the historic background of the concept of qualified immunity.
— Drilling down on the original intent, pro’s/con’s and purposes of the law.
— Search out how this doctrine, for lack of a better description, has become “twisted and perverted”, providing what for all intents and purposes is a never-ending “get out of jail free card” to members of law enforcement (and other governmental agents) — even when they violate the law.
We share inconvenient truths how qualified immunity (as it has been regularly implemented):
— erodes justice and public trust
— blocks accountability
— sets an unreasonably high legal barrier
— serves to further injure those who have already been injured — as victims must identify a near-identical precedent, meaning they have to cite a similar case that a prior victim experienced to challenge misconduct, as we mentioned, an often “insurmountable legal hurdle”.
As education is always a foundational pillar of Light ‘Em Up, we introduce you to the concept of Respondeat superior: A legal doctrine and Latin term that literally means, “let the master respond”.
It holds employers liable for the actions of their employees — which is also known as vicarious liability.
And we empower you with six of the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions that have further defined and carved out this judicial doctrine since its inception by the Warren Court.
This episode is jam-packed with rock-solid research and information regarding the legal concept of qualified immunity. After today, after tuning in, you will speak with authority about the topic — forever setting you head and shoulders above and apart from everyone else — who speak without knowing.
Tune in and be educated and empowered you with the facts, not fiction!
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Welcome to this super-charged, explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We're currently being downloaded in 119 countries. We tackle the topics that touch your lives!
On this episode we examine how our First Amendment (freedom of speech) and due process rights can be stripped from us and violated in a rapid series of cascading events that ultimately put our freedom and liberties in grave jeopardy.
We travel to Michigan to speak with our special guest, Alison Reedy, the mother of young Dillon Reedy.
The following events unfolded at Huron High School in New Boston, Michigan on December 8th, 2021.
This is a case that every parent of any school child anywhere across the nation should be extremely concerned about.
Imagine sending your 14-year-old son to school in the morning and by the afternoon he’s been arrested, never Mirandized (according to his mother) taken in hand cuffs to the juvenile detention facility where he was processed into the system and issued a state (juvenile) criminal ID number — and forced to submit to a mugshot — ALL for something he did not do.
The fact pattern showed that in a brief conversation with another student in class, Dillon was accused by the classroom teacher of making a terroristic threat to “shoot up” the school.
The teacher incorrectly overheard what she thought was a threat. She later allegedly admitted that she never herself felt threatened, according to Alison.
From there, common sense went AWOL.
Dillon was “in big trouble”— the school secretary said to his mom — when she called to inform Alison to come to the school immediately. Wrongfully accused, wrongfully charged. Let down by a host of adults who should have been able to understand the difference between a credible threat and one that was not credible.
This is a textbook case of a “rush to judgment” by over half a dozen school, municipal and county professionals and politicians, as well as the Huron School Board, any of which should have known better than to proceed with this case.
Initial news reports regarding this incident were defaming, libelous and salacious and most importantly WRONG! Alison maintains that the county prosecutor was “rogue” … as the county was in possession of evidence that exonerated her son — yet, they chose willingly to suppress and overlook those crucial facts.
“Negligence on all sides, a biased expulsion hearing and two off-record plea deals,” Alison stated.
No one desires to see any violence on any school campus. However, this zero-tolerance policy for even uttering the words “shoot” or “gun” is an unconstitutional kneejerk reaction by the legislature and has led school administrators to make rash and very costly decisions concerning student discipline.
The truth matters. Facts matter. Dillon Reedy’s rights matter!
If this happened to our guest and her son, certainly it can happen to you and your family.
After hearing the fact pattern in this case you’ll ask yourself:
— Is this America?
— Is the First Amendment still intact and applicable?
— How can abuses such as this take place, everyday across our nation?
Tune in to hear all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.
You can follow Alison on Facebook. Her group is called: My Son on the Alter.
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Happy New Year, we welcome you back to Light ‘Em Up!This is our 2nd installation of our brand-new 6th season! A double dip this month.
Who’s listening to us in Mozambique? We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!
On this no holds barred, explosive, investigative, educational episode — we once again, shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that is focused on de-escalation of aggression as it relates to law enforcement activities.
We ask rhetorically, “Who will police the police”? Oversight of law enforcement is necessary in the 21st century.
In Latin this phrase translates to “Quis custodiet Ipsos custodes”. Literally, it means “Who shall guard the guards?
We hear the term “de-escalation of aggression” so often now-a-days.
What does it really mean?
In theory, de-escalation training has been widely implemented by U.S. law enforcement agencies in the wake of adverse public reaction to a rash of recent controversial police use of force (UoF) incidents.
George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Eric Garner, just to name a few.
How is it effectively put into practice on a daily basis, or is it really being employed or implemented regularly, at all?
The essence of de-escalation involves:
— Engaging the person with empathy and reserving judgement
— Maintaining a calming presence and
— Setting limits, but picking your battles
Our learning concepts for this episode include:
Educating you about the essentials of the de-escalation process that can aide you at:
— work
— home (in your interpersonal relationships) and
— in the mean streets
— We take a close up look at: Graham v. Connor | 490 U.S. 386 (1989) as it applies overall to the de-escalation process.
And:
Examine the origins of “officer induced jeopardy” and the ground-breaking ICAT training (Integrating Communication Assessment & Tactics) for the purposes of de-escalating a situation.
And:
The “comply or die” mentality that often plagues these high stress encounters with the public – especially and disproportionately encounters with individuals of color.
“Officer induced jeopardy” is often the culprit in many violent encounters with the public. An officer can’t pick a fight — end it with bullets and then claim self-defense — but they do this with regularity.
This is the essence of officer induced jeopardy.
We’ll examine the Miami Beach, Florida Police Department’s body worn camera (bwc) video footage of the recent arrest of U.S. Olympic sprinter and bronze medalist in the Summer Paris Games, Fred Kerley, and the high profile, rough arrest of Miami Dolphins star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill.
And examine the Akron, Ohio Police Department’s shooting of Jazmir Tucker, a 15-year-old high school freshman — with a high-powered assault rifle.
You’ll hear the exclusive audio of these high-profile arrests as we share the fact pattern in these cases as our case studies.
Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.
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Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
Welcome to Season 6 episode 1 of Light ‘Em Up!We launch 2025 with exciting news! We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!
Without fear or favor — we follow the facts wherever they lead us.
We present the facts not the fiction that drive and support our theories forward!We’ll shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that started some 14 months ago as we began to march heavily into the election season of 2024.
We’ll take an up-close and personal historic look at the United States’ oldest domestic terrorist organization — the Ku Klux Klan — and how some of what you are hearing these days from many MAGA Republicans — even from the recent victor in the presidential election, Donald J. Trump — harkens back to the goals and aspirations of the very same night riders — who burned crosses and terrorized Black people and pretty much anyone or anything that moved after the Civil War that wasn’t like them. White, nativist and Protestant.
Terror, vigilantism and murder were the Klan’s calling card.
We’ll look at the historic foundation of the Klan.
Like it or not, agree or not, the similarities between the 1920s Ku Klux Klan and Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are stark and marked. Both movements have preached the centrality of being anti-immigrant. Both have been rooted in white supremacy. Both had and have a dark side of associated hate crimes. Both have wrapped themselves in the flag and pretended to be the most patriotic and pro-American.
Originally the Ku Klux Klan was established innocuously enough as a social organization by six ex-Confederate officers in the small Southern town of Pulaski, Tennessee.
In the spring or early summer of 1866, six men gathered one evening in the Pulaski law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, the father of one of the founders, to create their new “fraternity”.
In 1867 former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest became the first “Grand Wizard" (national leader) of the order.
The transformed Klan was to be organized along military lines in a rigid hierarchy with leaders elected at each level.
A Grand Cyclops was to be the leader of a local den, or chapter.
— Above him was a Grand Giant in charge of all dens in a county, who in turn was answerable to a Grand Titan.
— A Grand Titan reigned over a Congressional District, and in charge of the whole state was a Grand Dragon.
— They created an organization patterned after a previously prominent college fraternity, Kuklos Adelphon.
They adopted the basic ritual of this fraternity with some changes. They took the first part of the name, Kuklos, Greek for circle or band, altered it slightly to Kuklux and added Klan for alliterative appeal.
Thus, the Ku Klux Klan was born.
With our investigation, we submit that to understand MAGA, the Klan must be considered as a formative background influence.
MAGA didn’t spring full-blown from the mind of “stable genius” Donald Trump.
Many Americans love and strive to hide the deep-seated racism which is part of our history, and that is the case with the Klan. In the early 20th century, the Klan was far more influential than is now recognized.
Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.
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As we close out another fantastic year filled with one accomplishment after another for “Light ‘Em Up” —which included new sponsorships —and new underwriters — we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.
We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your TSL (time spent listening) to us throughout this past year.
We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 115 countries globally as we close out Season 5.
We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we never were concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.
Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system — and look what it has become!
We have been able to advocate for so many people.
The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off in order to rest for a week or so, recover and enjoy some quality time with our families.
We then will begin the process for Season 6 of Light 'Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break even more records with the reach of our podcast.
Also, to add more sponsors and underwriters.
The truth is under attack — and is worth defending!
We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else regarding the U.S. criminal justice system.
We're loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners. We are truly here for you and because of you!
Our commitment to you here on Light 'Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle real topics that touch your daily lives.
We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the "Voice of the people"
Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.
Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last full episode of the year regarding the conducted energy weapon known better as the Taser. Are they "less-lethal"? Do they Save Lives & Reduce Civilian Shootings or Facilitate Cardiac Arrests and are used in a Reckless, Punitive Manner?
This advocacy piece irritated a lot of people in law enforcement but was wildly popular and downloaded at a record (for us) and at a tremendous rate/amount.
Thank you to Feedspot — online at Feedspot.com as we are featured in their top 50 poll of the 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts You Must Follow in 2024 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We thank you and we look forward to you joining us in 2025!
Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale & Happy Hanukkah and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.
You'll hear from us early on in January 2025.
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
We want to hear from you!
Welcome to this electric, super-charged, high voltage brand-new episode of
Light ‘Em Up!
As season 5 will soon be a rap and in the books, please tell a friend that lives overseas about us!
We are now actively being downloaded in 115 countries.
We expose and tell the truth in a world filled with confusion and bold-faced lies.
We delve into the facts not the fiction about: TASERS —Conducted Energy Devices (CED’s) also referred to as Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW’s): A weapon that is deemed to be “less than lethal” and has been touted as saving lives and reducing civilian shootings, but in reality, carries the heavy baggage of a complicated past that I’ve personally observed being deployed in a punitive, wanton and capricious manner.
We’ll investigate:
— how law enforcement is said to deploy this weapon and how they often truly deploy it in reality.
We’ll examine:
— several case studies
— the CEW policy of The Akron Police Department (as one of its officers recently fired a TASER at an alleged person of interest riding a bicycle)
— the NYPD and its use of the TASER throughout the capital of the world, New York City
— and peel back all of the critical layers of the onion as to whether these devices can increase the incidence of death from its use.
Have you ever been tased?
From reputable law enforcement officers, I’ve been told that you lose control of your bowels and bladder for about a week following being tased.
The TASER is an acronym for, believe it or not, (Thomas A. Swift’s Electronic Rifle), named after a favorite book of the inventor John Cover who developed the device in the mid 70’s. Cover was a NASA physicist.
The hand-held device can be used to incapacitate a person by transmitting a 50K volt electric shock delivered through two, small, barbed darts intended to penetrate clothing, puncture the skin and remain attached to the target.
The darts are connected to the main unit by a thin insulated copper wire and deliver a modulated or controlled electric current designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing temporary neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI).
If the heart is a muscle and it is governed by the electrical system of the human body, why couldn’t this device affect the heart muscle? In peer reviewed research in the scholarly journal “Circulation” from The American Heart Association – an article focused on: TASER: Electronic Control Devices Can Cause Cardiac Arrest in Humans.
In more than 1 instance, it has. The TASER is a branded name which can also be used as a stun gun by pressing it directly against the target’s body, thereby administering an electric shock. Similar to a “cattle prod on steroids”.
Many in the law enforcement community stand firmly behind the Taser and disagree vehemently that officers are cavalierly using Tasers on people who are passively resisting.
However, the fact pattern shows instance after instance where officers have deployed this weapon -- even when they face little danger -- as a means to subdue unarmed people or in a punitive nature for those already in police custody.
You be the judge. Watch this video. Officer Used Stun Gun on a Migrant Holding a Toddler, video shows.
Tune in to hear ALL of the shocking and electrifying details and mucho, mucho más.
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Welcome to this brand-new episode of Light ‘Em Up!
Tell a friend that lives overseas about us! We are now actively being downloaded in 114 countries.
On this investigative, educational and impactful edition of Light ‘Em Up — we expose and tell the truth in a world filled with confusion and misinformation.
We delve into the facts not the fiction about: Protecting your Constitutional & Civil Rights and educating you on topics that we’re betting you rarely hear or know much about but should know everything about.
We drill deep on:
— Pretextual traffic stops (something we’ve given great attention to here on Light ‘Em Up)
— Section 1983 lawsuits
— and as a case study we examine Whren v U.S. (517 US 806 (1996), a landmark Supreme Court decision that relates directly to how law enforcement interacts with the public today.
With a fine-tooth comb, we examine the details as to what exactly is going on in Cleveland, Ohio as the Division of Police, which is currently under DOJ (consent decree) oversight, continues to allegedly cheat, stretch, break and violate the law by intentionally stopping and searching black drivers at much higher rates than white Clevelanders.
We explore “When cops become robbers”: When law enforcement officers use their badge and authority to “game” the citizenry as they violate the spirit and letter of the law.
We tell the story of the Tenaha, TX Police Department, whose officers were (allegedly) intentionally using their authority to “shake-down” the good people passing through their city limits. The lead officer directly involved literally expressed the intention of using “the money that they get from thugs “from a newly created drug interdiction program to pay the town’s bills.
A class action lawsuit asserted that their pretextual traffic enforcement scheme was bogus and was designed solely to enhance the city financially and the defendants personally.
Especially for you, we have exclusive audio of the Rehnquist High Court as the attorney on behalf of the petitioner (Whren), Lisa Burget Wright, argues their position before the high court on April 17th, 1996.
Whren vs U.S. says that “a stop or search that is objectively reasonable is not diminished by the fact that the officer’s real reason for making the stop or search has nothing to do with the validating reason”. (Meaning that it is acceptable for an officer to make up a reason to stop you.)We explore and define a §1983 lawsuit, which provides an individual the right to sue state government employees and others acting under the color of state law for civil rights violations.
For your education and empowerment, we explore §242 of Title 18, which makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the U.S., and we provide crucial insights as to what your rights are when you are stopped by law enforcement. And we delve into pretextual traffic stops: What are they, and how they are used against you.
We also offer a “Know Before You Go” pre-travel safety check-list that will help limit your potential exposure and hopefully reduce the likelihood of being pulled over for any legitimate or pretextual moving traffic violations.
Finally, we review an in-depth analysis of what more than 17,000 traffic stops in the City of Cleveland has exposed in and among the CDP (Cleveland Division of Police) as it initially appears that they disproportionately pull over Black drivers with much more frequency than white motorists.
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Welcome back to this brand-new, explosive, visionary, investigative edition of Light 'Em Up.
We're currently being actively downloaded in 114 countries, globally.
Thank you for your unwavering, constant support.
Without fear or favor, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth on any topic that we undertake and report on.
On this episode we focus on and explore emerging ways of addressing critical issues in the criminal justice system and policing — drilling down on and beginning a focused conversation as to:
Rethinking how law enforcement is deployed and all too often traffic stop by police.
Public safety has long been treated as the near-exclusive province of law enforcement agencies.
Police are tasked with countless challenging and many dangerous duties, including but not limited to:
— Responding to active crime scenes
— 911 calls for service (that are made all the more unpredictable by the prevalence of guns on our streets and gun ownership in the U.S.)
— People who are in the grips of a mental health crisis
— Domestic violence situations
The most common 911 calls include: business checks, disturbances, suspicious persons, and complaints.
Simply put, the police are over-tasked and vastly undertrained to deal with a myriad of complex issues that 21st Century Policing encounters and demands — especially those that center around mental health.
The risk of being killed while being approached or stopped by law enforcement in the community is 16 times higher for individuals with untreated serious mental illness than for other civilians.
For the safety of the public and law enforcement officers equally, we have to begin to re-think, re-examine and re-engineer these concepts, whether it be the biased enforcement of traffic laws by police which drive racial disparities in the criminal justice system or topics like we’ve covered in the past such as “DWB” or Driving While Black in America.
— Police in the U.S. conduct more than 20 million traffic stops per year
— Some 42% of African Americans say that police have stopped them just because of their race
— 59% of the U.S. public believes that this practice of racial profiling is widespread
— 81% disapprove of it — or at least express the concept that they do
Civilian first responders dedicated to traffic and road safety can better serve communities by resolving traffic and safety issues without the potential for punitive law enforcement action.
Racial profiling is a significant policing and social problem. We all witnessed how fast the police incident with Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill escalated quickly from the body worn camera of the officer on scene.
To mitigate the risk of harm to both the police and the public, many municipalities have tasked unarmed, non-law enforcement responders to address nonviolent social and medical issues such as mental health crises or have narrowed the scope of police discretion and duties in traffic enforcement.
How many times have we seen in the past where a citizen is pulled over for a minor traffic infraction and it has escalated into a deadly encounter?
— An expired registration
— A crack in a windshield
— Littering
It happens every day, don’t be fooled!
Click here to see the list of the top jurisdictions that have first responder programs across the U.S.
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Welcome back to this brand-new, investigative, in-depth, exposé exclusively featured on Light 'Em Up.
We're actively being downloaded in 114 countries, globally.
Thank you for your unwavering, support.
Without fear or favor, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth on any topic that we undertake and report on.
Tonight, we examine the officer involved shooting of Michael Jones — by our very own Akron Police Department in the early morning hours of August 17th outside of a Duke and Duchess gas station, in Akron, Ohio. The 15 second unnecessary struggle took Jones' life and re-opened deep wounds between the people and the police in Akron.
Jones, a 54-year-old black man, was shot at point blank range and killed by an APD Officer during an altercation inside a U-Haul Rental Truck.
In a Light 'Em Up Exclusive Visual Investigation we've analyzed the body worn camera (BWC) of the officer involved shooting — frame by frame, meticulously we've rolled back the footage of the fatal traffic stop to examine the causes and consequences of the "officer created jeopardy" in this specific case.
With Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill in the news for being dragged out of his car in Miami Gardens, FL — this fact pattern put the issue of excessive force and officer created jeopardy at the forefront of countless discussions.
Our learning objectives for this intense episode — which may very well save your life or that of a loved one — will be to drill down on:
— The fact-pattern in the killing of Michael Jones
— Reasonable, Articulable, Suspicion (RAS)
— and introduce to you the concept of "Officer Induced Jeopardy".
In the realm of criminal law and law enforcement, the term Reasonable, Articulable, Suspicion holds significant importance. It serves as a critical legal standard that determines whether law enforcement officers have sufficient grounds to justify various actions, such as: stopping individuals, conducting searches or making detentions. If you are under arrest, you must be told of the charge you are in custody for and immediately read your Miranda rights.
Understanding RAS is crucial for both law enforcement officials and individuals to ensure a balanced approach to justice.
To help you better to understand we'll delve into the:
— Concept of RAS
— Its legal significance
— and its impact on various aspect of law enforcement practices.
As case studies we'll discuss 2 cases regarding the concept of "Officer Induced or Officer Created Jeopardy".
"Officer Induced Jeopardy" involves situations in which police officers unwisely put themselves in danger and then use deadly force to protect themselves. It can include the actions of officers who, without sound justification, willingly fail to take advantage of available tactical concepts like distance, cover and concealment, willingly abandon tactically advantageous positions by moving into disadvantaged positions without justification — or act precipitously on their own without waiting for available assistance from backup.
Grave tactical errors such as:
— walking into the path of a moving car
— reaching into the window
— jumping onto a moving vehicle
— then using lethal force to defend against the danger — as appears to have been the case in the killing of Michael Jones.
We'll interrogate the "final frame" approach found in Graham v Connor where the U.S. Supreme Court says, "courts should not second guess the "split second" judgements officers make in the heat of the moment".
Vehicle stops happen more than 50K times a day on average across America — by far the most common interaction between the police and the public, which disproportionately impacts drivers of color.
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Welcome to this incendiary, probing, brand-new installment of Light ‘Em Up.
We’re currently being actively downloaded in 1⃣1⃣3⃣ countries globally! Thank you, for your constant support!
In this intensive episode we’ll investigate and unpack the cold-blooded killing of Sonya Massey — a 36-year-old mother of two and resident of Springfield, Illinois. Ms. Massey was concerned for her safety and called law enforcement to her home for protection.
Sonya Massey, was fatally shot in the head by the now terminated and criminally charged former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sean Grayson in her own kitchen over a pot of water that was heating on the stove.
Today, with all the tangible evidence from a multitude of past deadly incidents with law enforcement — the argument could be made that it no longer seems safe for individuals of color and/or anyone who may be “spiraling downward” in the grips of a mental health crisis to call law enforcement for any assistance.
When a person is stuck in the unrelenting grip of a mental health crisis and they are rapidly spiraling downward — they need help, compassion, empathy and understanding. They don’t need to be shot in the face and killed.
Law enforcement simply is not trained to properly handle such emergencies. A crystal-clear example of this was what happened to Daniel Prude in Rochester, NY.
Far too often the fact pattern turns out to be identical to the last senseless killing.
The officer dispatched to the call shows up on the scene:
— terrified (having little direct exposure to those who don’t look identical to him)
— short on time
— short on patience
— and far too often short on the requisite racial sensitivity for the communities they are charged with protecting and serving
— short on the requisite “humanity” one needs to see people who need help as people, not as constant and potential threats
Many aspects of this case are perverted. This case serves as a textbook example of “officer induced jeopardy”.
As we press deeper, farther and wider we’ll uncover the ever-expanding and troublesome issue of “Wandering/Roaming Cops”.
Wandering/Roaming Cops are law-enforcement officers fired by one department — sometimes for very serious misconduct, who then shortly thereafter find work in another agency.
A perfect example of this would be Timothy Loehman, who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio.
The defendant, Former Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, had not one, but two previous DUI convictions and a history of personnel problems, but was still hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
Through an extensive number of exclusive Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIA) we’ve obtained the:
💥 direct audio of Sonya Massey’s mother, (Donna Massey) calling 9-1-1 emergency dispatch providing the dispatcher with advanced notice about her daughter’s mental state.
💥 the last extensive communication from Sonya Massey as she called 9-1-1 emergency dispatch to notify them of a “prowler” at or nearby her home.
💥 the troubling, gruesome, audio from the body worn camera video in the kitchen where Ms. Massey was fatefully gunned down.
💥 Finally, Light ‘Em Up was extremely fortunate to receive a sound bite from the Governor of Illinois, the Honorable J.B. Pritzker — specifically on the Massey tragedy.
Don’t move a muscle. Tune in to hear the shocking, sickening facts of this case.
In a time of uncertainty, facts provide clarity. Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
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Welcome back to Light ‘Em Up!Directly from your support, we are actively being downloaded in 1⃣1⃣3⃣ countries! Thank you so much!
There is so much trouble in this world. The threat vectors are endless.
This riveting, in-depth episode turned out to be one of our more educational, intensive and acclaimed episodes among our 80+ binge-worthy catalogue of work, now spanning 5 seasons.
With this new episode, we delve into the vast, intricate and complex process of radicalization – specifically, radicalization that leads to violence or violent radicalization (VR).
Radicalization is defined as: The process of supporting or engaging in activities deemed by others as in violation of important societal norms such as the killing of innocent civilians.
VR is a significant and growing threat domestically and worldwide.
VR can be understood as “an individual or collective process whereby normal practices of dialogue, compromise, and tolerance between groups/individuals with diverging interests are abandoned and one or more groups/individuals engage in violent actions to reach a specific (political, social, religious) goal”.
In a context of increased social polarization, Violent Radicalization is affecting both majorities and minorities, targeting different forms of “otherness”:
— racial
— ethnic
— religious
— political and
— gender-related as well.
This process is influenced by a myriad of inner-connected push factors.
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞:
We’ll examine and define: Radicalization.
💥 Drill down into some of the pathways towards becoming radicalized.
💥 Ask why does an individual turn to violence as a means of achieving his or her desired goals?
💥 Discuss some of the strategies to attempt to prevent radicalization.
💥 We’ll expound on the concept of “othering”.
💥 Providing background and context to help you better understand the concept of radicalization.
💥 In a world built upon and bent on exposing your devaluation, we’ll examine how the process of socialization can lead to the use of violence.
💥 Interrogate how does the quest for personal significance constitute a major motivational and driving force that may push individuals towards radicalization and violent extremism.
💥We’ll present empirical evidence consistent with our premise and discuss its implications for policies of preventing radicalization and in the hope of deradicalizing an individual or individuals.
Fact: 4 U.S. Presidents have been killed by gunfire. Political violence is nothing new in the U.S., or globally. This is a problem that isn’t going away any time soon.
You’ll be out of breath after you tune in to hear ALL of the explosive details as we investigate those things that are done in the darkness. We expose them by shining the antiseptic bright light of the truth upon them.
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Welcome to this brand new, fact-revealing episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We're actively being downloaded in 113 countries! Thank you!
As promised, we’d be there when there was any update of significance in the 2023 case of the mysterious death of Crystal McCrory Jones in Oak Grove, Louisiana.
We're very fortunate again to speak with Jana Guyewski Latigar (Crystal's sister).
The fact pattern shows:
💥 Within 1 hour and 45 minutes, the cause of death was ruled a suicide.
💥 Two days prior to her death — the Ring Doorbell Camera was cut off.
💥 Crystal’s husband Tony Jones at one time was employed by the “investigating” agency (W. Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office).
💥 Law enforcement supervision allowed a friend of the deceased woman’s husband to “investigate” the case.
💥 Argument has been proffered that Tony changed his story multiple times as to his whereabouts on the day Crystal died.
💥 Shortly after his wife’s death, Tony vigorously tried to collect on a $63K group life insurance policy.
In early May, our guest, Jana, traveled to our nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of her deceased sister and others who have suffered a similar tragedy.
The purpose of the trip was to discuss and examine the inconsistencies in the Homicide Victims Family Rights Act of 2021 (sponsor Rep. Eric Swalwell D-CA) and to bring awareness to how the Act does nothing for families who wish to seek a new set of eyes on their loved ones’ investigations that are ruled an accident, undetermined or suicide.
This bill establishes a framework for immediate family members of a murder victim under federal law to request a review of the victim's case file if the crime was committed more than 3 years prior, the murder was investigated by a federal law enforcement entity, all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and no likely perpetrator has been identified.
Law enforcement can argue whatever it wishes — working to save face doesn’t take any criminals off the streets.
Members of the Oak Grove community have expressed (some more quietly than others) that this case is tremendously sad and tragic on multiple levels.
It's a case plagued with far more questions than answers — because the authorities who should be actively seeking the answers are not.
They’ve shared that due to what they’ve described as the "impotent, bungled investigatory management process and the apparent piss-poor procedures, policies and practices in place within the West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Department (from the outset), there still has been no resolution, nor any modicum of justice for the victim, family or anyone — nor do they feel there will ever be any resolution or justice meted out". This case breaks their hearts.
A death investigation is supposed to answer lingering questions, not generate more uncertainty.
No matter who you are or what you do in life, if your spouse is dead in your home under any circumstances you can expect to be considered a suspect. That never happened for Crystal’s husband in this case. Why?
Who cancelled the Ring Doorbell Camera contract and why?
Was this coincidence or evidence of pre-planning, conspiracy or an attempt to cover the tracks of a murder?
Who approved a former colleague of the husband to catch this case?
Why the rush to judgement? What was the hurry?
Optics matter! The truth matters!
Seriously? — there aren’t a ton of suspects in sleepy little Oak Grove, Louisiana.
Is a murderer walking the streets freely?
Join us as Jana delivers her deeply heart-felt, powerful remarks that she graciously delivered in Washington, DC.
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Welcome back to this exclusive, probing, fact-finding, comprehensive investigative edition of Light ‘Em Up …
We are currently being actively downloaded in 1⃣1⃣ 3⃣ countries, globally.
We shine the antiseptic light of the truth on the multi-billion-dollar world of sports betting and the criminality that far too often surrounds these actions.
Actions that most recently have encircled and swallowed more victims from ALL of the Major Sports Leagues:
⚾ Major League Baseball,
🏀 The National Basketball Association,
🏒 The National Hockey League,
🏈 The National Football League … and beyond.
We’ll dig into the crimes investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the probe centered around Major League Baseball’s mega super star Shohei Ohtani of Japan and The Los Angeles Dodgers and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, now a convicted felon.
And we’ll probe into the most recent lifetime ban of the San Diego Padres infielder, the Venezuelan Tucupita Marcano, as the 24-year-old was found to have bet on and against his former team.
These and many other scandals have sent shockwaves throughout the major league sporting community and raised questions about the integrity of the sports and have started to create a negative perception that the games are not “on the level”.
The U.S. Sports betting industry set a record with nearly $11 billion in 2023 revenue.
This huge year represented 44.5% year-over-year increase from 2022, which previously held the record.
According to the American Gaming Association, 38 states and D.C. have legalized sports betting.
Only Utah and Hawaii have completely banned all forms of gambling.
We explore and investigate:
♦ The Chicago White Sox (dubbed the Black Sox due to the scandal) of Major League Baseball and the plan to fix the 1919 World Series.
♦ Jontay Porter (in the NBA),
♦ Tucupita Marcano (Venezuelan Infielder of The San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball),
And we report on Major League Baseball Rule 21 which states: “Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.”We probe into the signs and symptoms of a gambling problem and the behaviors that stem from “chasing your bets”. If you or someone you know may have issues with compulsive gambling 1-800 GAMBLER can provide educational resources and help to try to curb these harmful activities.
Gambling takes many forms, but it’s always about taking chances. There’s typically money or other possessions on the line, and whether it’s the lottery, slots, or cards – winning or losing is always random.
Problem gambling – or gambling addiction – involves the compulsion to take chances that are capable of damaging personal, family, or vocational pursuits. Unfortunately, the loved ones of the gambler are often affected as much as the gambler. It’s estimated that between 4 and 6 million Americans can be considered as having a gambling problem.
For each of these, there is a family who is also suffering. Don’t suffer! Get help!
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Currently we're being downloaded in 113 countries! Thank you!
With the May 3rd, 2024, shooting and killing of Sr. U.S. Airman Roger Fortson in his off-base home in Fort Walton, FL, by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth in this deep, thorough and investigatory episode of Light ‘Em Up on the killing of black men in their homes by law enforcement.
Click the link to view the available Body Worn Camera footage + extra coverage on the Fortson case.
This isn’t a topic anyone is talking about or wants to hear — these are precisely the topics we cover. In a time of uncertainty, facts help guide and educate.
The cold hard facts bear out evidence that the 2nd Amendment’s “Right to keep and bear arms” as well as the Castle Doctrine DO NOT apply equally nor consistently for individuals of color as it does for Caucasians. Note well: (The Castle Doctrine is a common law principle which states that individuals have the right to use reasonable force, including deadly force, to protect themselves against an intruder in their home.)
In this episode we’ll unpack the:
♦ Actions taken by the Deputy Sherriff before, during and after the 6 shots he emptied into Mr. Fortson. We’ll examine what crucial dispatch and on scene information he had when he responded to the call.
♦ Examine similar fact-patterns in the cases of Amir Locke, asleep on the sofa in his cousin’s Minneapolis, MN apartment, Donovan Lewis (in his home in Columbus, Ohio) and the “Open Carry Rights” of young 12-year-old Tamir Rice (in Cleveland, Ohio).
♦ Introduce you to a little-known concept of “dispatch priming” (where the 9-11 dispatch officer “primes” the officer with information which can lead to “mistake of fact” deadly confrontations…as in the Tamir Rice shooting death with the Cleveland Division of Policing.
The fact remains: Good intel saves lives; bad intel gets people killed.♦ We’ll review closely the language of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989) which is used daily to determine the legality of every UoF (Use of Force).
It's imperative that every person understands and comprehends the key components of the legal holding of this case, so much so that that we will itemize them verbatim in our “Show Liner-Notes” for this episode here.
♦ We’ll expose the harsh history of many of the founding U.S. states on how they perceived black people as “property” and spoke unequivocally regarding their “rights, privileges and immunities” to access to firearms.
This isn’t argument nor conjecture, but the real-world fact pattern that we are faced with. We feel like we constantly ask this same question: Where do we go from here? Why do we keep coming back to this again and again? Will anything ever change?
The most recent effort in the U.S. House, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, is just as dead as its namesake.
We truly believe simply because this bill bears the name of George Floyd, no Republican will vote for it. It would be political suicide to do so. There seems to be no hope for it passing.
Tune in for the explosive details. Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot
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When we last spoke with our special and honored guest, we were being actively downloaded in 104 countries. Now, it's 112!
Welcome to this edition of Light ‘Em Up.
We provide you with the facts, never the fiction — we have an exclusive in-depth interview with one of our law enforcement subject matter experts who has served in the capacity as a high-ranking police administrator with a smaller, rural police department in the State of Mississippi just for you!
Again, he speaks candidly on the promise of his anonymity, delivering the unvarnished truth that you rarely get when the topic is ways to improve the process and processes of law enforcement’s service delivery with the public. Law enforcement can be very guarded with the information that it shares with the public. While they are public servants — far too often they hold the public in contempt and it shows with the levels of trust among many communities, especially of color.
We dig deep and draw down on the civilian complaint process as it relates to law enforcement and the public. Have you ever filed a complaint or wanted to do so against a police officer? A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction.
Filing a complaint is a means of governmental redress — and one of the most basic tenants at the root and foundation of our 1st amendment constitutional rights. The receipt of a complaint should trigger the Internal Affairs process — so a smartly crafted internal protocol is essential.
Our special guest stressed the fact that “the complaint itself serves as a crucial piece of documentation and it becomes a discoverable public record which can be subpoenaed if necessary”.
"A complaint forces the hand of police supervisory officials to make a statement as to whether they approve of or sanction the official actions taken by their officers under the color of authority."
This process shines an intense, antiseptic light which examines the internal standards, policies, practices and procedures upon any given law enforcement agency. Conducting a thorough, accurate, relevant objective and timely investigation into every complaint can never be a bad thing — regardless of its ultimate outcome or the conclusions sustained.
The transparency, honesty and openness of the Minneapolis, MN, Chief of Police, Medaria Arradondo helped to assist him in keeping his job for 2 full years following the explosive, deadly actions taken by former MPD officer Derek Chauvin resulting in the death of George Floyd.
To do otherwise in the complaint process is highly risky behavior which can easily and quickly prove to be a death knell for the officer, department, city and Chief of Police.
The public should be encouraged that filing a complaint:
-
Helps to make police brass aware of a given situation so that they have an opportunity to correct any alleged improper behavior.
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Generates evidence in order to provide the best look at capturing a moment in time into what the current state of affairs are within the department.
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Can help shine an antiseptic light on and weed out the bad apples before it is too late, as one bad apple can spoil it for the entire bunch.
It’s unfortunate but reality that in today’s society — where everyone is a photojournalist and law enforcement is under an intense eye of scrutiny — you can be collectively judged by the actions of the least of you.
The purpose of taking a complaint isn’t to win an argument with the complainant — it is to better understand the situation that is being contested and evaluate how the law enforcement agency is functioning as the information is filtered up the chain of command.
Everything has a cost, even the truth.
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Welcome to this intensive, no holds barred, educational episode of Light ‘Em Up!We’re working to tirelessly to expand our global footprint beyond 111 countries!
Tonight, we are honored to have back one of our all-time most honored guests.
Our especial guest, Dr. Sandy Womack, Jr. -- who is no stranger to Light ‘Em Up -- is our tried-and-true source and resource who can unpack all of these hot and pressing topics for us and provide great clarity and wisdom to them to aide understanding.
Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. is a servant leader with over a generation of successful experience in urban education. He’s an NCAA All-American wrestler with a doctorate in educational leadership, author, principal, district administrator, equity trainer, motivational speaker, and urban school turnaround specialist.
We ask the same question to Dr. Womack as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked in August of ’67 when he addressed the 11th Annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Atlanta, Georgia before over 100 Black leaders – “Where do we go from here?”We’ve reached a critical inflection point as we examine several crucial issues that currently impact the nation, and Black America specifically, in 2024.
He tackles the critical topics of:
— Race & politics: In 2024, the impact of Blacks being the 3rd largest group in America as it relates to political power.
— The black youth and what might its collective future look like; violence & the impact on the perception of Black youth, “Killing them before they grow”
— as well as the intersectionality of the future of a public education, funding and race, examining the question: Is a public education in danger of becoming obsolete?
Some 55+ years after The Kerner Commission got it right, yet no one listened, poverty, crime and inequality still infect our society. (President Lyndon Johnson constituted the Kerner Commission to identify the genesis of the violent 1967 riots that killed 43 in Detroit and 26 in Newark, NJ). We are still, all these years later, plagued by the same issues.
A riot is the language of the unheard. America still has failed to hear many things and act upon the defaulted promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.
We are in an extended period of post-mortem reflection following the time during which racial justice protests were at their most intense.
We now have to ask ourselves:
— What has changed? And what hasn’t?
— Have power and privilege truly been disrupted?
— Has oppression been alleviated?
— What will be the legacy of this moment where we saw global protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd … has it all been for nothing?
Dr. Womack stresses the fact that there can be no testimony without a test. He went on to say that “I can’t be who I need to be if you’re not who you need to be.” And that the interconnectivity and focusing on what unites versus what divides is what is crucial for our collective advancement.
Womack stated that “Poverty is a huge cause of a variety of different things that impact upon the U.S.” and that “education is economic development”.
Through the education of the future of the world, our youth, he works in an indefatigable manner to change the heart of people and bring the focus back to faith, hope and love.
Tune in to hear a wealth of his wisdoms – we guarantee without a doubt that you will learn much. Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
Thank you for tuning in! Our global footprint has now reached 111 countries!
On this expanded, investigative episode we shine the antiseptic light of the truth on a 2019 murder case out of the state of Michigan. The People v Cabrera.
We are honored to sit down with Sarah Cintron, the mother of Juan Cabrera.
Juan was convicted of premeditated intentional murder at the age of 18 by a jury that only took 120 minutes to decide on a charge that mandated him by statute to serve Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) for a murder where the actual video evidence in the case did not in any way, shape or form show the face, clothing, nor any single, solitary identifying physical characteristic of the shooter. (View the video that the jury used in its deliberations here for yourself.)
How do you reach a unanimous determination of “beyond a reasonable doubt” with “evidence” such as this?
Material witnesses perjured themselves in statements given to police prior to trial and on the witness stand. Two material witnesses identified two totally different suspects other than Juan as being the shooter.
Two other key witnesses were given ENORMOUS sentence reductions, ultimately receiving probation on serious other felonies for their “alleged truthful testimony and cooperation” against Juan.
Stemming from the lying and colluding witness statements of party attendees, law enforcement put out a “BOLO” looking for a man named Claudio Estrada Jr., who wasn’t even in the state of Michigan when this crime took place.
One witness was permitted to communicate with other witnesses via Facebook Messenger during her police interview – in front of a female member of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department.
Juan’s defense trial attorney (Chris Kessel, now the Michigan assistant attorney general) admitted under oath that he “reviewed the video evidence submitted by the prosecutor but did not conduct a frame-by-frame review of the video”.
When your client is on trial for his life, why not do so?
There were serious questions and concerns about a “conflict of interest” on the part of Juan's attorney, due to the fact that during his trial he took on another extremely high-profile case (the Flint, MI Contaminated Water Cases) working for the same State of Michigan that was trying to put his client away for life.
What do you do when the police immediately suffer from “tunnel vision” and “lock on” to a suspect who they think and believe committed a crime? When this occurs — it's close to impossible to get them to look at or pursue any other suspects.
States across the nation generally have laws prohibiting people from making false police reports — with our special guest, we ask and examine — the question:
What do you do if the police are the ones furthering the false claims and advancing those claims with shoddy investigatory practices that have produced nothing but lies from liars — from the witness stand and in their sworn affidavits and official reports?Sarah provides tremendously helpful insight and important awareness as to how you can navigate such choppy waters.
Just after midnight on February 16, 2019, a group of teens gathered at a hotel to celebrate the belated birthday of a mutual friend.
Two of the party attendees have a verbal altercation in the hallway right outside of the room. A fight ensued. All hell breaks loose, and lives are changed forever.
Tune in to hear the rest of the shocking details.
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Note well: All persons are innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law.
We’re honored that you’ve joined us! Thank you!
We’re currently being downloaded in 111 countries!
We deliver the facts … not fiction, covering every story with integrity and passion.In this explosive, follow-up, investigative interview, we further shine the light of the truth and drill deeper, farther and wider with Jana Guyewski Latigar (the sister of Crystal McCrory Jones).
♦ We have word that KNOE News Channel 8 has a team of investigators actively working this case and will soon have an investigative report on the fact pattern regarding Crystal’s mysterious, untimely and shocking death.
♦ We've uncovered shocking details regarding the Forensic Pathologist in this case — and devastating errors that led to the exoneration of the West Memphis Three.
On February 9th, 2023 in the sleepy town of Oak Grove, Louisiana, (population: ~2,275), Crystal was found dead in her home from what was reported to be a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound to the head.
The West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office (WCPSO) had this case “solved” in 105 minutes — less time than it takes to drive from Oak Grove to Shreveport, LA.
From the initial deputy being notified by WCPSO to perform a “welfare check on the deceased” — law enforcement would've had to find Crystal’s body; secure the crime scene, gathering, bagging and tagging all relevant evidence; canvass the neighborhood; track down any and all investigatory leads; interview any/all relevant suspects; complete all investigative written reports, while preserving the chain of custody … in under 2 hours!
This would be amazing if it happened. In fact, it DID NOT happen this way! Police reports were strewn with misspelled words and inaccuracies, timelines of the spouse that don’t match up. Premortem bruising was ignored and overlooked — which is a clear indication of a pre-death vicious struggle.
♦ What was the hurry? Why the rush to judgement?
♦ Why the hostile, combative responses from the Sheriff when family members of the deceased simply sought information into the death of their loved one? Isn’t it normal for a devastated family to have questions, to seek answers?
In this exclusive interview Jana sheds personal insight from her trauma-informed experience on courageously, (slowly) working her way through the life-altering grief stemming from her sister’s death. She shares insightful coping strategies for anyone dealing with similar traumas.
Also:
♦ We talk about Complicated Grief, which can occur as a result of the traumatic and unexpected death of a loved one. We explore the Cycle of Grief. Everyone experiences grief — it is part of our human experience.
♦ Other residents of West Carroll Parish have shared their concerns that there’ve been other cases that were quickly ruled a “suicide” when the facts weren't so clear.
Follow Justice for Crystal McCrory Jones (the Facebook Group honoring Crystal’s life and memory) and sign the Change.org petition which seeks to press law enforcement officials to re-open an investigation surrounding her mysterious death.
Tune in and be educated and empowered!
𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲!
Note well: All persons are innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law.
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Welcome to this explosive episode of “Light ‘Em Up” — actively being downloaded in 108 countries!
Thank you so much for your enormous response to our previous multiple record-setting episode!
As we continue to speak truth to power and shine an intense spotlight on the error-filled autopsy report and the unsubstantiated claims of the coroner, as well as the shoddy, crooked, backwoods investigational practices of the West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Department and the shady, collusive actions on the part of the 5th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Ms. Penny Douciere — we offer this brand new fact-based, investigatory episode to you.
We submit that those involved in the “investigation” of this case willfully have chosen to look the other way. THAT is a text-book definition of corruption and a dereliction of official duty under the color of authority. We ask, why? Why wouldn’t the Louisiana State Police open an investigation? Why the rush to judgement on the part of the coroner?
On February 9, 2023 in Oak Grove, Louisiana (population 1,441), Crystal McCrory Jones was found dead in her home from what was reported to be a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound to the head.
Her husband, Tony Jones (who reportedly at one time was an employee with the same W. Carroll Sheriff’s Department charged with “investigating” the case) was reported to be the last person who saw her alive, at or around 8 am on the day of her death.
Within 1 hour and 45 minutes of the knowledge of Crystal’s death, the case was ruled to be a suicide.
The fact pattern shows that there was extensive bruising on her hands, inner thighs, and a fingernail was broken off of her left hand: evidence of a pre-mortem struggle.
Bruising is bleeding into the surrounding tissue and there's no bleeding if the heart isn't pumping. Bruising is indicative of clear signs that there was an intense struggle, before she died — as once the heart stops pumping blood --- there can be no bruising.
As education is always a foundational pillar of Light ‘Em Up, in this fact-packed episode we drill down on:
♦ What is a medico-legal death investigation — and why it is of the utmost importance that it takes place in a timely, professional and painstakingly thorough manner. It didn’t!
We define:
♦ What an autopsy and autopsy report are, the cause and manner of death and criteria for determining a suicide.
We ask:
♦ Who called in a “welfare check” on Crystal in her home, and why? Were they trying to establish an alibi?
We investigate:
♦ The difference between a suicide and a homicide.
We highlight:
♦ specific Louisiana laws governing coroners’ duties, autopsies and investigations — which expose officials as derelict in their duty.
We clarify:
♦ the 4 major problems in conducting death investigations.
♦ And we instruct on the 5 objectives of an autopsy and a ton of other compelling aspects of this mysterious case.
How is it that every aspect of the criminal justice system and those officials charged with honoring their oath to protect and serve and do their sworn duty failed Crystal?
Crystal loved life — her presence blessed everyone who encountered her.
The sad truth is that if this can happen to her — it can happen to you!
We’re in this fight! We’ll continue with this case until we see some form of “justice” delivered to Crystal's surviving family members.
Follow this link to the Change.org petition for Crystal as well as the Facebook page remembering her here.
All persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Visit our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot
Thank you for joining us! We’ve now penetrated 108 countries globally, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 because of YOU!
This case stunk from its inception.
Tonight, we explore the death of Crystal McCrory Jones, a sweet mother of 2 and a friend to all who were blessed to know her.
You’ve heard of homicide, defined as the unlawful killing of one human being by another. We’re betting you may not have heard as much about uxoricide. The killing of one’s wife. You’ll have to determine for yourself, but there are very suspicious details.
We were very fortunate to sit down with Jana Guyewski-Latigar (the sister of the deceased).
On February 9, 2023, in the sleepy town of Oak Grove, Louisiana, (2020 Census population: 1,441), Crystal was found dead in her home from what was reported to be a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound to the head.
Within 1 hour & 45 minutes, cause of death was ruled a suicide.
Here are just a few more of the highly suspicious facts:
♦ Two days prior to Crystal’s death, the Ring Doorbell Camera to her home was cut off. Coincidence, or evidence of pre-planning or conspiracy?
♦ Fact: Her husband, Tony Joe Jones, was an employee of the West Carroll Parrish Sheriff’s Department — the department charged with “investigating” the case.
♦ No matter who you are or what you do in life, if your spouse is dead in your home, under any questionable circumstances you can expect to be considered a suspect.
That never happened in this case. Why not?
♦ There is argument that Tony changed his story as to his whereabouts and specific location on the day Crystal died.
♦ Google Location Data place him near the home, consistent with and in conjunction to the time of death initially listed on Crystal’s Death Certificate.
♦ The Parish Coroner initially changed the time of death from 10:35 AM to 5:05 PM, why?♦ Shortly following his wife’s death, Tony vigorously pursued efforts to collect on a $63K group life insurance policy.
♦ Soon thereafter, facts show that the husband had Crystal’s body cremated. Was this evidence of a “guilty mind”, establishing the necessary legal “mens rea” in an effort to destroy any physical evidence or prevent any hope of a 3rd party, independent forensic exam of the body?
♦ Upon Crystal’s death Jana and Crystal’s surviving family members were denied an investigation into her sister’s death by the Louisiana State Police Department. Why?
♦ Why the rush to judgement with so little, if any, investigation?
Help to give her life and legacy a voice. Help to solve Crystal’s murder. Tune in and hear the rest of the salacious details.
I’ve witnessed a lot of examples of bad policing throughout my career— having spent many years as an investigator. THIS case may very well be the worst example of unprofessional, shoddy, backwoods, good ol’ boy, overt and intentionally corrupt actions on the part of law enforcement to cover up a murder that evidence suggests that perhaps one of their own may have been involved in — that I have ever heard of in my life.
Note: All persons are innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law.
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Happy New Year! We’re excited to be launching Season 5 of Light ‘Em Up!With brutal wars raging in Gaza and Ukraine — and allegations of “conflict zone sexual violence” being lodged by all parties involved in these conflicts, we turn our intensive journalistic spotlight on and focus the “heat of the truth” on the Secret War Crime — that isn’t secret at all: One of the most shameful consequences of conflict and war, “Gender Based Violence”, also referred to as GBV.
The practice of raping the women of a conquered group in war has remained a feature of warfare from the earliest records to the present.
GBV refers to any harm or suffering inflicted on a person because of their gender. It is used as a weapon of war designed to create fear, terrorize and humiliate populations, and undermine and destroy the social fabric and cohesion of communities.
Just like domestic violence, GBV can take many forms such as physical, sexual or psychological abuse and can affect anyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. GBV happens to men and boys as well as women and girls.
This type of victimization is known to impact tremendously on the psyche of survivors and carries with it grave risk factors for emotional, mental, physical, and psycho-social wellbeing.
GBV can also increase the risk of:
- HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases
- unwanted pregnancies
- unsafe abortions
- maternal mortality and many other devastating outcomes.
The Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court recognizes that “rape and other forms of sexual violence by combatants in the conduct of armed conflict are war crimes and can constitute genocide when it is committed with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, a targeted group”.A boisterous Op-ed in the New York Times declared that the “Gender Based Violence of October 7th Must Not Be Ignored” and it is incumbent upon all of us to use our voices to ensure that it isn’t ignored, not only in Israel, but globally.
Rape is a serious violation of human rights and a war crime.
As our mission is to always be “true to the truth” we’ve tunneled deep and investigated two specific conflict war zone cases of GBV for this episode.
The first is the grotesquely brutal, terror-filled story of Mary, who was forced to witness the vicious killing of her husband and two sons -- ages 5 and 7 -- by the rebel soldiers in South Sudan. She thought nothing could be worse than seeing that. Then, the soldiers yanked her 10-year-old daughter Nyalaat from her arms and turned their perverted, deviant, sexual behaviors on the little girl.
When the soldiers were done, all she could see was blood. Nyalaat died shortly thereafter. Mary immediately wanted to die as well after witnessing this cruel sight. The soldiers attacked Mary, taking turns with her. She said it happened to all of those in the camp: little girls, women, grandmothers, they didn’t care.
The intimate nature of sexual assault (especially during war and conflict) often means that horrors such as this often go undocumented, sanitized out of history books and glossed over in news accounts that focus solely on casualties and refugee numbers.
Rape is a weapon even more powerful than a bomb or a bullet. Rape victims may appear to the community like someone who is cursed. After rape, no one will talk to you; no man will see you as being a human being. It has been likened to a living death.
Tune in as we bring you this fact-based, educational account of the brutality and reality of gender-based violence that occurs in global conflict and war zones.
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As we close out another fantastic year filled with one accomplishment after another for “Light ‘Em Up” … which included new sponsorships … and new underwriters -- we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.
We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your TSL (time spent listening) to us throughout this past year.
We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 107 countries globally as we close out Season 4.
We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we never were concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.
Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system --- and look what it has become!
We have been able to advocate for so many people.
The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off in order to rest for a week or so, recover and enjoy some quality time with our families.
We then will begin the process for Season 5 of Light ‘Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break even more records with the reach of our podcast.
Also, to add more sponsors and underwriters.
The truth is under attack – and the truth is worth defending!We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else regarding the U.S. criminal justice system.
We are loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners. We are truly here for you and because of you!
Our commitment to you here on Light ‘Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle topics that have a real impact in your daily lives.
We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the “Voice of the people”.
Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.
Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last full episode of the year regarding the war that is presently raging in Gaza.
This advocacy piece irritated a lot of people but was wildly popular and downloaded at a record (for us) and at a tremendous rate/amount.
Thank you to Feedspot — online at Feedspot.com as we are featured in their top 60 poll of the 60 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 60 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2023 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We thank you and we look forward to you joining us in 2024!
Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale & Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.
You'll hear from us early on in January 2024.
Thank you!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Welcome to the 70th episode of Light ‘Em Up! We’re excited and honored that you’ve joined us! We know your podcasting options are vast.
As we air our final full-length, explosive episode of 2023, just like the 3 Wise Men — we come bearing very exciting news. Light ‘Em Up is actively being downloaded in 107 countries globally!
Tonight, as the war continues to rage on in Gaza — we provide an intense, investigative journalistic focus on “Terrorism and the Terroristic Threat” — with a special focus on the war in Gaza and the barbaric October 7th terror attack in Israel — which caught its citizenry, the Israeli government, its defense forces (the IDF) completely and utterly by surprise, unaware and ill prepared as was the case with the terror attacks here, in the U.S., on 9/11/2001.
Hamas leaders say they launched the attack on Israel because they believed the “Palestinian cause was slipping away, and that only violence could revive it”.
In an assault without recent precedent in its complexity and scale, the militants crossed into Israel by land, sea and air, according to the Israeli military, leading to some of the first pitched battles. The attack, which was clearly meticulously planned — used rockets, paragliders, boats, motorcycles, other vehicles, and whatever other means they could use.
The armed militants infiltrated the Jewish state and murdered around 1,200 people, including 30 Americans — injured over 5,400, and captured and fled with some 230+ hostages back deep into Gaza (more than 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip have since been released).
It’s been said that “the only thing we learn from history … is that we do not learn from it”.
In this episode we challenge you to think critically as we delve into and unpack:
♦ The concept and phrase: One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.♦Some myths about terrorism (stemming from our usage of the Global Terrorism Database).
♦ We highlight examples of designated terrorist organizations.
♦ We ask: Does it help to label a person or a group as being terrorists? “Terrorism” is a contested and politicized term that may be applied or rejected by different actors depending on their interests and perspectives.
♦ We’ll drill down on the main challenges of negotiating with terrorists and share some historic examples of successful negotiations that built trust through diplomacy and effective communication.
This episode proved to be one of our most challenging and ambitious episodes of the year. I’m very proud of our team and the research behind it.
Don’t forget to follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Buon’ Natale! Happy Hannukah!
Thank you so much for being a loyal listener and a fan of Light ‘Em Up.
On this in-depth, investigative edition of Light ‘Em Up we expose what we maintain is an illegal invasion of your personal privacy and an illegal search and seizure in violation of the 4th Amendment.
Picture this: During your annual physical checkup — your doctor draws near to you with the stethoscope and asks you to perform a few deep breaths — is she really listening to your lungs or is she looking for signs of extensive drug use or smelling for the use of alcohol?
This is a very odd dilemma. The doctor writes a prescription for you, and has been doing so for years. Suddenly, without advanced notice, she has an “issue” with doing so. She says, “We need to run a toxicology screen on you”. A what?
You may have no clue whatsoever that your rights are even being violated — by, of all people, your primary care physician and local hospital. In an extension of the “War on Drugs” — as it continues to target the poor and the neediest among us, many hospitals across the country have begun drug testing their patients, especially Medicaid recipients, through urinalysis.
The 4th Amendment has been hotly debated since its ratification in 1791. How much do you know about the rights granted to you by the 4th Amendment?
Subjecting patients, especially poor patients, seeking medication for a health condition to an intrusive seizure of his/her bodily fluids is an intentional act of intimidation. Threatening to withhold essential medications from patients — the use of condescending and coercive, bullying tactics through the use of a “pain contract” or a “controlled substance agreement” — serves only to further damage the quality of care that has already been compromised due to the way insurance companies have rigged the system in their favor.
This bullying and forced compliance are completely contrary to the “do no harm” motto that has served as the foundational pillar of the medical profession since its inception.
Who wants to have a medical doctor who in reality is a “narc” — eager to “report” anything she observes? What benefit is it to have a “doctor” that violates the doctor-patient trust that is essential and at the core of quality, comprehensive care?
If patients distrust their physician, or feel stigmatized or distrusted by them, this will impact greatly upon the therapeutic relationship and deeply compromise care.
Lacking sufficient financial means should not be a criminal offense — nor should a course of action apply to only one group of people as a “suspect class”, treating them as if they are not “worthy” to be afforded the same Constitutional rights as others.
At Light ‘Em Up — we have always fought against THIS kind of disparate treatment.
In this episode as we lobby for justice and speak truth to power, we shall:
♦ Dissect the 4th amendment and provide analysis of what the U.S. Supreme Court says about this process as we delve into what a “pain contract” is.
♦ Examine “controlled-substance agreements” for patients on chronic opioid therapy, with a keen eye on “indifferent enforcement” from a criminal justice perspective. Are they binding, or enforceable in a court of law?
♦ Dig into our case study: Rivers vs The Administration of Children Services (ACS) for the City of New York.
It’s easy to turn a blind eye when the violation of rights applies to someone else. What happens when it happens to you?
Tune in - be empowered! Check here for bonus content.
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Tonight, on this provocative, incendiary and investigatory episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We return to the scene of the crime! Your response was overwhelmingly favorable regarding our first episode with our special guest, the high-ranking police administrator, so we invited him back to the witness stand for another episode.
With you in mind, we deliver another exclusive, in-depth, behind the scenes, “truth tellin’” session with the Assistant Chief of a small, rural police department in the “Magnolia State”.
To be clear, he's speaking on the promise of his anonymity, identified only by his title. The municipality that he serves has approximately 8,500 people with not a lot of “pass through” traffic in the jurisdiction. It is staffed by approximately 30 accredited officers.
Throughout his dedicated career in law enforcement, he’s always thought critically about racial disparities, especially stemming from his own personal experiences as early back as being a patrolman and from the training he was given.
He researched and authored a rigorous in-depth white paper study entitled: “Seeing Color in Police Discretion”.
His study interrogates the question ultimately of “what kind of a society do we want to live in”? It examines unconscious bias and how it may impact officer discretion and decision making. This analysis forces officers to self-reflect on why they are reacting in the style and manner that they do. This ultimately aides police to sit with and realize the consequences of their actions.
We roll up our sleeves and dig deep on:
♦ Conscious and unconscious bias and we examine how this is more so a human problem and not necessarily solely a law enforcement problem.
♦ How police officers and administrators react to claims like selective enforcement and racial profiling, and he corrects and refocuses our thinking on the fact that racial profiling is pursued under the 14th amendment, not the 4th amendment.
♦His in-depth analysis of several landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases that directly impact upon law enforcement and how it is constitutionally bound to carry out its duties on a daily basis with a focus on:
Whren v US — which held that “Any stop as long as it is based on a valid law or justification is a legal stop even if the reason(s) given for the stop is not the true motivation”. Thus, paving the way for “pretextual stops”.
♦ Terry v Ohio, Delaware v Prouse & Graham v Connor et al.,
♦ The contentious topic of “qualified immunity.”
In 1967, the Supreme Court recognized qualified immunity as a defense to §1983 claims. In 1982, the Supreme Court adopted the current test for the doctrine. Qualified immunity is generally available if the law a government official violated isn't “clearly established.”
From time to time, it is imperative that you pinch yourself —reminding you that this is a high-ranking law enforcement administrator sharing these hard hitting, impacting truths that the majority of officers would stay silent on. He is a man of integrity, and it shows.
Because we think the world of you, our listeners, and you’ve helped us grow to date to 104 countries globally, we’ve included additional in-depth analysis and an expansion of the specific methodology used in the rigorous white paper study for you. You can use this link to access this exclusive, bonus content.
Note well: Email me at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com in order to receive a copy of the white paper statistical study. In your request, we ask that you share with us one fact from this specific episode.
Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
All this y mucho, mucho más on this edition of Light ‘Em Up.
Welcome to this incendiary edition of Light ‘Em Up. We’re now being heard in 104 countries!
We have an exclusive in-depth interview with a high-ranking police administrator with a small police department in the “Magnolia State”.
Speaking on the promise of his anonymity, identified only by his title (Assistant Chief of Police), the municipality that he serves has about 8,500 people, staffed by about 30 accredited officers.
The Assistant Chief mentioned that “working in a small town brings to focus the importance of the development of relationships. The good news is — is that at the present crime is low and it is getting lower” in this growing town.
In this fact-laden episode we explore:
♦ The never-ending challenges of 21st century policing in a small town, including budgeting and the struggle to pay its personnel a competitive wage.
♦ Police “culture” & how retaining staff is a constant struggle.
♦ The findings following a comprehensive, in-depth study on the importance of prioritizing and reducing unconscious bias among officers entitled Seeing Color in Police Discretion.♦ Unconscious bias and how this can affect officer discretion, views, and perceptions.
♦ The importance of discretion in law enforcement & the wide latitude officers have in their use of that discretion and how this can be relevant to non-law enforcement industries that you may serve.
♦ Systems and standards: The foundational set of good management practices, methods, systems, requirements that must be established to produce high-caliber, top quality, constitutional policing that the citizenry deserves.
♦ How policing changed in his municipality following the killing of George Floyd.
He emphatically stated that, “The presence of the Black Lives Matter movement absolutely raised the bar for police officers and police leaders to know what they are talking about when it comes to equal protection and racial disparities. It no longer cuts it to say, ‘Hey we’re out here doing our jobs — leave us alone’”.
He went on to say, “We really have to have real answers for why things look the way that they do and to me it really raised the bar for accountability. It really raised the bar for us — just because you’re not being held accountable internally — doesn’t mean that it’s not going to come externally … so, it is comin’ one way or another. We need to be competent in order to be able to explain ourselves and serve in a responsible manner.”
While mistakes and errors soak up the bulk of media attention locally and nationally, it is imperative to pause and remember that police officers are people too and the vast majority of them serve with dignity, honor and often times in a heroic and valorous manner.
Through many of the direct efforts of the Assistant Chief of Police, it is clear that his department has put a lot of work in internally which clearly shows on the external side of police management and administration into doing an excellent job at serving the good people of the Magnolia State.
Tune in and be empowered and find out about the footballs in each trunk of every patrol car in their fleet and the awesome news about the police department sponsored youth football league.
Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
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Note well: Email me at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com in order to receive a copy of the white paper statistical study. In your request, we ask that you share with us one fact from this specific episode.
On this educational and explosive edition of Light ‘Em Up, we’re excited to announce that we are being actively downloaded in 103 countries! All thanks to you!
Ripped straight from the headlines from the Atlanta Fulton County Superior Courthouse where Donald J. Trump and 18 of his co-defendants have been indicted under the Georgia Racketeering Act — we’ll take an in-depth, investigative look at the Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
RICO was designed by the U.S. Congress in order to “whack” the mob — to be the ultimate “hit man”.
The Act has extremely sharp legal teeth in order to accomplish that task.
This legislation was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on October 15, 1970, as Title IX of the Organized Crime Control Act (OCCA) as a means by which the federal government could combat organized crime. The Act today is covered in 18 USC §§ 1961-1968 and provides the legal means by which prosecutors can identify and convict those who operate illegal businesses.
The roots of RICO, however, extend as far back as 1950, when the problem of criminal infiltration of legitimate business was first documented. The U.S. was a very different place then than it is today. Organized crime was a highly sophisticated, diversified and widespread activity that annually drained billions of dollars from America’s economy by the illegal use of force, fraud and corruption.
Congress found that organized crime had extensively infiltrated and exercised corrupt influence over numerous legitimate businesses and labor unions throughout the U.S. and posed a “new threat to the American economic system”. Congress further established that organized crime derived a major portion of its power through money obtained from crimes such as gambling, loan sharking, theft and fencing of property, the drug trade, and other forms of social exploitation.
While in prison together at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, the then Genovese Crime Family Mob Boss Vito Genevese -- mistakenly thinking that Joseph Valachi was a “rat” -- gave Valachi the “kiss of death”.
That solitary action sent a chilling message to Valachi, putting the fear of death in his heart, mind and soul. Valachi sought revenge, choosing to “rat out” the mob before the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs, the FBI, the DOJ and the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation. Valachi’s testimony would prove crucial in the government’s efforts to combat organized crime, which would eventually lead to RICO.
As we set the scene — we dive headfirst into:
♦ Defining the purpose, scope and breadth of RICO as well as provide its contextual and historical background and legislative origins.
♦ Comparing, contrasting and highlighting another high-profile RICO case currently underway in the very same courthouse as the former president’s (that case involves the rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams).
♦ The specific crimes that fall under the vast “umbrella” of RICO.
♦ How a person violates the RICO statute.
♦ The length of sentences for those found guilty of violating RICO.
♦ Important terms and relevant vocabulary words.
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
The pursuit of justice is a slow and methodical process. There are costs involved with seeking justice!
Tune in and be empowered, and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
We are here for you and because of you!
All this y mucho mucho más on this explosive, investigatory edition of Light ‘Em Up.
With this comprehensive, investigatory edition of “Light ‘Em Up” we examine the hotly debated subject of consent decrees, pattern and practice investigations and the role the federal government has in trying to bring about just, equitable and constitutional policing.
What appears to be a never-ending national crisis has exposed deep chasms in the relationships between local police departments and the communities they’re charged with “protecting and serving” all across the U.S.
Unfortunately, the facts bear out that the police have a long and checkered track record of not being very good at policing themselves.
When the police can’t or won’t police themselves — who then shall police the police?
In Latin, the phrase “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes” means exactly that:
Who will guard the guards, themselves?
In 1994 Congress gave the federal government unprecedented power to intervene against police misconduct among state and local law enforcement agencies.
§14141 of the Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act, commonly referred to as the 1994 Crime Bill, declares it unlawful for law enforcement agencies to engage in a pattern or practice that deprives a person of rights, privileges, or immunities protected by U.S. law and Statute 42 U.S.C § 14141.
The U.S. Department of Justice is the governmental agency responsible for enforcing the Constitution and the laws of the federal government.
The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ was created in 1957 by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. During those tumultuous times in our nation’s history, the Civil Rights Division focused on protecting the vote.
The DOJ has a number of tools that are effective in bringing about lawful and fair policing. One process is a “pattern-or-practice” investigation. The first step in this very detailed legal process is to conduct a thorough and independent investigation to bring to light any persistent patterns of misconduct within a given police department.
George Floyd’s death in May 2020 reignited a national conversation about how to reduce unconstitutional policing harms, especially the disproportionate unconstitutional harm some styles of policing can cause and impact upon minorities.
Our learning objectives for this episode will be to:
♦ Define what a consent decree is.
♦ Challenge you to think critically on how the federal government might play an effective role in reining in police excesses and abuses and work to reshape policing.
♦ Examine the role and purpose that consent decrees serve in 21st century policing.
♦ Provide the historic background on why The U.S. Congress gave the DOJ authority to address systemic police misconduct.
♦ Explore the details on how the DOJ opens a pattern or practice investigation and what exactly do such investigations involve?
♦ Shed light on the role of a “monitor” and their duties and expectations as they oversee the consent decree process.
♦ Highlight arguments of a vociferous group of nay-sayers and detractors of the DOJ — who with their conspiracy-filled rhetoric foment and further hatred for the Federal Government just as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers do. They not only want to halt the practice of consent decrees — but their venomous ramblings sound as if they want to hurt career professionals within the DOJ — which is clearly against the law.
The truth is essential to our democracy!
These cities and entities are currently under consent decrees.
Tune in and be empowered, and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
Thanks
Tonight, on this intensively focused, informative, investigative journalistic edition of Light ‘Em Up we focus our spotlight on a problem that is often described as an unfortunate, intractable, unavoidable and daily reality among the members of law enforcement in the criminal justice system.
We reveal the story behind the story on “Testi-lying”— when police lie.
Blue Lies Matter!It’s unfortunate, but law enforcement officers lie.
One of the most notorious lies told by police took place just a few years ago, when the Minneapolis Police Department initially described George Floyd’s death as resulting from a “medical incident during police interaction”. Police departments all over the world have engaged in and been caught in illegal lying to bolster their conviction rate.
A Brooklyn, NY District Attorney has publicly named 7 blacklisted officers whom have been found to NOT be credible. Evidence suggests that police officers commit perjury or other forms of testimonial deception more often than the public and juries have realized.
The term “testilying” was coined by police officers in New York City. It usually refers to perjury committed by a police officer; however, it has also been used to describe other forms of in-court deception.
The lies of the police hurt people. Such lies have the potential to ruin a person’s life — by putting them in prison for a long, long time or by even taking their life.
Law enforcement officers are bound by an oath to protect all citizens equally. Doing so requires consistency, compassion and respect for the dignity of all people and the adherence to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
An officer dishonors the badge by using excessive force, lying under oath, falsifying their paperwork. The investigator who lies about evidence loses credibility, risks false confessions and undermines the appearance of fairness in court. Trust is essential to police-community relations and public safety. The use of deceptive tactics can only serve to undermine these relationships, bringing us to the present-day reality where cops who were once revered are now held in contempt and treated with suspicion due to the damage that they themselves have done to their reputations and the profession as a whole.
The fact of the matter is that the reputation of the entire law enforcement profession is tarnished when one single solitary officer betrays their oath to protect and serve in accordance with the laws that govern our great nation, not extrajudicially.
In this explosive episode we dig deep and deliver on:
♦ The 4 Big Lies that police often tell.
♦ What the legal term “habeas corpus” means.
♦ What is a suppression hearing and the purpose it serves in the criminal justice process.
And as education is always a key component of Light ‘Em Up …
♦ We examine another Supreme Court landmark case, Frazier v Cupp394 U.S. 731 (1969). In this case the court held that “On its own, police deception in interrogations did not automatically constitute misconduct.” This case pretty much gave law enforcement the green light to lie and use deception.
**The truth is certainly under attack! The truth is well worth fighting for!
Truth is something to be leveraged; not concealed.**We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tune in and be empowered, and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
We are here for you and because of you!
Thanks much!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
This explosive edition of “Light ‘Em Up” — which is currently being downloaded in 100 countries — is packed from the beginning to end with rock solid information to enlighten, educate and empower you!
Our intense investigative journalistic focus is on recently breaking news items from the Jayland Walker case. At the airing of this episode, it will have marked 1 year since Jayland Walker was gunned down in a hail of bullets, in Akron, Ohio.
Walker, a young unarmed black man, was shot at 94 times by 8 Akron Police Officers — struck 45 times and killed in a parking lot in downtown Akron on July 27, 2022 — after what was an unnecessary police pursuit that resulted from a cracked taillight and an inoperable license plate light.
Through counsel, the surviving family members of Jayland Walker have filed a 32-page federal civil rights action in the U.S. District Court for The Northeastern District of Ohio, Eastern Division on behalf of the estate of Jayland Walker.
It submits that the unlawful use of excessive force by Akron law enforcement officers violated Jayland’s Fourth Amendment rights, among other things. The civil rights lawsuit is against The City of Akron, its mayor, chief of police, and individual officers involved (directly and indirectly) in the shooting which took Jayland Walker’s life.
The prayer for “judgement for relief” in the lawsuit against the defendants jointly and severally is for not less than $45 million. $1 million for each bullet that struck Jayland.
Along those lines, as education is always a crucial aspect of Light ‘Em Up — as a case study we’ll showcase and share with you the fact pattern in Tennessee v Garner — as we feel that case is highly relevant to the case of Jayland Walker.
Tennessee v Garner is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case from 1984 which required the high court to determine the constitutionality of the use of deadly force to prevent the escape of an apparently unarmed suspected felon.
In this exclusive episode we’ll:
♦ Highlight the details of the lawsuit filed.
♦ Explore and investigate the issue of excessive force and drill deep to see if the civil rights of Jayland Walker were violated under the color of authority by members of the Akron Police Department.
♦ Disclose more details from the BCI Report.
♦ Discuss aspects of The Civil Rights Act of 1871— which is a federal statute, 42 U.S.C. §1983—that allows people to sue the government for civil rights violations.
♦ And, we are very excited to be able to share exclusive audio from the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Tennessee v Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985) with Chief Justice Earl Warren presiding.
Much of our listenership comes from people just like yourself who know the value of fact-based, well-researched reporting that demands transparency from the most powerful people and institutions in our country.
You can enjoy our podcast at work, home or at play. You don’t want to miss this educational opportunity to learn more about this explosive case that has further divided many of the city’s residents from the Akron Police Department and City government.
Facts matter! Tune in and hear them!
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tune in and be empowered, and follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
We are here for you and because of you!
***“The truth is the burden and duty of leadership” and the truth is under attack!
The truth is worth defending and we are here to do so!***
Thank you for tuning in! On this revealing, exclusive and brand-new episode of Light ‘Em Up — our hope is that we enlighten, educate and empower you with knowledge that you previously didn’t have.
Keep ever-present in mind, learning can be fun!
As education is always a key component of Light ‘Em Up — we expose those things that many would wish to cover-up. The truth forces growth and shines bright light into dark spaces, holding people in power to account.
At the release of this episode, we hear on every channel discussion regarding “when will the trial of former President Donald J. Trump take place”?
Raise your hand if you know a lot about your 6th Amendment constitutional rights.
We examine this crucial constitutional amendment, which confers rights that aren’t often discussed outside of a courtroom, yet they are of vital importance in defending, protecting and preserving cherished liberties in everyday society.
Ratified on December 15th, 1791, the 6th Amendment guarantees a cluster of rights designed to make criminal prosecutions more accurate, fair and legitimate.
Rights such as:
♦ a speedy and public trial
♦ an impartial jury consisting of jurors from the state and district in which the crime was alleged to have been committed
♦ to be informed of the charges
♦ to confront and call witnesses
♦ and to have an attorney present with you.
Did you know that it wasn’t until 1967 in Klopfer v North Carolina that the U.S. Supreme Court held that the speedy trial clause was applicable to the states through the 14th Amendment?
Certainly, all of your rights are important, but the 6th Amendment is crucial, especially should you find yourself thrusted into the midst of the criminal justice system having to defend your life and liberty.
The 6th Amendment has been described as the central feature of our adversarial system, but because the Supreme Court has so rarely articulated its meaning, the definition of a “speedy trial” has almost entirely been left to lower courts.
Our learning objectives will be to define, discuss and think critically as we dissect the elements that form the foundation of the 6th Amendment, with a special focus on the right to a speedy trial.
We shine our investigative journalistic spotlight on:
♦ The verbatim language of the 6th Amendment
♦ The Federal Speedy Trial Act of 1974
♦ Guideposts, milestones and time limits set by the Act
♦ As Ter’Rion Dunn celebrated a recent birthday, again, incarcerated, reaching the milestone of 1,281 days held in pre-trial detention, we re-focus the light of the truth on Alabama v Ter’Rion Dunn and the tragic story of Kalif Browder in the state of New York.
♦ Rule 48 (b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
And we are very excited to be able to share exclusive audio from the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Barker v Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972) with Chief Justice Earl Warren presiding.
Much of our listenership comes from people just like yourself who know the value of fact-based, well-researched reporting that demands transparency from the most powerful people and institutions in our country.
You can enjoy our podcast at work, home or at play. You don’t want to miss this educational opportunity to learn more about your 6th Amendment rights and how to keep yourself safe.
Facts matter the most in a time of crisis. Sadly, we are living in a constant state of crisis.
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
Peace be with you on this reflective and somber Memorial Day. Thank you very much for joining us! We are excited to share this investigative and educational brand-new episode with you!
We currently are being downloaded in 100 countries, globally!
On this incendiary edition of Light ‘Em Up, ripped straight from the headlines — we examine the New York City Subway choking death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old, unhoused black man who after the tragic death of his mother suffered and struggled extensively with mental illness.
Jordan’s death on May 1st came on the dirty floor of a northbound F Train at the hands of Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old, white subway rider, from Queens, NY, described as a former decorated U.S. Marine.
We ask the question outright, is Daniel Penny a Gotham City “hero” or a “man-slaughtering-menace”? A GiveSendGo Account has raised close to $3 million for Perry’s legal defense fund.
Can you think of a worse way to be killed, than by being asphyxiated? This is precisely what happened to George Floyd at the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Like a laser-beam we’re focused on this case and the breaking news surrounding it!
Our learning objectives will examine:
♦ The role race played in this case, if any.
Many people have considerable doubt and question if the roles were reversed — if a black man choked to death a white man — there would certainly be hell to pay!
♦ The fact that Mr. Penny was granted bail ($100K) and released.
♦ We review the 5 M.O.D.’s (Manners of Death).
♦ We probe if the criminal charge is correct or should this incident merit a more serious charge such as murder?
♦ If there was a “duty to intervene” for the riders on the subway car?
♦ How a “reasonable person” is expected to act under the law.
♦ An up-close analysis of NY Penal Law §125.15, Manslaughter in the Second Degree.
♦ And we reflect on our relationship towards our fellow man — especially those who are most in need and perhaps spiraling downward in the grips of a mental health crisis. We so often give “lip-service” as to how mental health “matters” — yet we do little to nothing to help those in the most need.
Jordan Neely was on the City’s “radar” for years before his death on the Subway — yet he continued to slip through the cracks and wasn’t able to get lasting and impacting help.
This was a preventable tragedy.
From coast to coast our country seems to be gripped by fear. We’re reminded of the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression. He helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.
We have exclusive audio from a press conference we attended during pre-production of and in preparation for this episode with The Office of The NY Public Advocate Mr. Jumaane Williams, as we have boots on the ground in the Big Apple.
In a time of uncertainty, facts provide calm, reassurance and clarity! The truth must be investigated and defended at all costs!
We pride ourselves on asking the tough questions — so that you’ll be informed going forward.
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts with us on this episode and any of our episodes that you’ve listened to. Email us at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tune in and be empowered and simultaneously follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
We are here for you and because of you!
Thanks!
Executive Producer— Phil Rizzo
Thank you so much for helping us achieve our goal of being actively downloaded in 100 countries, globally!
On this explosive edition of Light ‘Em Up, ripped straight from the headlines — like a laser, we re-focus our attention on the breaking news in the killing of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old, unarmed black man, in Akron, Ohio, our hometown. None of this story is foreign to us, we live here, we work here, we’ve raised our families here, we broadcast from here.
After what seemed like an eternity — the 10-month investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Office within the office of the Attorney General for the State of Ohio — the investigators concluded their report of all actions taken in this use-of-force investigation.
On Monday, April 17th a Special Summit County Grand Jury that was empaneled to hear the case of the 8 Akron Police Officers who shot 94 rounds, hitting Jayland Walker 46 times, returned a “no bill” verdict and none of the officers will be indicted on any charges stemming from their actions in gunning down Walker in a hail of bullets in an empty parking lot of the Bridgestone Center for Research & Technology at approximately 12:40 am on June 27th, 2022.
Rhetorically we ask, “who gets shot 46 times and lives”? These 8 officers of the Akron Police Department, once they decided to fire upon Jayland Walker, they were determined to shoot until he was dead. Sadly, it has become more and more apparent that “contempt of cop” can easily get you killed in 2023.
The police have very little tolerance for those who don’t immediately “comply”. “Comply or die” sadly, has become more of a standard versus an anomaly or aberration.
While there is no way that we can adequately cover the entire story in 1 episode, in this episode, our learning objectives are itemized below, as we endeavor to educate and empower you with facts that explain:
♦ What is a Grand Jury?
♦ What does a Grand Jury consist of?
♦ What is the Grand Jury’s role in the judicial process?
♦ The State of Ohio’s BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s) Official Report.
♦ The evidence, sifting through and combing-over the detailed fact-pattern in this case.
♦Separating the facts from fiction and the truth from innuendo.
The truth is difficult to hear for those who would wish to cover it up!
The truth has no agenda and is very much worth fighting for!
This case has E-X-P-L-O-D-E-D with breaking news! We’re on the scene with members of our team with boots on the ground in order to keep you up to the minute and informed.
You’ll also hear:
♦ The original police radio transmission of the chase as it unfolded.
♦ A portion of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s press conference.
♦ And Akron’s Chief of Police, Steven Mylett, regarding the aftermath of his department shooting tear gas canisters to disperse a crowd that had been peaceful for two previous hours marching and protesting in accordance with their 1st amendment sanctioned constitutional rights.
Note well: We advise you ahead of time — regarding the audio of the original chase you will hear coarse language and you will hear multiple gunshots; anticipate them and be forewarned, some may be disturbed by this content.
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tune in and be empowered and at the same time follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
Thanks!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to this incendiary episode of Light ‘Em Up!
Tonight, on this explosive investigative edition we examine the death of Leevon Smith.
We’re certain that his name won’t ring a bell.
BANG! BANG! BANG! On January 18th, 2023 Smith was shot 3 times at point-blank range on a sidewalk near the 1300 block of West 90th Street in Chicago by off-duty Chicago police officer Precious Dunn.
Levon Smith grabbed Precious Dunn. Were his intentions to rob her or assault her? He shouldn’t have grabbed her. Beyond that we can’t speak for him, nor can he – he is dead.
You will see on video, suddenly, and without warning, Leevon Smith grabs Dunn around her upper body. Is he trying to take her gun? Did he even know she had a gun? He certainly found out quickly that she was armed.
You can audibly hear him call her a b*tch. The video will show a life and death struggle ensued.
BANG! Dunn shouts, “I’ll kill you, watch this”! 2 more shots ring out.
In this episode – we deliver the exclusive raw, agony-filled audio of Leevon Smith after each individual shot – as he lay on the ground bleeding out. We’ll provide a link so you can have an eyewitness view of the video of the shooting taken from a nearby surveillance camera.
Many people commenting on this case on social media have expressed that “Leevon Smith got what he deserved.” Others feel what the off-duty female cop delivered went beyond self-defense and in a blink of an eye became “street justice” – stepping over the line from being proportional and justifiable force.
As a case study we will examine not only the specific fact pattern in this case, but also, we hope to educate you, (our listeners), on crucial facts that you need to know.
We’ll unpack what exactly are the “3 prongs” of Graham v Conner as they apply to the lawful use of force by law enforcement officers. We endeavor to clarify the narrow and very limited prohibitions imposed on police and the use of force.
We challenge you to think critically about the myriad of legal questions that this unique case poses as you listen in: We want to involve you actively and directly.
● Was Precious Dunn acting as a private citizen or in her capacity as a police officer?
● Will the fact that she failed to render any aid to her victim expose her to any criminal liability?
● Will this shooting be ruled as a justifiable homicide?
● Will she or should she be indicted?
● Was the use of force necessary, objectively reasonable, proportional and lawful?
● Was this an overt act of self-defense protected within the framework of the current law or did the off-duty Chicago Police Officer step over the legal boundaries for what is permitted by law and commit 2nd degree murder, exposing herself to criminal liability?
We examine what exactly is the “reasonableness standard” of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that influences police behavior today. This is a must listen for ALL, especially for individuals of color, as the 6th leading cause of death among black men comes at the hands of a law enforcement officer.
We advise you ahead of time, you will hear coarse language and you will hear gunshots in the audio clip that are extremely loud; anticipate them and be forewarned.
This investigation is currently on-going and it may take as much as 18 months in order to complete.
Please send this episode to a friend. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
Tune in and be empowered and at the same time follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
We're proud to announce that we're being downloaded in 99 countries!
In this explosive episode we share our final installation of an incredibly informative and intense 3-part series of conversations with our most downloaded special guest, Dr. Sandy Womack, Jr., the Region 3 area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district and a lifelong educator with 30+ years of experience.
He’s the author of two books which are a must for every educator and leader:
●"Even the best of plans go astray" and
●"Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”.In our hard-hitting, truth-telling and daring conversations, we’ve covered topics that very few others have the courage to unpack, speaking truth to power on the topics of:
● Effective 21st Century Policing
● The truth about Critical Race Theory (CRT), and
● We set the record straight on the current state of affairs in Ohio regarding charter schools and voucher programs (under Governor Mike DeWine’s budget proposals) and how this will impact public education and ultimately the school to prison pipeline.
Dr. Womack says, “25% of the state budget appears to be set aside for charter and voucher schools,” which he says is “significant” because “only about 11% of the students in Ohio will attend charter schools. “It sets the agenda, because you truly put your money where your mouth is.”
● We look back on the 50th Anniversary of Hip-hop music and how it has impacted urban education and beyond. He stresses the impacting force of an education and knowledge of self. Dr. Womack mentioned that he “came up in the era where you had ‘conscious rap’ from artists like KRS-One, Public Enemy, The Pharcyde and De La Soul”, just to mention a few.
Dr. Womack shares that, “Hip hop has made a tremendous impact because it gave a lot of young African Americans the ability to see themselves in a positive light – through music and the ability to use their vocabulary and true to life story-telling.”
● The importance of celebrating “the firsts” (first black pioneers and significant role models of color) in a world that goes out of its way to try to devalue these accomplishments. Dr. Womack says, “recognizing and identifying ‘firsts’ is very important to do, because so many people today are trying to strip people of color of their history.”
We drilled down on the de-regulation of educational certification (something that is not a new phenomenon), and discussed the rarely-mentioned fact that hundreds of thousands of Black educators lost their jobs when Brown v Board of Education was implemented in 1954. A case argued by the great legal scholar and pioneer Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall exposed the fact that unqualified white milkmen were used to replace qualified black educators when Brown v Board was implemented. These educators were leading professionals in education and in their communities.
In the decisive leadership of Dr. Womack, Jr., which has led many young people back onto the path to progress, “truth” is at the root of his essential core. The truth “cultivates”. It “digs up” … it “reveals”. His dear grandmother, Alice Womack once said, "the difference between a lie and the truth is normally just half of the story.”Tune in and get your truths! Follow our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot here:
As we promised, this is a continuation of our intensive discussion during Black History Month, a “Light ‘Em Up” “After-dark Special Edition”.
In this empowering episode, our returning special guest, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr., the Region 3 area Superintendent of the Columbus City School District (the largest district in the State of Ohio) defines for us exactly what Critical Race Theory (CRT) is.
He shares that CRT is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society — from education and housing to employment and healthcare. Itrecognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans’ higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to-prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies”.
“CRT is a doctoral epistemology, no one is teaching that outside of graduate and doctorate level courses. Kids in K-12 are not doing anything on that level,” Womack said.
Faithful Fox News watchers, tele-prompter-readers such as Tucker Carlson, political hacks like Marjorie Taylor Greene & QAnon conspiracists who don’t read have co-opted the term “critical race theory” and use it as talking points and as a catch-all and rallying cry to silence any discussions about systemic racism, ban the truthful teaching of American history, and reverse progress toward racial justice.
Dr. Womack rhetorically asks, “Who benefits from not telling the truth?”The term CRT has been unjustifiably used to include all diversity and inclusion efforts, race-conscious policies, and education about racism, whether or not they draw from CRT. Attempts to ban CRT are really attacks on free speech, on discussions about the truthful history of race and racism in the U.S., and the lived experiences of Black people and other people of color.
Lawmakers and proponents of the bans insist they are advocating for a balanced and “patriotic” education. In reality, these bans do the exact opposite: deny the truth about our nation’s history, silence dissent, and punish those who speak the truth to counter whitewashed falsehoods.
For 30+ years Dr. Womack has labored tirelessly to destroy the “deficit mindset” that plagues so many of our inner-city youth.
He shared unequivocal truths with us regarding how “in the U.S. we have laws, rules and policies that have been set in place that have impacted African American people economically, politically and legally — policies that have impacted the ability of certain indigenous and marginalized people to improve economically, educationally and have access to better and affordable health care … etc., cannot move forward unless these facts are acknowledged”. He spoke eloquently and convincingly how “So many people have fought and lost their lives for the right to vote and to be enfranchised” and the importance of being an educated, informed voter.
He expressed that, “until we embrace everybody that’s here (in the U.S.) and let everybody have a chance to tell their truth … then we as a people become weaker”.Tune in and be exposed to the truth which always disturbs, divides but ultimately delivers right here on “Light ‘Em Up” - now being downloaded in 99 countries.
You can find a wealth of resources and more detailed information about Dr. Womack, Jr. by following this link: www.urbanschooleducation.com
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Welcome to this Special Edition of Light ‘Em Up. We are currently being downloaded in 99 countries globally!
Tonight, we feel very fortunate, highly honored and richly blessed to deliver this Special Black History Month “Short Sojourn” with one of our most popular guests, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr.
Dr. Womack Jr. is the Region 3 area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district (the largest in Ohio) and a lifelong educator with 30+ years of experience.
He is an inspirational, motivational leader, frequent keynote speaker, role model, an Urban Educational Transformation Expert, and the author of 2 books: "Even the best of plans go astray" and "Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”.The cornerstone of Dr. Womack Jr.’s educational philosophy that has led to phenomenal positive outcomes is that "exposure changes expectations and experiences change lives”. Dr. Womack Jr. earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Ashland University. He is a devout man of learning, wisdom and history – most importantly to me, he’s a dear friend of mine.
In this in-depth, educational and explosive episode we examine the root cause of:
● The “culture of brutality, the ingrained and the tireless dedication to lie and cover up the truth” in the policing profession. Just what does “21st century policing” require in the wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols, in Memphis, TN on January 7, 2023?
● The cancer(s) that continue to plague the policing profession – the extra-judicial, excessive use(s) of force under the color of authority. Dr. Womack Jr. expresses that The Kerner Commission got it right, in 1968, but no one listened!
● The importance of the appreciation of black and brown lives – that our society and especially members of law enforcement clearly lack an appreciation for.
● The fact that even today there are still 2 separate and unequal sets of rules in the U.S. as it relates to contact with law enforcement and persons of color, and this fact continues to be perpetuated in many other areas of society, as well, such as education, financial red-lining, justice, equity, health care and fair & decent housing, just to name a few.
● What does Dr. Womack Jr. mean by "stinkin’ thinkin’”?
● He tests our knowledge of U.S. History and lays down the challenge to name 10 famous African-Americans in 60 seconds or less that ARE NOT athletes, entertainers, from slavery or civil rights.
● He probes us to see if we know who was the first black governor in the U.S. I’m fairly certain you won’t know this answer, unless you “Google” it.
● And he challenges us to “go deep” and truly “press into” our critical thinking and self-educate ourselves by reading the “Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave” which concerns the brutal and inhumane psychology behind the African slave trade and exposes the twisted thinking and the realities of life for a slave in the colonies.
If that wasn’t action-packed enough, he even throws in some profound wisdom from his uncle that states “If you’re not sittin’ at the table … you often are on the plate”.You certainly need not be a person of color to benefit from the (always) profound messages shared by Dr. Womack Jr., you need only to be human. You can shop and see all of the extremely valuable resources he has available for educational purposes at this link.
Hey! Don’t forget to follow our cross-promotional sponsors Newsly and Feedspot here:
Welcome to this incendiary, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up!
As we wrap-up our multi-episode series where we’ve analyzed how nuanced and deadly policing the mentally ill has become – tonight, we dig deep into the killing of Brian Umana at the hands of 2 officers with the National City, CA Police Department (NCPD), near San Diego.
Brian, 28, the father of a little girl, found himself in the unrelenting grip of a mental health crisis that was rapidly spiraling downward. He suffered from bipolar disease and schizophrenia, according to our special guest, his brother Roberto Umana, whom we have the distinct honor and privilege of speaking with.
● In the U.S. about 1 in 5 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in any given year.
● According to The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 43.8 million adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year.
Brian needed help – not 10 bullets. He needed to be afforded the chance to be taken to the hospital and assessed and treated – as is the case in New York City where Mayor Eric Adams has ordered law enforcement to bring those who are on the streets and suffering mental health issues to a hospital for “involuntary hospitalization”.
Sadly, we see this far too often. People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.
Barefoot, in the rain and silently pacing back and forth in the early morning hours of October 8, 2021, holding a machete in his right hand, was how the NCPD encountered Brian when they arrived on the scene.
Within 3 minutes he was dead. Shot 10 times by officer Evan Davis and Michael Sportelli (4 times with a handgun and 6 more times with a long gun at close range).
The NCPD had a K-9 officer on scene and they never deployed him. They could have employed a less-lethal bean-bag weapon, they never deployed it. A taser was deployed but did not subdue Brian.
We ask:
What was the pressing rush to bring this encounter to an immediate conclusion? The sidewalk was empty of people. It was raining at about 4 am in the morning. After the officers felt that they had given a sufficient number of “commands”, they moved in and approached Brian -- Brian didn’t approach them.
Why has the city of National City and its police department “stonewalled” this family for more than a year in not releasing the police report regarding the shooting?
The Umana family has now filed a federal lawsuit against the city, police department and officers involved in the shooting for the violation of Brian’s civil rights under the color of authority.
It could easily be argued that from watching the body worn police camera footage that the National City Police Department could stand to undergo far more rigorous Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and educate its officers with far more zeal and rigor. Too often, the police are thrust into a position of providing a type of “triage service” to the mentally ill that they are neither trained to deliver nor prepared to perform.
Ride along with us as we investigate the tragic killing of Brian Umana - a heart-breaking story that certainly should and could have been avoided – as we continue our quest to bring freedom, justice, dignity and equality – and to endeavor to persevere in being a “voice” for the “voiceless” – in a time when the truth is under attack.
You can find Roberto’s petition for justice on behalf of his brother, Brian, here.
Follow our cross-promotional sponsors Newsly and Feedspot here:
Executive Producer, Phil Rizzo
Happy New Year to You! As we kick off our 4th Season, we are currently being downloaded in 98 countries – a fact that we are tremendously proud of and have worked extremely hard to achieve.
Thank you for helping us achieve this momentous goal!
On this premier, explosive, new episode, we drill vast, deep and wide to bring you the facts, not the fiction. This is another eye-opening episode as we continue with our in-depth analysis focusing on the Police and their contact with the mentally ill.
In September 2022 there were at least 60,252 homeless people, with some 19,310 homeless children, sleeping each night in New York City’s main municipal shelter systems.
Eric Adams, the 110th Mayor of the Capital of The World (New York City), has announced and undertaken some very bold moves to attempt to address a “crisis we see all around us”. His administration announced a major push to “remove people with severe, untreated mental illness from the city’s streets and subways” with a process called Involuntary hospitalization.
The mayor expressed that we have a “moral obligation” to help those that are not in the position to help themselves. This policy will no doubt face strong opposition from civil liberty groups as it will examine what “liberty” and “freedom from “governmental intrusions” are all about.
Does a person lose any of their Constitutional protections simply because they mumble to themselves, have clothes that are soiled, torn and in tatters or haven’t had a shower in months?
Some critics have equated this process with “State sponsored kidnapping”.
While it may sound harsh to some, imagine if you were taken somewhere against your will, how would that make you feel?
The mayor’s announcement comes at a time when there is an intensive national debate about rising crime and the role of the police – especially dealing with those who are already in a delicate, fragile and tenuous mental state to begin with and may be spiraling downward into a deeper mental health crisis.
Join us as we:
● Examine the issues both pro and con, defining the processes that are in play.
● Investigate what other states and cities have done and are attempting to do to daily address this issue and those individuals who lack adequate housing and suffer from some degree of mental illness.
● Provide you with un-cut, exclusive audio of the mayor in his historic speech at City Hall.
● Customarily ask the tough questions that get at the crux of the issue.
● Have our pulse on the city with two other “Light ‘Em Up: Action-Exclusive Reports” from our New York affiliate and social justice correspondents on scene.
We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the “Voice of the people”. Please share an episode with a friend. We have more than 52 episodes to choose from.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot.com as recently we were honored by being ranked #6 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com).
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
The truth is under attack! The truth is worth fighting for!
Thank you so much!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
It is great to be back with you!
As we prep to close out another fantastic year filled with one accomplishment after another for “Light ‘Em Up” … which included new sponsorships … and new underwriters - we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.
We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your (TSL) time spent listening to us throughout this past year.
We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements, and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 97 countries globally as we close out Season 3.
We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we never were concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.
Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system --- and look what it has become! We have been able to advocate for so many people.
The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off in order to rest for a week, recover and enjoy some quality time with our families.
We then will begin the process for Season 4 of Light ‘Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break the 100 country-mark with the reach of our podcast.
Also, to add more sponsors and underwriters.
The truth is under attack – and the truth is worth defending!
We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else.
We are loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners.
We are truly here for you and because of you!
We close out the year being ranked #7 … having reached our highest ranking of #6 earlier in the year… according to Global Statistics with Feedspot.com for the:
“Top 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts of 2022 That You Must Listen To”.
Our commitment to you here on Light ‘Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle topics that have a real impact in your daily lives. We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the “Voice of the people”.
Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.
Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last full episode of the year regarding “Policing the Mentally Ill”. This advocacy piece touched a lot of lives.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot.com as recently we were honored by being ranked #7 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We thank you and we look forward to you joining us in 2023!
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.
You'll hear from us early on in January 2023.
Thank you!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Welcome to this impacting episode of Light ‘Em Up!We are grateful to you for joining us. Please tell a friend about us! Remind them that they can find our full catalogue here on every major platform where you get your podcasts!
How often do you see or hear where a person who is suffering extremely from some type of a mental health crisis which ends with the person being killed at the hands of law enforcement? Once is too many. I’ve observed this far too many times to count.
Tonight, we center our investigative journalistic focus on: Policing the mentally ill. This is one of the biggest challenges facing today’s law enforcement officers.
We’ll examine the role law enforcement plays and how their responses have life or death consequences – impacting those who are most vulnerable and in the throes of a mental health crisis which is spiraling rapidly downward.
It is important to note that the vast majority of people with mental health conditions are not violent and do not violate laws, but rather are more likely to be victims of violence themselves.
● Individuals with severe mental illness generate less than 1 in 10 calls for police service and occupy at least 1 in 5 of America’s prison and jail beds.
● In the U.S. about 1 in 5 adults (20%) suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in any given year.
● According to NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) 43.8 million adults in the U.S. experience mental illness annually.
It is imperative for you to know if your local police force has a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). CIT training is a specialized police curriculum that aims to reduce the risk of serious injury or death during an emergency interaction between persons with mental illness and police officers.
The lack of mental health crisis services across the U.S. means that law enforcement officers serve as first responders to most crises. A CIT program is an innovative, community-based approach to improve the outcomes of these encounters.
This is especially important if you, a loved one, family member, friend or colleague may suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, or any mental health challenges or issues. This multi-layer patient-focused collaborative approach can often be the difference between life and death for the person experiencing a mental crisis situation.
In this timely and important episode, we’ll unpack:
● Riveting case studies of Joshua Barre, Joshua Harvey and Daniel Prude - all African-American men. All suffering from some form of mental health issue. All three were killed by police.
● Personal insights from having observed a mentally challenged individual unattended in public.
● An in-depth analysis of Crisis Intervention Team Training (CIT).
● The role police play in handling mentally ill persons.
● The decision-making process from a police officer’s perspective regarding mentally ill persons.
● Law enforcement’s formal and informal “options” for handling mentally ill persons.
● The factors contributing to the problem and the implications of criminalizing mental illness.
●Finally, we focus the conversation on some policy recommendations to help improve the overall process.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #6 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We bring the classroom to you! We are here for you and because of you!
Executive Producer,
Phil Rizzo
Tonight, on this educational, empowering and explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up — our investigative journalistic focus is on the raw underworld of Confidential Informants or CI’s — a term that is often kicked around among the criminal element and the seedy underworld — but in the real-world very little is really known about CI’s and their intricate role and the crucial impact they have in and on the criminal justice system.
This is another installation in our recent series as we continue to investigate and probe deeply — exploring law enforcement policies, practices, and procedures and their impact on the public’s civil-liberties and constitutional rights.
Regardless of how you refer to them: snitches, rats, stoolies, stool pigeons … they can be a cop’s eyes, ears and calling cards. Confidential Informants can vouch for undercover investigators and get them inside the inner circles of criminal enterprises. In the criminal justice system, some say “police-generated witness testimony”, by that we mean confessions, police informants, and eyewitness identifications or that testimony from confidential informants, is essential to the overall process — just like the process of plea-bargaining.
Among academia in Criminal Justice, we’ve heard it said that the system would “grind to a halt and collapse without the use of CI’s” – while others feel very strongly that CI’s are “rats” and rats bring plague and infestation to everything they touch, and the criminal justice system and process is no exception.
On the streets it is said that: “Snitches get stitches” … among Italian mobsters — “gli mafiosi” — ALL rats deserve and should get the same treatment … “morte” … or death (in Italian).
After tuning in to this fact-packed episode you will know:
♦ What exactly is a CI?
♦ The 3 different types of informants.
♦ How a “CW” (cooperating witness) differs from a CI.
♦ The “motivations” of CI’s. (Are CI’s paid?)
♦ The "Initial Suitability Determination" used by JLEA’s (Justice Law Enforcement Agencies).
♦ The Standards for Eligibility of becoming a CI.
♦ How police & prosecutors use CI’s to make their cases against YOU!
♦ The use of CI’s inside organized crime syndicates. (Mob snitches)!
♦ An exclusive and troubling report on The Chicago PD and its use of informants.
♦ Shocking case studies (specifically of Kathryn Johnston): a real-world example where the use of CI’s can instantly become deadly and go terribly wrong – especially when law enforcement officers “conjure up,” manufacture and plant evidence.
Few crimes are as reprehensible as those committed by police officers who violate the very laws they have sworn to uphold. Rhetorically, we ask: How many warrants are obtained each year based on fabricated informants and conjured up “evidence”? How many such cases did not have someone stand up for the truth? We know that the truth is under attack and that the truth is worth fighting for.
We drill deep into the dirty underworld and the ins and outs of confidential informants (CI’s).
Do you want to become a CI?
Do you want to learn more about CI’s, now? Good! Tune in and be empowered!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #6 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We bring the classroom to you! We are here for you and because of you!
Executive Producer,
Phil Rizzo
THIS is the 50th episode of Light ‘Em Up!
We are excited and humbled to deliver this educational and empowering episode to you! Thanks to YOU, we’re now being downloaded in 95 countries!
With this historic episode we investigate and ask: Is “Big Brother” & your police department watching you? Are your movements being tracked?
Whether you like it or not, your driving habits are being observed and specific identifiable information that is only connected to you is being stored in huge databases that the police own and oversee.
Our mission and goals are always to educate and empower you with what you need to know in order to protect yourself from any unconstitutional intrusions into your person, papers and effects as well as your personal privacy. It may not always be what you want to hear but it always is what you need to hear. “Justice comes to those that fight … not those that cry!”
You may not know that you may be being tracked by Automatic License Plate Reading Cameras (ALPRs). Today, data is a gold mine.
ALPRs use a combination of cameras and computer software to indiscriminately scan the license plates of every passing car. They log the time and date of each scan, the GPS coordinates, and pictures of the car. Some can snap pictures of a vehicle’s occupants and create unique vehicle IDs. The devices send the data to software which can compare each plate against a designated “hot list.” Such lists can include stolen cars and cars associated with AMBER Alerts for abducted children.
Since the earliest license plate reader technology debuted in the late 1970s, it has evolved to become one of the most essential and widely used tools law enforcement agencies have in their arsenal. Today’s powerful ALPR systems and touted as being extremely useful not only for enforcing traffic laws — but also as an effective crime fighting and investigative tool that saves precious hours during a critical incident or an investigation.
But trust me when I tell you that the technology is not without flaws. If a plate is misread it can result in you being pulled over at gunpoint.
Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police, according to a study by researchers at Harvard.
In the United States, there is a presumption of innocence and a 4th Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. How this technology is being applied? Is everyone a suspect? Is that what our Founding Fathers envisioned?
We investigate and ask: Has the dragnet been flung too far? Too wide? As ALPRs become more common, the number of erroneous readings will increase. Placing too much faith in an automated system can have terrible consequences.
Does the capture and storage of this specific identifiable information constitute an unlawful search and seizure upon you? We want to hear what you feel about this. Do you feel as if you are being “watched”?
As always, Light ‘Em Up and our team of researchers are here to speak truth to power.
Tune in and hear our shocking case stories. Tune in and be empowered. The people have a right to know, and we’re here to shout the truth from the mountain tops. Forewarned is forearmed!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #6 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com).
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We bring the classroom to you! We are here for you and because of you!
Executive Producer Phil Rizzo
You’ve been summoned to appear for jury duty!
How a person thinks about jury service is how a person conceptualizes democracy.
After years of widespread abuse by courts stacked with King George's cronies, our Founders established the right to a jury trial. The colonists wanted to ensure that members of their community would be responsible for safeguarding their liberty and rights.
Before you can enjoy your constitutional right to a speedy trial, jury selection must take place. The jury is the ultimate arbiter of the facts. Being a juror and participating in the American judicial process is of great importance.
Jurors perform a vital role in the American system of justice. The protection of our rights and liberties is largely achieved through the teamwork of judge, jury and legal counsel whom all work together in a common, cohesive effort and put into practice the principles of our great heritage of freedom. The judge determines the law to be applied in the case while the jury decides the facts. Thus, in a very important way, jurors become a part of the court itself.
Your 6th Amendment rights in the U.S. Constitution guarantee the rights of criminal defendants, including the:
♦ Right to a public trial without unnecessary delay
♦ The right to a lawyer
♦ The right to an impartial jury
♦ The right to know who your accusers are
♦ And the nature of the charges and evidence against you
There are two types of juries serving different functions in the federal trial courts: trial juries, also known as petit juries, and grand juries.
As we continue our intense focus on the 3 C’s of the criminal justice system (the Cops, Courts and Corrections) this new installation of Light ‘Em Up focuses on doing your civic duty – participating in the jury selection process.
Our special guest for this educational episode, April Litman, who is a music business insider, consultant and academic educator, shared that, “a lot of personal questions (were) asked of the potential jurors…I was a bit surprised; I didn’t think they would be digging so deeply into our personal lives and our personal experiences…but they did. They were directly asking us questions about hardships that we had faced, encounters with violence, any past criminal behavior or activity, convictions…you are asked this in front of everyone and expected to answer under oath truthfully.”Your role as a potential juror is straightforward. The jury:
♦ Listens to the evidence during a trial
♦ Decides what facts the evidence has established
♦ Draws inferences from those facts to form the basis for their decision, and finally, yet most importantly,
♦ The jury decides whether a defendant is "guilty" or "not guilty" in criminal cases, and "liable" or "not liable" in civil cases.
We will educate and empower you with simple to understand descriptions as to:
♦ “Voir dire” process
♦ Types of questions you’ll be expected to answer under oath
♦ The inner workings of the jury from an actual participant’s perspective
We explore compensation (for your service), expectations (what will be demanded of you as a potential juror), the basic qualifications for eligibility to be a juror, y mucho mucho más!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #8 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
We bring the classroom to you!
We are here for you and because of you! You’ve received your summons, now, listen to the show!
Executive Producer, Phil Rizzo
Globally, we’re now being downloaded in 95 countries!
The truth is powerful and under attack! We won’t be swayed from delivering impactful investigative reporting.
Welcome to this episode on knowing your constitutional rights to protect and preserve your life.
It’s 3 a.m. and you are lying in bed asleep, “dead” to the world. Suddenly the front door explodes – you hear loud voices screaming POLICE! SEARCH WARRANT! SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!
Knowing your Constitutional rights may protect your legal interests and work towards saving your life – but you’ll still need a new doorframe and front door to your home.
As we’ve been drilling deep, vast and wide on policing in America, with this empowering episode we share what you need to know to protect and preserve your rights and to stay safe from unlawful or illegal government intrusion in your home, car, workplace, the streets, and if you are arrested and taken to a police station.
This episode can be a companion to the “conversation” that so many parents of children of color have had to have with their kids.
We’re not afraid to take a stand to provide helpful information to the people. Countless people have gone before us, fought, bled and died for the right to be free and to protect and preserve the rights that are enshrined in our Bill of Rights and Constitution. This “experiment” in liberty is delicate and our democracy hangs in the balance.
The U.S. Constitution provides a basic minimum of protection for individual rights, while leaving states free to enact laws that protect those rights more broadly.
We support the importance of the rule of law in society. Without it there would be anarchy. At the same time, we push for and demand Constitutional policing where officers enforce the law with courtesy, professionalism and respect to and for the U.S. Constitution and all of its hard-fought freedoms.
Breonna Taylor wasn’t afforded her Constitutional rights. George Floyd had his civil rights violated under the color of authority. Both are dead. Both should be alive today.
Your rights are crucial, and they belong to you – if you don’t protect them, who will?
What you say to the police is crucially important. We know firsthand of a young, poor, black man who simply told the truth to the police, placing himself at the scene where a murder was committed, and now he finds himself charged with capital murder, simply by being present where the crime took place.
We all are very well-versed on our Miranda warnings from watching our favorite police dramas on TV. These rights stem from the Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona 1966.
“You have the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law” etc. Each of these rights is precious, and you need to know and use them if confronted by law enforcement
In the past few years, elected officials have expanded the already wide powers of the police, enacting “must identify statutes”. 23 U.S. states have such laws. Tune in to find out if your state is one of them.
Tune in and be empowered as we continue to serve you to build trust, relationships, awareness and mutual understanding that can help to save your life. This episode is action packed!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #8 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
Note well: No legal advice is being disseminated within this podcast episode.
Welcome to this new, raw and unfiltered episode of Light ‘Em Up!
🌎 Globally, we’re now being downloaded in 94 countries!
From multiple FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests we’ve uncovered a treasure trove of primary source material exclusively for you!
We’ve gone to great lengths to bring you exclusive body-worn-camera-audio (BWCA) that you won’t hear anywhere else but on Light ‘Em Up!
The truth is powerful and under attack!
You’re driving home minding your own business … all of the sudden you see flashing red and blue lights in your rear-view mirror. You’ve been “lit up” by police and you are being pulled over. What you and the officer do next may very well be a matter of life and death – your life and your death.
On a typical day across the U.S., law enforcement officers make more than 50,000 traffic stops, which translates into nearly 20 million annually.
With this episode we drill down on what you need to know and do in order to reduce your chances of being pulled over by police and having that encounter turn deadly (especially if you are an individual of color). We’ve reviewed a Stanford University study that analyzed nearly 100 million traffic stops. The facts show that black drivers are ticketed, searched and arrested with far more frequency than their white motorist counterparts.
More than 400 drivers or passengers that were not armed with a gun or a knife, nor under “hot pursuit” for any violent crimes – a shocking rate of over 1 per week -- over the past 5 years have been killed by law enforcement. Most were killed while attempting to flee.
Don’t flee from the police, it will only serve to make matters worse. The moment that an officer perceives that you are using your vehicle as a “weapon” they pretty much have legal “carte-blanche permission” to fire at you.
We investigate what “officer-induced-jeopardy” is and how police officers use low-level traffic and equipment violations in order to pull you over to justify a broader search of your person and your vehicle (pretextual traffic stops).
We describe for you in detail how the law looks at an “officer-involved-shooting” so that you know how the police, prosecutor and the law views the use of deadly force so you will be better equipped to avoid placing yourself in any situation that may expose you to deadly force from an officer of the law.
To help educate and empower you -- in this exclusive episode we’ve edited, remixed and remastered the body worn camera audio of the traffic stops for: Philando Castille, Daunte Wright and Patrick Loyoya, all which ended in their tragic deaths. We put you at the scene as it unfolded!
As a public service we’ve itemized a step-by-step pre-traveling checklist and the foundation of a proactive strategy to help to keep you safe: What every driver should be aware of prior to turning on the ignition of their vehicle and putting the car in drive.
Tune in and be empowered as we continue to serve you to build trust, relationships, awareness and mutual understanding that can help to save your life. This episode is action packed!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #8 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
The truth is worth defending – as it is under attack daily!
We are here for you and because of you!
Much respect,
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to this incendiary new episode of Light ‘Em Up!
As you read this, we are now being downloaded in 94 countries!
This episode is our most ambitious of our entire three season catalogue.
We’ve gone to great lengths to bring you exclusive audio that you won’t hear anywhere else but on Light ‘Em Up!
Gunned down in a hail of bullets. Some reports say as many as 90 rounds were fired. 46 bullet wounds killed Jayland Walker in the parking lot of the Bridgestone Center for Research & Technology in Akron, Ohio in the early morning hours of June 28, 2022.
From multiple FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests we’ve uncovered a treasure trove of primary source material exclusively for you!
With lights flashing and sirens blaring, 10 police vehicles caravanned down Route 8 southbound chasing Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old black man, much like bloodhounds chased Frankenstein in the dark of the night. Firing upon him in ways that you wouldn’t even shoot a rabid animal.
For what started as a minor equipment and traffic violation ended in the brutal killing of yet another unarmed black man. While a gun was in fact found in the vehicle, and police maintain that a “shot came from the door of the suspect’s vehicle during the pursuit” the fact pattern shows that Jayland was unarmed when he was gunned down.
You’ll hear exclusive in-car police radio audio transmissions with dispatch from the officers involved in the 10-car chase.
You’ll be an ear-witness on scene to the body worn camera footage: the raw, intense, crude and nearly unintelligible commands the 8 officers that were super-charged with adrenaline and filled with fear were screaming at the top of their lungs while running – as they pursued Jayland, ordering him to “stop” and “show them his hands” before gunning him down in what seems like an endless barrage of bullets.
In the hope that it truly resonates with you, you’ll hear multiple times throughout the broadcast the actual gunfire from beginning to end.
We put you at the scene as it unfolded.
Making national and international news – this case has the entire City of Akron, Ohio on the edge of exploding!
The city has witnessed repeated protests. People demanding, “Justice for Jayland”!
We place you on the front lines at the street level protest – in front of the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, which houses the Akron Police Department.
You’ll hear the red-hot, heartfelt pain-filled words from a young mother who is filled with anguish over Jayland’s killing as she expresses her fears for the future of her young black children in this country.
At night you can hear the Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopters hovering overhead as they use their infrared cameras capturing endless video footage of the protestors.
Since day one of this incident, we’ve been gathering information – cataloguing and compiling the facts in order to deliver them to you! We now have this exclusive episode ready for you!
Tune in and be empowered as we put you in the eye of the current storm that is brewing!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #8 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.
The truth is worth defending – as it is under attack daily!
Tonight, on this explosive episode of “Light ‘Em Up” … we shine the light of the truth on:
The cancerous face of Antisemitism – the hatred towards all things Jewish that has permeated our society and the world. Antisemitism is a global problem today. Hatred of Jews based on religious, political, or racial ideologies continues among ordinary citizens, people of influence, and even under state sponsorship.
From tiki-torch toting white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA, to attacks at synagogues in Pittsburgh, PA to Poway, CA – there has been an outsized increase in the number of hate crimes perpetrated against members of the Jewish community across the U.S. According to the Anti-Defamation League there were more than 2,024 Antisemitic incidents in 2020 – the third highest year on record.
Simply wearing the “Kippah” has rendered many Jews as a target – and it shouldn’t be that way.
Recent incidents have ranged from being taken hostage in their own synagogue, to attacks at Jewish Community Centers, Kosher markets and on the streets in Brooklyn, New York.
People who want to study the Torah have had to learn Tactical Techniques to help preserve their lives and mitigate the risk of being victimized. Jews are the minority most often targeted for hate crimes according to the FBI. Jews make up less than 2% of the U.S. population - yet 60% of the faith-oriented- hate crimes target Jews across the country. Although Antisemitism predates the advent of the internet, the internet is a hot-bed filled with the sewage of Antisemitism.
Taking the witness stand is our dear friend and special guest Mr. Alan Fortnoff.
Alan is a peace warrior! For the longest, he has labored with all of his heart in the area of interfaith dialogue and social justice. His strong leadership skills have led him to be the past President of the Akron Interfaith Caregivers and the Akron Area Interfaith Council.
Alan is a founding member of the Akron Interfaith Immigration Advocates and the Akron Interfaith Social Justice Group.
He is a devout man of peace. He firmly believes that interfaith dialogues and interfaith action is the answer to issues that divide us in our communities. His interfaith efforts are “designed to develop great peace and tranquility. From this, friendships are created that result in interfaith experiences and from that you create leaders, then you create the communities that are enriched with a wealth of inferfaith dialogue and wisdom … suddenly you realize peace and tranquility”.
Explosive and highly informative! We hope this episode educates and empowers you!
Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #9 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your savings.
In a time of anxiety – facts comfort.
On this special edition of: Light ‘Em Up:
We focus the light of the truth on the slaughter in Uvalde, TX – the cold-blooded, calculated murder of 19 little children and 2 teachers.
We’ll highlight a specific Active Shooter Risk Mitigation Protocol, “FASTER”, with our expert special guest, Mr. Jim Irvine, and explore the highly divisive issue of the 2nd Amendment. Is the 2nd Amendment being used as an “alter” for which to sacrifice innocent people, like grandparents shopping for food at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY; people gathered in a church in Laguna Woods California; or children attending a public elementary school in Uvalde, TX?
The 2nd Amendment reads: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. It’s only 1 sentence, consisting of only 27 words – nevertheless, its impact is outsized as to the issues, which divide and the debate focused around what these 27 words have spawned since being ratified in 1791.
Finally, we’ll briefly explore what the immediate future looks like for the Great State of Ohio. Is it headed towards The Wild, Wild, West as it will no longer require permits for carrying a concealed weapon? We explore the topic of the new Constitutional Carry Law in Ohio.
Taking the witness stand today is our trusted and respected friend Jim Irvine. Jim is a commercial airline pilot, currently flying the B-737. Jim and his wife Lisa live in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area with their four children. Jim has volunteered his time for various organizations for over 20 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Second Amendment Foundation and Buckeye Firearms Foundation. As a co-director with the “FASTER Saves Lives” Program, Jim helps schools, churches and businesses prepare for active killer events.
In this explosive episode, Jim mentioned, "All of the training in the world doesn't do anybody any good if you don't have the proper response in using that training." From our Security and Risk Mitigation Consultancy at Rizzo's Protective Group, we know and always train to the concept that: "The best time to prepare for an emergency is before one occurs, not during nor after." This episode will help to prepare your mindset to mitigate your risk of being killed by an active killer.
"Time" determines how many people an active killer will kill. Unabated, they will kill more people.
The "FASTER Saves Lives" program enables staff to train with experts on mindset shooting and medical care. Jim and his colleagues have reached thousands of people with proven methods that have saved lives, all across the nation. Jim is also Chairman of the A1S4 Protection PAC. Jim’s work includes working with candidates to help them better understand the various firearms related interests and disciplines. He has worked extensively to elect good legislators and then work with them to enact better laws related to firearms, self-defense and school safety. By combining education and advocacy, Jim is able to work with a wide range of people and bring consensus to challenging issues. You can reach Jim at the Buckeye Firearms Foundation by emailing him at: jirvine@buckeyefirearms.org or visit www.fastersaveslives.org
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #9 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your savings.
In a time of uncertainty – facts provide clarity.
We hope this episode educates and empowers you!
Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer
Welcome! We are now heard in 93 countries across the globe! Thank you so much!
On this explosive new episode of: “Light ‘Em Up”, we peel back the raw, unfiltered emotion as we explore the deep mental anguish and emotional heartache and pain that can only fill a mother’s heart on Mother’s Day–while the razor wire and steel bars of prison separate her from her child who is incarcerated (and in this specific case, even more hurtful – wrongfully incarcerated).
A mother’s burden is the pain of her children. As other mothers of incarcerated children have attested to – this pain is vast, deep and wide.
“It is difficult to pretend to be okay when a piece of your heart is locked up behind bars.”
For many people, Mother’s Day is a time of celebration. It is a time to honor mothers and those who play a maternal role. For those that are blessed to still have their mothers in their life, some will celebrate their mothers by bringing them breakfast in bed, treating them to brunch, buying them flowers, etc.
For mothers of incarcerated children, it is also a time of deep anguish. Our special guest, Kimkeshia Johnson says, “It is extremely hard – this is what knocks you to your knees and what keeps you hitting your knees in prayer knowing that the State has your child and is holding them for something he did not do.”
Offenders are stigmatized for their offense, and their families often are stigmatized as well. Families are seen as “guilty by association” even though they’ve done nothing wrong and may have had no involvement in the charged offense whatsoever.
This stigma makes the imprisonment even more difficult for family members, and it can also mean that families are treated negatively by members of their community, co-workers, and even friends and family. This only serves to add to the suffering of a family member, and in this specific case, to a mother who is already suffering.
“A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens ― but by how it treats those it incarcerates.”
With nearly 2.3 million people locked up in 1,719 correctional facilities, the U.S. imprisons more people per capita than any other nation on earth. Mass incarceration has made family member incarceration a common thing. Low-income families of color are disproportionally impacted as we have moved more towards an “incarceration nation”.
To help financially with the legal defense fund for Ter’Rion and provide any benevolent monetary gifts and support for the family, you can do so at this web address:
https://gogetfunding.com/Justice4TerRion/
We were thankful to be able to feature a few of the responses from those that wrote in from the Facebook group: Parents of Incarcerated Children.
When was the last time you considered anyone that is incarcerated?
You, I, anyone can be arrested. Jesus was arrested. Just because you were arrested – doesn’t mean you committed the crime.
Justice comes to those that fight … not those that cry!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #9 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your savings.
Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer
Welcome to this new episode of: Light ‘Em Up! We are now being heard in 93 countries! Thank you!
On this explosive episode, we shine the “light of the truth“ on Eyewitness Mistaken Identifications.
From behind the one-way mirrored glass in a dimly lit room in the precinct police station, the police detective (or line-up administrator) has just given you these instructions:
“Turn to the right, turn to the left, step forward, step backward.” This is the opening scene in your personal nightmare. You’ve just been identified – mistakenly – in the commission of a major felony, and arrested. As this nightmare unfolds in front of your very own eyes, the horror continues: You go to trial, are wrongly convicted, and sentenced to life in prison for a crime you did not commit.
Trust in the fact that this happens more often than a person may care to know.
Mistaken identifications in a criminal justice setting are a leading factor in wrongful convictions and are the leading cause of wrongful convictions in sexual assault and robbery cases.
Let’s not be naïve nor be in denial about the facts – while African Americans make up only about 13% of the U.S. population, they represent a majority of innocent defendants wrongfully convicted of crimes and later exonerated.
People wrongfully convicted are exonerated for a variety of reasons: Official misconduct, perjury, false forensic evidence, false confessions, etc. By far the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide is eyewitness error.
An eyewitness could be 100% confident and still be 100% wrong. Two exonerees were condemned to death and their sentences were carried out.
We delve into:
● the definition of an “in-custody eyewitness lineup” and explore the “procedural safeguards” (that prior to 1967 did not exist) in order to protect defendants from erroneous conviction resulting from mistaken eyewitness identifications.
● best-practice solutions as to how to protect suspects and defendants from the devastating and life-changing consequences of mistaken eyewitness identification.
●to educate and empower you, we have painstakingly “cleaned up” and digitally re-mastered a portion of the original oral argument from U.S. v Wade (1967), argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The landmark decision established 5th & 6th Amendment privileges of the right against self-incrimination and the right to counsel as it pertained to in-custody eyewitness lineups.
● we’ve itemized the 5 step “model lineup procedure” and discuss the traditional eyewitness identification practices and problems with the process. Would it surprise you to hear that the NYPD uses Adobe Photoshop to “doctor” its in-custody “filler” photos?
In order to continue to be a voice to the voiceless – we probe this perplexing issue that the Supreme Court has been grappling with for more than half of a century.
You, I, anyone can be arrested. Jesus was arrested. Just because you were arrested – doesn’t mean you committed the crime. You’ve been “fingered” in a lineup, now what will you do? Know your rights – before you’re “railroaded” for a crime you didn’t commit.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #10 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your savings.
Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer
Welcome aboard to this exclusive episode of: Light ‘Em Up!
Special thanks to our production crew and team of editors as a great deal of effort went into researching and developing this special edition for our fans and friends.
We’re very excited that we are now being heard in 90 countries across the globe!
In the wake of the “slap heard ’round the world” – the “slap” that actor Will Smith delivered to the face of comedian Chris Rock – and the instantaneous implosion of Smith’s world-wide “nice-guy reputation” on March 27th during the 94th Annual Academy Awards as presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honoring the best films of 2021 – in this exclusive episode we drill deep and wide, focusing the light of the truth on the 5 phases of aggression – and aggression management.
We’ll unpack and investigate the slap in its entirety from a criminal justice – physical security – crisis and anger management perspective.
Should Will Smith have been arrested for battery? What are your thoughts?
Battery is a frequently filed criminal offense that involves any intentional and unlawful physical contact on another person.In this episode we peel back the layers of the essential details that center around and explain the arousal cycle of anger which has 5 phases: The trigger, escalation, crisis, recovery, and depression phases.
Understanding the cycle helps us to understand our own reactions better and those reactions and responses from others.It’s imperative that we learn how to recognize the stages of anger that we’ve discussed and employ counter-measures explained in the episode to interrupt the process and find an “off ramp” for our rising emotions and not lose our cool as Will Smith did – ending up discrediting your name and ruining your reputation.
Is your business prepared for a crisis?
Do you know the essential strategic steps to take if and when a crisis strikes to protect your reputationand your business from suffering irreputable damage with the public?
How do you protect your good name that you’ve worked so hard to establish? If you don’t control the narrative someone else will.
Do you have in place, today – a crisis mitigation plan?
If no, fear not, we can help you develop one, today! Contact us at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
It’s not that people plan to fail –it’s too often they fail to plan.
Anger is a real emotion – it isn’t something that should be repressed. Anger kills! Anger needs to be managed. When managed properly it can thrust you onward towards positive change. When managed poorly or not at all – it can kill – yourself – or others.
You don’t want that. We can help you to improve your interpersonal relations at work, home and at play.
“The best time to prepare for an emergency is before, not during nor after one occurs.”You can spend a lifetime developing, honing and crafting your “image” and in a blink-of-an eye – with one act of poor judgement -- ruin it forever.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #10 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link:
Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your savings.
In a time of division, facts unite!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
On this special intensely focused new episode of Light ‘Em Up we drill deep and focus the light of the truth on Asian Hate Crimes and the fear that has gripped the AAPI communities across our nation.
On February 27th in only 120 minutes 7 New York Asian women (all members of the AAPI community) were attacked.
The FBI defines hate crimes as “criminal offense[s] against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
These are not random attacks – they are targeted and intentional.
Brutal hate crimes have resulted in the deaths of 4 New Yorkers recently.
A 62-year-old grandmother, GuiYing Ma, was brutally attacked with a large rock while sweeping the sidewalk in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, NY in November, 2021. So severely beaten, she laid in a coma from late until dying on February 22, 2022.
On January 15, 2022 a homeless man in an unprovoked attack shoved Michelle Alyssa Go, 40, to her death in front of a Times Square subway train. Go was hit by the train and then run over.
On February 13, 2022Christina Yuna Lee, 35, was stabbed 40 times and left to bleed to death on the floor of her apartment bathroom by an attacker who pushed in the door after following her home. The individual arrested for this heinous crime has a lengthy prior criminal history having been arrested 7 times in the past 7 years and suffers from a history of mental illness.
Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant, was beaten to death as he collected cans in East Harlem in April of 2021 – he died of his injuries on New Year’s Eve, 2021.
On Tuesday March 16, 2021,Robert Long was accused of shooting 8 people to death, 6 of whom were of Asian descent, in Cherokee County and Atlanta, GA.
Aggression and hatred towards people of Asian descent is nothing new in the United States. America has a past deeply rooted in fear, hate, and violence. A dark cloud of hatred has cast its shadowy grip over America.
If you really want to track the genesis of hatred directed against Asians and Asian-Americans, it can be traced all the way back to the Page Act, in 1875.The Immigration Act of 1882, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, provided for the exclusion from the United States of ALL persons from China – which wasn’t repealed until 1943 - to the internment of Japanese, many of which were U.S. Citizens from 1942-45.
Light ‘Em Up has uncovered that in 16 major cities across the country, anti-Asian hate crimes had more than doubled between 2019 and 2020.
After each incident, Asian-American groups and elected officials have come out in force demanding more be done to address violence against members of their community.
Will it take more policing or better social programs to seriously address this crisis?
An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. We all should be deeply concerned.
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #10 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link:
Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use this promo code to launch your savings L1GHTEMUP.
In a time of division, facts unite!
Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer
Thank you so much for joining us! Light ‘Em Up is now being downloaded in 89 countries!
We have been intensely focused on criminal justice issues that plague America. In this in-depth and exclusive episode, we examine what exactly is a “no knock warrant”.
On March 13th we reach the 2-year anniversary of the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor, when the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Police kicked in her front door, fatally shooting and killing the 26-year-old EMT and Hospital Assistant while executing a no-knock warrant at her home. Coupling that fatal incident with the killing of Amir Locke on February 3rd, 2022 in Minneapolis, MN, where bodycam footage showed him asleep under a blanket on his sofa, when police opened the door to his apartment, then shot and killed him – we investigate further no-knock warrants.
These high-profile cases are just two instances that have caused immeasurable heartache and suffering, especially within communities of color, where a predominance of these warrants are served.
We don’t need over-policing nor under-policing. We certainly don’t need the on-going style and manner of confrontational policing that continues to impact disproportionately in communities of color.
In the U.S. a no-knock warrant is a warrant that is issued by a judge or magistrate that allows law enforcement to enter a property without immediate prior notification of the residents, such as by knocking or ringing a doorbell or announcing themselves.
Serving a no-knock warrant is high risk for the occupants and for the officers involved.
Our expert in Policing & Public Safety, (Ret) Sgt. Victor Hayes, a highly decorated Supervisor who served 4 decades with distinction, merit and honor with the Cleveland Division of Policing, shares his vast experience working the “mean streets” of Cleveland, Ohio.
While only 54 words in length, the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, plays a huge significance in our daily lives. This amendment forbids unreasonable searches and seizures of an individual’s property.
Stating that: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized.”
In this episode we explore:
● The origin of no-knock warrants.
The facts that:
● no-knock warrants were born out of the failed “War on Drugs” which has been and always was more a war on class and race than anything else.
We analyze more than 800 SWAT deployments involving no-knock and tactical entries, and found through a review of court records and interviews that 94 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers were killed in no-knock warrant raids in the US between 2010 – 2016.
● You'll hear nationwide what action is being taken regarding no-knock warrants.
● Does your state permit or ban no knock warrants?
● Can you go to bed at night in the comfort and security of your own home with the expectation that the police won’t kick down the door and kill you in cold blood?
Trust and accountability between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect is essential to advancing the goal of 21st century effective policing.
We'd like to thank our friends at Feedspot. Recently we were honored by being ranked #17 out of the 35 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Please remember to visit their blog.
For all your news and current affairs visit our new friends at Newsly at https://newsly.me.
Phil Rizzo, EP
We are indebted to you for joining us! Light ‘Em Up is currently being downloaded in 86 countries worldwide! We’ve achieved this tremendous accomplishment only through your efforts in being a fan of our broadcast!
As we deliver this exclusive, impacting, new episode concluding our celebration of Black History Month, you’ll recall, our first episode which was informative, empowering and wildly popular focused on: Pretextual Traffic Stops; Initial Contact with Police that Turns Deadly -- that disproportionally impacts upon minorities and individuals of color.
Today, we are richly blessed and highly favored to sit and visit anew exclusively with one of the returning favorites of Light ‘Em Up, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr.
Dr. Womack Jr. is the Region 3 area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district (the largest district in Ohio) and a lifelong educator with 30+ years of experience.
He is an inspirational, motivational leader, frequent keynote speaker, role model, an Urban Educational Transformation Expert, and the author of 2 books: "Even the best of plans go astray" and "Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”.
The cornerstone of Dr. Womack Jr.’s educational philosophy that has led to phenomenal positive outcomes is that "exposure changes expectations and experiences change lives”. Dr. Womack Jr. earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Ashland University. He is a devout man of learning, wisdom and history – most importantly to me, he’s a dear friend of mine.
In this explosive episode, certainly you need not be a person of color to benefit from the (always) profound messages shared by Dr. Womack Jr., you need only to be human.
We intensely unpack topics such as:
● The founding “father” of Black History Month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the importance of the legacy and tradition he started.
● The richness, culturally, educationally and economically, and the advancement that predates 1619 regarding the vast and deep history of black people, which traces back to Africa, the cradle of mankind, where education, mathematics, commerce, urban planning, and construction originated.
● “Knowledge of self” being indispensable to the existence of a collective people:“A people without knowledge of self is like a tree without roots.”● The imperative to “be able to read, write, speak but more importantly, think critically” and be able to research any topic to its fullest extent.
●The criticality of “service before self”. The difference in serving vs saving students - especially in the urban educational environment.
● The Kerner Commission Report & The “Overton Window” and its relevance in this critical moment in history.
● The “cultural lenses” with which we perceive and receive messages in our daily interpersonal encounters – including such factors as “hyper-sensitivities”, “micro-aggressions” and the tone and intent behind the words we choose. “Words matter.”
●The power of action. Progress is good, but "until it is on paper”, chiseled into law and woven into the fabric of society, it has little true effect.
●The bombshell class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores against the NFL, a league with a history that has for far too long shunned the leadership contributions of black people while financially benefitting enormously from their skills, talents, abilities and service.
We pray you tune in and be enlightened, educated and empowered.
We are here for you and because of you!
Thanks, so much!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
As we launch this explosive new episode, we are now being downloaded in 85 countries!
We're excited to be working with a brand-new sponsor and expanding our global footprint with every strategic move that we undertake. Thank you so much for your continuing support!
As we look forward with anticipation to the month of February's celebration of Black History - it is with a great pride that we deliver this impactful investigative journalism to you!
After months of research, exhaustive interviews and digging through court records and police reports, on this edition of Light ‘Em Up we focus on pretextual traffic stops made by law enforcement that disproportionally impact minorities and individuals of color, often called “DWB” (Driving While Black). Pretextual policing is the practice of stopping someone for one reason (often a minor traffic violation) in order to conduct investigations unrelated to the reason for the stop.
Pretextual policing has historically been used to enforce laws based on stereotypes, with police acting on implicit and explicit bias to stop and search people who “looked suspicious”. Once stopped, individuals and their vehicles are often searched, or “tossed” in hopes that police will find illegal items such as drugs or weapons.
For minorities and individuals of color, a traffic stop can be a life and death experience. It shouldn’t be this way. People are dying daily from these contacts with police.
Light ‘Em Up’s investigative research team has uncovered that over the past 5 years, police officers have killed >400 drivers or passengers who did not have a gun nor a knife, who were not under immediate pursuit for a violent crime - a rate of over 1 person per week.
As we all know too well - among the most glaring recent examples of a pretextual stop gone wrong is the matter of Daunte Wright. This case drew national attention. Daunte Wright, moments before he was fatally shot in Brooklyn Center, MN, told his mother that the police had stopped him because he had an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror.
Sandra Bland was arrested and taken to jail – where she subsequently died - after being pulled over for failing to use a turn signal when changing lanes.
Philando Castile did everything right, yet he was shot and killed, nonetheless.
With this episode we want to aide in your critical thinking on this topic to help educate the public and empower you to know the essential ingredients that go into the threat behind being a person of color pulled over for a pretextual traffic stop. As you drive to work, for recreation, visiting family or friends - having the knowledge in this episode is imperative to the overall understanding of pre-textual traffic stops by police.
We share in-depth and exclusive insight from our Social Justice, Peace & Reconciliation Correspondent, Mr. Heyward R. Prude lll and his experience with pretextual contact with police.
We examine the foundation of these stops, which originate in the 1996 case Whren v U.S. This case presents a question about when seizures of motorists are unreasonable within the meaning of the 4th Amendment. It has had a profound impact with severe implications, especially to individuals and communities of color.
You don't need to be a person of color to listen to this episode – you only need to be human; this subject should matter to everyone that loves justice.
With this, we continue our focus on delivering the truth without compromise – empowering you with the necessary knowledge to keep you and your family as safe as possible from a pretextual police stop.
Follow us on YouTube at Rizzo's Protective Group
We are here for you and because of you!Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
We ended 2021 being downloaded in 84 countries – what a fantastic accomplishment!
Thank you so much for helping to pave the way for us to reach this tremendous milestone.
We’re extremely proud and excited to launch Season 3 with this episode! This by far is our most ambitious episode with so many new features for our exclusive elite members and subscribers! Thank you to Apple Music & Pandora for this unique opportunity!
In a time of division, facts unite. In a time of uncertainty, facts provide clarity. We know that the truth dies in the darkness.
As we continue to shed light on difficult topics and as we approached the 1-year anniversary of the brutal attack on our Capitol and democracy – we focus the intense light of the truth on Hate and Domestic Violent Extremism (DVE), with a special focus on The Proud Boys.
From Pittsburgh to Poway and Charlottesville to Charleston, HATE – and its divisive nature --seems to be everywhere. HATE seems to permeate the very fabric of this country. HATE has always “sold well” and been a foundational characteristic of this country. HATE has a firm grip on our society: From slavery and the slave trade; to the genocide of Indigenous peoples, and the Indian Exclusion Act; to The Chinese Exclusion Act; to Executive Order 13769, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”, a.k.a. the "Muslim ban" by ex-US President Donald Trump, which was nothing more than an Executive Order to discriminate.
I truly felt and still feel to this day that this country is “closer to Civil War than it ever was since April 4th, 1865, when the Civil War ended”.
Sadly, HATE crimes have been growing in number in recent years in the U.S. The FBI says that HATE crimes are at their highest levels since 2008. More murders which were motivated by HATE were recorded than ever before.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has reported that there are at least 838 Hate Groups in America. The Proud Boys are one of them. In this episode, we define exactly what a HATE crime consists of. We explore just who are The Proud Boys, what they believe, what are some of the things they have done.
The attack on The U.S. Capitol on January 6th was born from HATRED and it came from within – it wasn’t from a foreign entity or power – it was “home grown domestic terrorism”.
In a sea of an enraged, blood-thirsty, violent mob of seditionists, all Trump supporters -- members of The Proud Boys descended on the Capitol with their guns, bats, knives and shields. The neofascist Proud Boys, who claim to be “past the point of peace and crazy enough to actually do something about their perceived wrongs”, had an outsized impact and effect on much of the violent chaos and mayhem that we witnessed on January 6, 2021.
Light ‘Em Up takes an in-depth look at an insurrectionist mentality that is becoming normalized and more popular in our country. A new type of political movement that has emerged from the rabid right has extreme violence at its core. Its proponents are emboldened to commit violence, and it is coming from the mainstream, which includes white collar workers: lawyers, doctors, business owners and architects, soccer moms and homemakers. Tens of millions of Americans say they are willing to use violence to “change things” according to their way of how they feel things “should be”.
We share in-depth information that only “Light ‘Em Up” had exclusive access to.
As we mark the 1-year anniversary when democracy was on the brink of collapse. we learn from history – that we don’t learn from history. And America and Americans have a very short memory.
Thank you for joining us! We are here for you and because of you!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Hey! As we reach yet another milestone – of broadcasting in 82 countries – we put a delicate bow on our 2nd season – another fantastic year of investigational journalism.
The truth is hidden; it must be pursued!
We delivered a record 18 episodes in this calendar year (with a line-up of fantastic guests)!
While this year saw us expand our global footprint – which has been humbling and exciting to watch – this year was not without its challenges, as well.
I need to thank our team of editors, our research team and our legal team – because we’d be lost, lost, lost without you, collectively.
As we push forward into our 3rd season the bar is going to be set even higher.
We know that we have to dig deeper and spread ourselves farther and wider to capture and keep our highly-valued listeners' attention. I’m confident that the team collectively is up for this challenge.
As we close out this calendar year, we want to express our most sincere and humble appreciation to every listener who has taken time from your busy schedule to be part of our listener family – and to our underwriters and sponsors, especially InnisFree Beauty Products.
Hey! ***The truth is powerful and the truth is under attack.
Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last episode.***
We know that our stories and our voices matter and the truth is worth defending!
We’ve been able to accomplish so much advocacy on the part of so many in the criminal justice system.
We push forward – always forward; never backward!
And we remember “𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 … 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙮!”
Thank you! Peace be with you in 2022!
Stay safe!
I’m Phil Rizzo
The Executive Producer
You’ve got 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 '𝙀𝙢 𝙐𝙥.
Stay tuned for Season 3, upcoming!
If you have a show idea or would like to be a guest on the show – contact me at: prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com
From all of us here at 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 '𝙀𝙢 𝙐𝙥 we wish you and your family a Happy New Year!
Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.
As we reach yet another milestone -- broadcasting in 82 countries -- we close our 2nd season – another fantastic year of investigative journalism. The truth is hidden; it must be pursued! We delivered a record 18 episodes in this calendar year!
In this episode of Light ‘Em Up we focus on The Julius Jones case, race and the death penalty, and its application in the U.S. We examine the glaring errors that infected this case from its inception.
We investigate the true fact pattern, unpacking the background, case specifics and share 7 grounds on which Julius Jones’ case not only cried out for clemency but also demands that the decision be reversed and Mr. Jones be freed.
In 1999, Julius Jones was convicted of murdering a white businessman. Although he had an alibi, he was convicted and languished on death row for >20 years.
The U.S. ranks 5th worldwide for the number of executions. “It’s devastating to have the United States [be] the only Western developed country that executes people — and the only country in the Americas to do so,” Ivan Simonovic, the U.N.’s assistant secretary-general for human rights, stated in a recent interview with Al Jazeera to which we were granted exclusive access.
We feel that it is crucial to shine a light on and to analyze the representation that a defendant received at trial, on appeal, and in sentencing and any other post-conviction proceedings, especially for those facing execution. There is no “do over” with an execution. In this country race has always mattered ... and will always matter.
The death penalty in America is very expensive policy to pursue, it is defined by bias and error and thus fatally flawed, its application is racist. It targets the most vulnerable people in society (especially the mentally ill) and helps to further corrupt the integrity of our criminal justice system.
Defendants continue to be convicted and sentenced to death based on such arbitrary factors as:
🧨their socioeconomic status & that of the victim
🧨their race & the race of the victim
🧨where the crime occurred
🧨the poor quality of their counsel
Know these facts to be true:
🧨 Defendants convicted of killing white victims were 17 times more likely to be executed than those convicted of killing Black victims.
🧨 Earlier in the 20th century when it was applied for rape, 89% of executions involved black defendants, most for the alleged rape of a white woman. Since executions have been carried out exclusively for murder, 75% of cases involve the murder of white victims, even though blacks and whites are about equally likely to be victims of murder.
Ella Baker, the civil rights and human rights activist once said, “Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest.”
The death penalty debate boils down to these 3 questions: What is the purpose of capital punishment? To kill with clinical efficiency so as to give victims and their loved ones some sense of justice and closure? Or to make the condemned suffer, in the final pursuit of seeking revenge, an eye for an eye?
We’d like for you to consider these questions and respond.
Do you think the death penalty should be abolished? Does it make us safer? Is it cruel and unusual punishment?
As we close out this season, we want to express our most sincere & humble appreciation to every listener who has taken time from your busy schedule to be part of our listener family.
The truth is powerful, and the truth is under attack.
We push forward – always forward; never backward!
Justice comes to those that fight … not those that cry!
Thank you! Peace be with you in 2022!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
We’re extremely humbled and excited as we have now pierced 82 countries with our podcast. Thank you to every person who has taken the time to be a part of our broadcasting family.
Some interviews are work. This interview was enjoyable.
Taking the witness stand today we have the high privilege and distinct honor to speak with Mr. Art McKoy, a tough-as-nails Vietnam Army veteran who for more than 50 years has been the outspoken lightning rod leader of Black-on-Black Crime Incorporated.
Black on Black Crime Incorporated’s mission is to help draw attention to the issue of crime, poverty and violence in Greater Cleveland, Ohio. To help make our communities safer, to provide positive alternatives for young people and assist whoever asks for help to the best of its abilities, as well as reducing the incidence of Black-on-Black crime, of course.
Art has been an outspoken critic of the Cleveland Police Department, a flag bearer and firebrand for truth, justice and peace in the inner-city of Cleveland, as well as a staunch community activist and civil rights leader for many decades. He has long “spoken the truth” about the police, both the “over-policing” and “under policing” in communities of color impacting upon the city. Art is a hope-dealer! Just landing Art on Light ‘Em Up was a huge achievement. Art’s schedule is extremely busy, (we got him for 50 minutes) but he was very gracious to speak with us the day after election day, when Cleveland made history once more by electing its youngest ever Black mayor, Justin Bibb. Art said, “We needed to get rid of some of those old folks from City Hall - those that “go along to get along”.
We drilled deep on:
♦ How to move the City of Cleveland forward and the biggest problems that need to immediately be pursued with the new administration.
♦ How he’d bring “social justice” closer to the people of Cleveland if he was the Mayor or Chief of Police.
♦ What is the City of Cleveland doing about its young men of color being gunned down in its streets?
♦ Why the City of Cleveland has a problem with women-of-color going missing.
♦ Fixing the Community Relations Board.
♦ The Voinovich Rule.
♦ Building a coalition between the predominantly Black east side and predominantly White and/or Hispanic west side of Cleveland.
♦ His thoughts 9 years after Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams were shot at 137 times and murdered by Cleveland Police.
♦ Issue 24 (which established a Civilian Review Board to review Cleveland police actions taken in the line of duty).
♦ The endless struggles that the police have in policing themselves.
Art knows better than most that Cleveland and communities of color (in general) have been witness to and “are suffering from too much pain.” He is a survivor of a vicious attack in 2018 in the doorway of his own place of business, in East Cleveland (The Superfly Barber Shop) where he was “sucker-punched” by an enraged customer, over a “5-dollar line” (touch-up hair cut) that he was providing to a young patron. The punch shattered Art’s lens to his eye, broke his nose and he was left for dead. 6 months later, by the grace of God, he recovered!
Art is a survivor, a warrior, and a good man. He is known by the deeds of the people who he has helped. Art is “pressing forward”. He knows all too well that “justice comes to those who fight, not those who cry”. Art has been and always will be to us “The Real McKoy”.
You can find Art on Facebook at The University of Common Sense and you can hear him every Sunday night on WERE 1490 AM from 5pm to 7pm where he hosts The University of Common Sense. Art for 14 years hosted the #1 radio show “Black on Black Crime” on 1100 AM WTAM.
This is an interview you certainly do not want to miss.
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to this special episode of Light ‘Em Up!
We want to also welcome our new sponsor “Innisfree beauty solutions”.
We are excited to announce that we are now broadcasting in 79 countries.
On this edition of Light ‘Em Up we’re going to discuss the mindless menace of violence.
Akron, Ohio has set a record each consecutive year recently for murders. It is clear that the city and police department have no clear way forward to remedy this problem.
Taken as a single category (including homicides, suicides and accidents) about 40,000 Americans die each year as a result of gunshots. No one knows for sure why this is, but we do know quite a bit.
We know that:
♦ Every other high-income country in the world has many fewer guns and many fewer gun deaths than the U.S.
♦ States with fewer guns (like California, Illinois and Iowa) have fewer gun deaths, and
♦ States with more gun restrictions (like California, Massachusetts, New York) do, too.
On April 4, 1968 Robert F. Kennedy was in Indiana campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President when news reached him that civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee.
A crowd that had gathered for his last stop in a mostly black neighborhood had not heard the news. The Chief of Police had wanted Kennedy to call off his speech, fearing a riot. But Kennedy stood up on the back of a flatbed truck, with no police in sight, and broke the tragic news to his supporters.
A leader leads at all times – even in, or especially in -- times of tragedy and despair.
He spoke for just 5 minutes, making a plea to those listening not to allow the assassination to be an excuse for hatred or racial division.
There would be no riots in Indianapolis that night, unlike in numerous other U.S. cities such as Washington, New York and Detroit.
The following day, Kennedy made just one public appearance, at the City Club in Cleveland, Ohio. The remarks he delivered were powerful and impassioned. He spoke for just about 10 minutes, but 53 years later, the words he spoke remain just as relevant, just as necessary for every American to hear and contemplate, as they were back then.
The speech he gave came to be known as the “Mindless Menace of Violence” Speech and as America continues to struggle with violence every minute since April 5, 1968, we offer it to you here to think about when next you hear a news report of another American’s life being ended violently, as you are most like to hear if not today, then soon.
We’ve come to accept violence in our streets as natural, as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west or water flowing downstream. But must it be this way?
Here at Light ‘Em Up and Justice Rolls Down, we don’t think so.
Like Robert Kennedy told the audience in Cleveland, there’s no program or resolution that will instantly cure our society of this sickness.
If every problem has a solution, so too does this one.
We want to hear from you, our listeners -- we ask you directly.
♦ What needs to be done to start to chip away at the steady drumbeat of violent incidents in this country of ours?
♦ How do we begin the process of reducing violence in our streets and in our homes, schools, places of worship, business and entertainment?
Send us your thoughts and we’ll devote a future episode to explore the wisdom you’ve shared.
You don’t have to live in America to express your thoughts. Just being a human being qualifies you to know that each victim of the mindless menace of violence is a human being, “whom other human beings loved and needed”.
Don’t shrug it off for someone else to do. ACT! Respond today!
I hope this episode makes you think!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To show our level of commitment to bringing attention to this plague of violence we began this year with an interview with MJ Vess in an episode entitled: Broken Bones, psychological, emotional, financial abuse, intimidation and control. If you haven’t listened to this survival story, please do so here.
● 3 women are killed every day at the hands of their intimate partner.
Today we have the distinct honor and high privilege to sit and talk with Leanne Biltz, Volunteer Coordinator with The Battered Women’s Shelter & Rape Crisis Center of Summit and Medina, Ohio counties. It provides many essential services , like emergency shelter for those fleeing abuse, free therapy services, and hospital advocacy for those seeking a “rape kit”.
● 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
Advocacy for women’s issues comes naturally for Leanne. She said, “I’ve always been an advocate for women and helping to end violence against them.” An intimate partner abuse survivor herself, this issue is very close and very dear to her heart. She’s lived through it and now she fights against it.
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another in an intimate relationship. It comes in many different forms, including:
· Physical– the use or threat of physical force with the intent to cause harm. This can include shoving, strangling, grabbing, or throwing objects at the victim.
· Emotional/Verbal – using words to purposely cause harm. This includes name-calling, humiliation, the “silent treatment,” and gaslighting.
· Sexual: Any kind of unwanted sexual behavior.
· Financial: Stealing money from you, your family, or friends.
· Other control tactics, such as withholding money or having complete control over how money is spent, to withholding sleep from the victim.
In this smokin’ hot brand-new episode we dig deep and educate on:
● Until 1975, marital rape without legal ramifications was allowed and justified.
● Criminal Protective Orders
● One feature shared by most abusive relationships is that the abusive partner tries to establish or gain power and control through many different methods, at different moments.
● Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate. People of any race, age, gender, sexuality, religion, education level, or economic status can be a victim — or perpetrator — of domestic violence.
● The Summit County Sexual Response Team: what it consists of and the services it provides.
● Who the victims of Domestic Violence are.
● Stalking, sexual assaults of intimate partners and risk factors or “pre-attack indicators”.
● We examine if younger defendants more likely to re-abuse and recidivate than older defendants.
● Criminal perpetrators who commit these acts do so intentionally. They are filled with narcissistic rage and are master manipulators.
● We unpack any common traits that many abusers share, and how you or someone you care about can get help.
This episode is packed with so much information it simply isn’t possible to do it justice in attempting to describe everything that you’ll learn when you tune in. Those who do tune in will be enlightened, educated and empowered.
I’m honored to be a part of this team that is focused on investigative journalism and sharing the truth. Like it or not, the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers and in a time of crisis, the truth provides calm.
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
This is our 30th episode!! Not an easy feat to achieve. Our fanbase and listenership has now reached 78 countries! Thank you so much for making this fact a reality. Every member of our production team is humbled and overjoyed by this global reach and expansion!
Today we have the distinct honor and high privilege to talk with someone whom I consider to be a dear friend of mine and whom I tremendously respect professionally: Ben Bergeron. For close to 8 years, he was the Chief Criminal Investigator with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.
He currently is a Licensed Private Investigator in the State of Ohio and the owner and founder of True Source Investigations, in North Canton, Ohio. Ben has observed A LOT in his long career. From child/sex/human-trafficking to meth labs, meth sales, to blood, bullets, murder and mayhem. Although Ben says that “investigation work isn’t as exciting as you see on TV or in the movies” he “loves it” and he is eager to tackle every new case in the hope of bringing justice and relief for his clientele.
Ben’s public service has involved being a dedicated Law Enforcement Park Ranger for Summit County; a Patrolman for Newcomerstown Police Department; a Deputy Sherriff for St. Tammany Parish Sherriff’s Office in Louisiana and for Summit County, Ohio. He served with great distinction, honor and merit as a Navigator and Quartermaster in The U.S. Navy. Ben is certified as a Master Criminal Investigator by the authority of the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy and has over 10 years of law enforcement experience. He served 4 combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and is the recipient of the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Navy Commendation Medal.
Ben was charged with the oversight, investigation and prosecution of criminals charged with felony offenses as well as juvenile delinquents for the county. He also oversaw investigations regarding enforcing child support orders and protecting neglected or abused children.
In this smokin’ hot brand-new episode we dig deep, explore and educate on:
● The fact that during our lifetime we accumulate a “paper trail” of identifying information that stretches more than 7 miles in length.
● Reviewing the different areas of criminal investigation, procedural processes --- and the road map of how cases work their way through the courts and everything in between.
● We review the requirements to become a licensed private investigator and what are some of the “juicy details” of what an investigator does.
● As a public service for our listeners, he shares an extensive gun safety step by step process and checklist for the safe handling and operation of firearms.
● He shares insightful tips on how to go about protecting one from undesirable people, crime and scams in general.
● We define what an indictment is, and we look at the “direct indictment” process – that many counties favor versus the traditional process.
● We drill down on the 4 different types of Protection Orders.
●We educate and empower in our “Think Before You Send” Campaign for our Criminal Justice students, and the general public, regarding “sexting”.
● We explore how can the public help facilitate better relations with law enforcement.
This episode is packed with so much information it simply isn’t possible to describe everything that you’ll encounter when you tune in. Those who do tune in will be enlightened, educated and empowered.
I’m honored to again be a part of this team that is focused on investigative journalism and sharing the truth. Like it or not, the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers and in a time of crisis, the truth provides calm.
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Thank you to all of our listeners! We are currently being downloaded in 77 countries! 🌎🌎
In our final episode in the intense 3-part trilogy on ALL THINGS: Polygraph, we rip the band-aid off the topic in one jarring and impactful conversation!
We have the high privilege of sitting and talking with Mr. George Maschke, polygraph expert and Near East Languages & Cultures Ph.D. (UCLA).
On Monday, May 15, 1995, everything began to go downhill for George.
At the time, he was a 12-year veteran of the US Army, having served in both an
active and reserve capacity. He served as an interrogator, strategic debriefer, and tactical intelligence officer---and had continuously held a security clearance since 1983.
His encounter with the now deceased Jack Trimarco, who after retiring from The FBI in 2000, began conducting polygraph “tests” for the Dr. Phil TV Talk Show, lasted some 3 hours. And at the end of those 3 hours, Trimarco concluded that our guest was a spy, a drug user and drug dealer.
His application to be a Special Agent with the FBI was rejected, and the false accusations of his deception from his examiner were entered into his permanent FBI Headquarters file.
The FBI's accusations have had life-changing consequences for him.
George was crystal clear with us that a “A failure of an FBI polygraph exam is a lifetime disqualification, there are no second chances.” George poured everything he had physically, mentally and emotionally into trying to understand “how exactly he could tell the truth and yet still fail the exam” – an exam that the examiner said was “90% accurate”. He conducted an exhausting and deep investigation to better understand how he fell through the cracks --- this is the story of that journey and a large portion of his life.
On September 18, 2000 he helped co-found Antipolygraph.org – shortly after his high-level security clearance was stripped from him by The U.S. Army.
AntiPolygraph.org is a non-profit, public interest website dedicated to exposing and ending waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the use of polygraphs and other purported “lie detectors”. He co-authored The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.
George adamantly states that “polygraphy is most definitely not a science.
He is resolute on his positions that: My two previous guests: (Holly Niotti-Soltesz and Gil Witte) didn’t explain fully the function of the “control questions”. He holds that the public isn’t supposed to understand the full function of the control questions. He has “cast the gauntlet”, letting it be known that he would enjoy openly debating either or both of my previous guests!
He shares clear and effective techniques that you can employ to beat the test – that those who administer polygraph tests NEVER want you to be knowledgeable of.
As we drill deeper, farther and wider in this EXPLOSIVE episode you will hear detailed action steps to take on:
🧨If a person is charged with a crime and asked to take a polygraph exam, what should that person do immediately?
🧨Facts you need to know if you ever face an employment screening polygraph exam.
🧨Is the polygraph machine simply a “prop” for an interrogator to intimidate and scare confessions out of criminals?
🧨If there any truth involved in the “lie detector”, or is it all smoke and mirrors and a charade? 🧨We define for you what the Control Question Test or “CQT” actually is and its import. We expose – the “dirty little secrets” that lie behind the polygraph “test” as it relates to the “CQT”. 🧨Whether the polygraph exam is dependent on the examiner lying and deceiving the subject who is being examined.
Tune in and be empowered!
We are here FORYOU and BECAUSE OF YOU!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
We’ve g-r-o-w-n! We’ve e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d our global footprint to the country of Macedonia!
Now in 77 countries worldwide!
Thank you so much for your tremendous support!
Our focus was on the polygraph examination. We wanted to take two expert polygraph examiners and ask them many similar questions and see if we got similar responses.
Collectively, we were blown away by the extent of expertise from our special guest who was specifically recommended and referred to us.
On this fact-packed, smokin’ hot episode of Light ‘Em Up we drill to the core about all things polygraph.
Today we have the high privilege of speaking with our special guest, polygraph expert Mr. Guillermo “Gil” Witte. Gil’s priority is to get to the truth with every exam.
Gil has been a polygraph instructor at the Academy of Polygraph Science and other APA accredited schools. He received his education at the Florida International University, where he obtained a B.A. in Psychology.
He also has published articles in The Police Polygraphist (newsletter of the American Association of Police Polygraphists) and the APA Magazine.
Mr. Witte holds memberships in the following organizations:
• American Polygraph Association
• American Association of Police Polygraphists
• The Association of Polygraph Examiners (California and Alabama)
On this exclusive episode we examine:
● The nuts and bolts of a polygraph exam, also known as a PDD exam (Psycho-Physiological Detection of Deception Exam). As Gil states, “There is a lot to the polygraph process, from the interview, the testing, analysis and revelation of results, truth is what happened, not a perception of it”.
● The electrodermal response is a very important response in the polygraph exam --- (typically sensors that go on the palm of the hands or the fingertips).
● How a lay person knows if they are being examined by a properly trained and competent forensic psycho-physiology expert.
● We define and examine what a “false positive” is and how that term applies to polygraph security and pre-employment screening.
● We define a “false negative” and the implications of such.
● In laymen’s terms, we discuss the admissibility of polygraph test results in U.S. courts and we discuss the Frye Standard, which we get from the case Frye v The United States.
● Is there an error rate to the examination, if yes, what are those percentages?
I doubt after listening to Gil you’ll ever have another question about the polygraph exam. Gil shares his decades of expertise from the beginning to the end of this impacting episode!
Human resource professionals or job seekers, if you are required to administer or to take a polygraph exam as a requirement of pre-employment screening, THIS is the resource episode for you!
Any story is true until you hear both sides of the story. The crucible of cross-examination ferrets out the truth. As we customarily say on our podcast, “the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers”.
Please share this podcast with a friend or a family member that you think may like it. We are here for you and because of you!
I hope you find this episode to be enlightening, educational and empowering!
Knowledge isn’t power unless you do something specifically with that knowledge that empowers you!
Thanks!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
We are worldwide in 76 countries!
On this exclusive explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up - we’re talking ALL THINGS about the polygraph exam - that’s right, the lie detector test!
“In God we trust, all others we Polygraph” …
A polygraph, also referred to as a lie detector test, is an instrument that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked and answers a series of questions.
Its use is ever-expanding, and has readily been seen in pre-employment screening, the criminal justice system and issues involving national security.
We have the high honor and distinct privilege of speaking with our special guest Holly Niotti Soltesz, founder/owner of HNS Polygraph Services (Youngstown, OH and Cranberry Township, PA).
Established in 2008, HNS Polygraph has been retained by law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, defense attorneys, therapists, private individuals and city and county officials to conduct polygraph testing when the truth is absolutely needed. HNS Polygraph Services is a veteran-owned business that strictly adheres to all standards of polygraph set forth by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), The American Polygraph Association (APA) and The International Society of Polygraph Examiners or (ISOPE).
The primary role of a polygraph examiner is to assess and ascertain the truth of one statement or the validity of a denial regarding any allegation made against a person. The expert polygraph examiner, through their passion to the science and their commitment to excellence, tries their level best to get to the truth.
Holly’s primary area of expertise is sexually-based allegations of statutory rape, gross sexual imposition, child pornography and child sexual assault and infidelity matters.
On this explosive episode we drill to the core on:
💥 What exactly a polygraph examiner does?
💥 Empirical evidence about how deceptiveness—and other psychological conditions—affect the physiological responses that the polygraph measures.
💥Why do we lie, and what in fact is “truth”?
💥Why do people submit themselves for polygraph exams when they know they are lying ?
💥 We examine the difference between a “specific issue exam” and a “multi-issue exam”.
💥 We share examples of baseline questions that would be asked at the start of an examination.
💥 How does a lay person know if they’re being examined by a properly trained and competent forensic psycho-physiology expert?
💥Overt “signs and signals of deception”
Holly says, “There are some really good liars out there and equally, the opposite is true, there are some truthful people that really look deceptive.”
💥 Can a lie detector test be “beaten”?
Holly shares with us explosive revelations of what the current trend is which in many occurrences has necessitated a polygraph exam to be conducted in the hope of ascertaining the truth of the allegations lodged against far too many parents - very, serious stuff, all in the pursuit of justice.
And so much more!
A lie-detector test, a polygraph exam, or a psychophysiology veracity exam – regardless of how it is referred to, it works!
Holly clearly understands the gravity of the matter: “This is someone’s life that we hold in our hands – their life and liberty stand in the balance.”
You will not want to miss this episode!
If you have ever lied, or know someone who has lied, or is a liar, this episode is for YOU!
It is my most sincere prayer that this episode is educational and empowering for you!
Thank you so much for all of your on-going support!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
On this special investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up we revisit an extremely troubling case that our production team of investigators brought to your attention recently.
It’s the case of Ter’Rion Dunn in Butler, Alabama. Ter’Rion Dunn has been charged with Capital Murder. Capital Murder is, by far, the most serious of violent crimes in Alabama. Capital Murder is a Class A felony, carrying with it a potential 10 years to life sentence or even a possible penalty of death.
Typically speaking, a defendant or individual charged or suspected of capital murder involves allegations where that individual planned and possessed premeditation to commit murder.
Now, if you missed our first look at this troubling case, it’s season 2, episode 5 on March 20 of this year entitled: "I just want justice for my son." It runs just over ½ an hour, and I urge any listeners who may have missed it for any reason to listen to that episode. If you didn’t catch that episode, you can find it here:BuzzsproutToday we have the distinct pleasure and honor to again be speaking with Kimkeshia Byron-Johnson, the mother of Ter’Rion Dunn.
On this smokin’ hot episode we uncover new blockbuster evidence and explore:
● How Ter’Rion Dunn is surviving some 19 months after being arrested and not being offered bail, languishing in jail, while the alleged trigger man is out on bond to move around freely and not being exposed to a heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.
● The financial hardship of having a child wrongfully imprisoned and how this fact has impacted directly on Kimkeshia, her other children and the family as a whole – as family members of an incarcerated person are “hidden victims” as well.
● We petition you for assistance with for Ter’Rion in order to defray the mounting costs of his on-going legal defense. We provide the landing page that our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down has established to help accomplish that goal. That fund is LIVE and currently can be found at: https://gogetfunding.com/Justice4TerRion/
● We have discovered a letter from the Office of The Attorney General for The State of Alabama that raises interesting questions about the State’s case against Ter’Rion Dunn.
● We explore key foundational issues such as Ter’Rion Dunn’s alleged motive, intent and preparation to commit this crime.
● We explore a curious lack of evidence disclosed – as required by law – in the case against Ter’Rion Dunn, some 19 months after this crime was committed.
●In our educational component of the show, we review and define what the multiple motions filed in this case are and their purpose, including motions to suppress and inspect evidence and numerous others.
Our investigative reporting is impacting this case. From this deep southern state that gave us the railroading of The Scottsboro Boys, to Governor George Wallace, who in his 1963 inauguration famously vowed, “Segregation today! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!”, we update a case that raises questions as to whether a law enforcement misconduct still has a grip on the State of Alabama. Please listen to this important update episode of Light ‘Em Up and empower yourself with the truth. The truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately, the truth delivers.
We our global footprint has expanded to more than 76 countries.
Thank you so much for helping us grow. Follow the smoke 🌋🌋🌋 to the fire! 🔥🔥🔥
Note well: All suspects are innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our global footprint has expanded to over 74 countries!
On this intense episode of Light ‘Em Up we delve into the deep, dark recesses of the brain and investigate the psychopathology of criminal behavior, mental illness and drug addiction.
We probe and investigate why people commit crime.
We are “on the record” with Dr. Doug Smith, DFAPA, Medical Director for the Summit County (Akron, Ohio) Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board. “Recovery starts here” - as it states on the ADM web site found at www.admboard.org.
The ADM Board is responsible for planning, funding, monitoring and evaluating treatment, prevention and support services for people who experience alcoholism, drug addiction and/or mental illness. We touch on some of the pillars of the “Stepping Up Initiative”, which is a pioneering collaborative program in The U.S., started right here in Summit County, involving judges, chiefs of police, social workers and clinicians.
At least 50% of individuals in prison on the state and local levels have moderate and/or severe mental illness – far higher than the general population, so, clearly there are pervasive issues as it relates to the connection of incarceration and mental health. Dr. Smith expressed that through their collective efforts, “The ADM Board labors daily to do their collective best to get people into care and treatment and not incarcerate them” – to “break the cycle of mental health issues feeding the criminal justice system and helping people to be diverted from incarceration and improve their quality of life and away from an institutional setting”.
“If we can figure out how to get people into treatments and treat their cycles of addiction and break their disease, we will stop the crimes,” he says.
“People need help – drug addiction and mental health suffering is not a moral failing on a person’s part – it is a brain disease. We wouldn’t make fun of someone suffering from cancer or any other disease, we shouldn’t stigmatize or belittle those who suffer from mental illness, PTSD or any disease of the brain, including addiction.”
In this explosive episode we drill deep and investigate:
- The push factors why people commit crime: What is different in the brain of individuals who commit crime(s)? Oftentimes, criminal behavior is carried out to fuel an addiction. A person is either in the active process of: using a drug, obsessing about the drug or doing anything to acquire the substance, including robbing and even killing to acquire it.
- We probe the deep, dark crevices of the criminal brain and the psychopathology of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer (from Barberton, Ohio) who cannibalized his victims and investigate his dark, anti-social personality disorder issues that fed his insatiable necrophiliac desire to perform sex acts with the corpses of his murder victims.
- What if a person is suffering from “command hallucinations” where they hear voices, and what do you do if those voices tell them to kill?
- Killing and a lack of remorse: A person who possesses malignant narcissistic personality disorders coupled with a severe lack of remorse can commit horrible acts of violence, such as a bloody murder, then walk away from the crime scene, go home, make themselves a sandwich, turn on the TV and relax as if nothing has transpired.
I sincerely hope this episode educates, empowers and edifies you and provides you with some insight behind the crime scene tape as to what a Forensic Psychiatrist does, the types of clients s/he works with, and the problems that their patients suffer from.
Like, subscribe and tell a friend about “Light ‘Em Up”.
Thanks, Executive Producer Phil Rizzo
Our worldwide footprint has EXPANDED! We’re currently airing in more than 74 countries!
On this in-depth new and trailblazing episode of Light ‘Em Up we go behind the armed gun turrets, high walls, razor wire and steel bars to talk candidly about church in prison.
An estimated 6,410,000 persons were held in prisons or jails or were on probation or parole in 2018, which marked a 19-year low in the number of persons under the supervision of U.S. adult correctional systems. The American criminal justice system holds, houses and confines almost 2.3 million people.
Today we have the distinct pleasure and honor of sitting and talking with one of my closest friends, Minister Latif Ali, about his walk with God and his nearly a decade of experience in prison ministry, sharing the gospel of the Lord inside state and federal penitentiaries.
“Even though a person has committed a crime or done wrong – no one is without fault, except Christ. God has spoken clearly and HE so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 - this directive does not exclude those that are incarcerated.”
Latif grew up in a unique experience, in a household with a Muslim father and a Christian mother, watching the love of their relationship thrive, endure and flourish, only ending through death which parted them.
His learning the word of the Lord was also unique: through the wonderful hymns played on the piano by his mother through her music ministry.
It was the Agape love shown to him by the Holy Trinity which drew him in and kept him as a follower of Christ.
As a lifelong student and instructor in the Criminal Justice System, I have come to know that the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. As a society how we treat those we incarcerate is a reflection on us as a collective people.
The thief on the cross next to Jesus on Calvary Mount found his way to spend eternity with Jesus simply for asking. All are loved by God and worthy of hearing and knowing the word of God, including those that are incarcerated.
In this intense episode: We examine the living word and interrogate, investigate and examine:
● How you go about working to replace the cycle of crime with a cycle of renewal and re-birth as a new being in Christ Jesus, and restoring hope.
● How can an incarcerated person HAVE Only Positive Expectations, when so many things are stacked up against him or her for their successful transition out of prison and re-entry into society?
● His story that led him into Prison Ministry: How he came to know of, learn and develop in the word of God.
● An up close and personal look at what is “church” in “The Big House”? What does “church” in “The Joint” look like? His first-hand experiences in ministering to inmates.
● The “transformative things” he has observed in those who are incarcerated that attend the prison ministry worship services that he offers.
● There’s something about the sweet name of Jesus: The redemptive power of the word of God.
● Regarding Christ’s directive found in the Book of Matthew Chapter 18: verses 20-21…to forgive our brethren “seventy times seven” and directives to “turn the other cheek”: How would this be worked out in the hard and harsh realities of prison life where disrespect can bring death?
I sincerely hope this episode educates, empowers and edifies you and provides you with some insight as to the behind-the-scenes process of delivering the word of God to those incarcerated in prison.
Like, subscribe and tell a friend about “Light ‘Em Up”.
Thanks much,
Executive Producer Phil Rizzo
Our worldwide footprint has EXPANDED! We’re currently debuting in more than 73 countries!
Thank you so much to everyone who has tuned in across the globe – we’d be nothing without your support.
On this smokin’ hot, new episode of Light ‘Em Up …
We have the high honor and privilege to sit and talk with a true role model – a dear friend of mine and a highly decorated, dedicated career law enforcement officer with 4 decades of exemplary service to the citizens of the great City of Cleveland, Ohio.
During times when law enforcement is taking a rightful beating for the actions of more than a few, it is great to talk with a true hero who has maintained the highest standard of public service and has labored extremely hard daily --- having kept his nose clean for 39 years.
He’s the recipient of The Officer of the Year on the B shift –
● The Medal of Heroism –
● The Medal of Valor –
And …
● The Public Safety Hero of the Year –
The bright light shines down as we are in the interrogation room with Retired Cleveland Police Department Sgt. Victor Hayes.
All who know him and love him refer to him lovingly and respectfully as “Crown Vic”.
We drill deep on:
From his roots in the deep south of Dallas County, Arkansas where many members of law enforcement were entrenched in organizations such as The KKK -- and being terrified of police -- to starting his career in public service as a fire fighter in Maryland, and investigating crime on the mean streets of the City of Cleveland, Ohio, to recalling countless times when he made decisions that kept people out of prison – he shares with us his experiences and professional insight on:
● What has happened to policing? Have the wheels come off of the “policing bus”?
● We discussed some of the current hiring dilemmas that plague policing and discuss why it can be so difficult to find "quality, qualified candidates" to serve.
● How can policing practices promote healthy crime reduction while building the public trust?
● We can’t get away from the fact that the origins of the police in this country were to serve as slave patrols -- organized groups of armed men who monitored and enforced discipline upon slaves in the antebellum U.S. southern states.
● We inquire if 21st century policing has shed the foundational concepts of how it originally perceived and reacted to individuals of color?
We all know and have had a front row seat to witness, unfortunately “the few can define the many” – 1 bad apple can spoil the bunch:
● How do we go about weeding the bad seeds out of the profession?
● What do we want our police to do?
● Are we expecting too much from them, to be social workers, emergency medical practitioners, and keepers of the peace, simultaneously?
♦ We explore some ideas for trying to reduce the incidents of active shooter events that we see daily across our county.
And we talk about U.S. v Cleveland (the consent decree): The Cleveland Police Department and The Department of Justice entered into a consent decree which requires the Cleveland Police Department to make a number of fundamental changes to its policies, practices and procedures to address these issues in light of the murder of Timothy Russell and Ma’lissa Williams in 2014.
All this and so much more! You are in a zone car on the rough and tumble, means streets in the City of Cleveland, Ohio with Retired Cleveland Police Sgt. Victor Hayes.
Please like, subscribe and share!
Tune in and enjoy!
Thanks much!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to this smokin' hot new episode of Light 'Em Up.
Our footprint has expanded to more than 71 countries across the globe, thanks only to
Y-O-U! We are tremendously grateful to you for tuning in and being such great fans and friends of the show.
We take a deep dive on the criminal justice system, crime scene investigation and leadership.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not, the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
Crime stories are like puzzles, unsolved murders, cold cases, ghost stories.
A beating with a baseball bat or a stabbing produces a much different blood spatter pattern as does a gun shot.
The goal of a crime scene investigator is to recognize, document and collect evidence at the scene of a crime and preserve, protect, analyze and prepare it for trial.
From crime scene to courthouse, solving most crimes depends on careful, methodical gathering and piecing together and linking of the evidence to form a clear, logical picture of what happened at the crime scene and discover clues that help identify the individual or individuals who committed the crime.
The crime scene investigator has a very challenging job. He or she must be well versed in the art of investigation.
The television shows are for entertainment. A crime scene doesn’t wrap up in an hour. An entire investigation can take months and TV doesn’t show the real horror of what one human being can do to another in an act of rage.
Every case is different.
Today we have the distinct honor and privilege to sit down and talk with D-ABMDI certified Forensic Investigator, Supervisor, Amy Schaefer of The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office, serving the City of Akron, Ohio.
For any fan of crime scene investigation (CSI) – this conversation is fascinating and riveting.
In this smokin’ hot episode we drill deep on topics like:
♦ What is physical evidence?
♦ We analyze the mechanisms of death from crucifixion on the cross that killed Christ Jesus,
comparing and contrasting the medical concept in the current newsworthy case of MN v Derek Chauvin regarding “positional asphyxiation” as the causation in the death of George Floyd.
♦ We discuss what is the difference between cause of death and manner of death.
♦ How UV light helps to expose evidence that is normally hidden to the naked eye.
♦ BPA (Blood Pattern Analysis).
♦ Blood spatter vs blood splatter.
♦ Luminol – a chemical that is used to detect traces of blood evidence.
♦ We inquire if the general public can view an autopsy, and can they receive the results of an autopsy?
♦ Ballistics and high velocity ammunition and what these rounds do to the human body, organs and tissues due to cavitation.
♦ Blood, bullets, body bags, toe tags and what happens to your body when you die.
At one point in our lives much of this will apply to us all whether we like it or not.
We ask all the tough to stomach questions about stomach contents, and maggots that form on the body --- everything you were curious about but never really wanted to hear: the gruesome answers to your questions and much more.
We hope you enjoy this episode very much!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
On this special explosive and in-depth edition of Light ‘Em Up we investigate the facts of a cold-blooded murder.
Our guest today is Ms. Kimkeshia Johnson-Byron. She’s the mother of Ter’Rion Dunn, a young man who has been charged with capital murder in the robbery-shooting death of Brandon Howard. We dig deep and investigate behind the scenes and ask why is Ter’Rion Dunn being charged with capital murder – when we believe he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?
It is scary, this can happen to you. “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This case has kept me up at night. I have prayed and prayed over this and spent hours over the case file and given it much thought. With our Criminal Justice Foundation called “Justice Rolls Down”, we wanted to lend our voice to this cause where we could.
Something doesn’t sit well with me. Something in this specific case is off, way off!
The fact pattern is: Monday, December 2, 2019 was just another day in Butler, Alabama, 35 miles or so southeast of Meridian, Mississippi.
Thoughts were starting to turn towards Christmas. The “Christmas on Courthouse Square” parade and festivities were a few days away.
All that was about to forever change for a number of young people, their families and friends. Ter’Rion Dunn goes over to visit a friend, Brandon Howard. Just before 9 p.m. a knock came on a door at the Bedford Pines Apartments.
Allegedly, it is 23-year-old Ollie Curtis III. He’s armed and there to rob Brandon Howard.
A struggle ensues, Howard is fatally shot. According to subsequent statements, Curtis then put his gun to Ter’Rion Dunn’s head, demanding money and drugs. He threatened harm to Dunn’s grandma if he didn’t comply.
It was the 1st murder in Choctaw County, Alabama, on the 336th day of the year.
We examine:
● What do you do when the system is so corrupt that it would permit a glaring conflict of interest whereby the prosecuting attorney is the brother of his court appointed defense attorney?
● You know you are innocent, but no one will listen to you. What do you do if you are wrongly accused --- having your liberty robbed from you?
● The alleged gunman was granted and posted a $150,000 bond last March. Ter’Rion Dunn -- who had no knowledge of the robbery before or during -- was only visiting with a friend but has been stuck in prison – charged with capital murder!
Things like this happen all across our country, but most especially in wee little southern towns like Butler, Alabama. Race and class play a role in everything in the United States of America.
We have to pause for a moment and remember where all this is happening.
Alabama, one of the poorest states in the union. A state where >300 African-Americans were lynched from 1877 to 1943. A state whose population is just over a quarter Black, where >1/2 the people in custody are Black, according to Alabama Appleseed.
Alabama makes consistent choices that prioritize punishment and deprivation over prosperity. The consequences of refusing to invest in education, healthcare, and equitably distributed infrastructure have been devastating for many communities. But make no mistake: by design and in practice, those consequences are borne most brutally by Black Alabamians. The details of this case are disturbing and troubling. If “Justice delayed is justice denied”, this case is crying out for justice. A young man’s life hangs in the balance.
Tune in and be enlightened, educated and empowered!
All suspects are innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
Thanks so much!
Phil Rizzo Executive Producer
Welcome to this blazing hot new episode of “Light ‘Em Up”. Season 2 Episode 4.
We are now being downloaded in over 69 countries across the globe.
This episode is packed front to the back with insight that will enlighten, educate and empower you with the truth!
Rarely do we focus on the leadership within the medical profession, opting more regularly to focus solely on law enforcement. As we’ve seen during this pandemic, medical first responders are equally important in the overall quality care-giving, life-saving process.
Today we have the distinct pleasure and honor to sit down with EMS emergency first responder Mr. Heyward R. Prude III. His career of public service has spanned more than 20 years as an Emergency Medical Service Technician – on the front lines in some of the roughest and toughest areas of Cleveland, Ohio.
He has dedicated his life to saving lives and helping others.
He’s invested his time, money and talent towards saving lives by keeping the youth off of the streets and developing a football, basketball and cheerleading outreach program where he has been an Executive Director, Head Coach with the EMS Rams – in Cleveland Ohio – a mentor, motivator, motivational keynote speaker, a servant leader and entrepreneur. He’s recently become an ordained Pastor of the Cloth.
Within the past year he became the recipient of a kidney transplant as he had suffered with chronic kidney disease for years.
We frack down deep on his:
● His 20+ years of critical leadership in the life-saving and life- sustaining process as an Emergency Medical Technician on the mean streets of Cleveland, Ohio.
● His faith-walk with God as a Pastor: what he has learned that has had a profound impact on him spiritually that may be of a benefit you in your walk.
● He shared how this COVID-lockdown experience has been “an excellent opportunity to learn about ourselves, our purpose given to us by God, and to better understand who we are and why we are present on this earth.”
● In his pastoral leadership we dig into whether or not God can be the author of adversity – adversity that is designed to help us to perfect our walk with HIM.
● We explore the mental anguish of constantly being expected and required to make life and death decisions on the spot as to whether or not to transport individuals suffering with COVID-19 to a hospital. How to handle such stresses and the outlets utilized to reduce them.
● Cool acronyms that help you to remember the step-by-step procedure of an important life-saving or evaluating process.
● The often-silent suffering that men can go through when they are victims of domestic abuse, offering help to men specifically – but also anyone in general -- to perhaps “know better” how to navigate their troubled relationship.
● Why men won’t come forward and speak their truths about domestic violence and abuse that they suffer – as 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence. He says, “So many people are afraid to share their experiences and you both may be going through similar things and can help one another.”
● How the simple act of talking about the abuse he experienced in past relationships has saved his life and helped him to heal.
You will not want to miss this explosive episode!
All this and more! Tune in and be empowered!
Thanks so much to everyone!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Light 'Em Up
Welcome to this blazing hot new episode of “Light ‘Em Up”. Season 2 Episode 3.
We are now being downloaded in over 66 countries across the globe.
This episode is packed from the front to the back!
We were extremely fortunate to sit down with Dr. Sandy Womack Jr., for our special edition during Black History Month.
This isn’t your typical, run-of-the-mill podcast conversation and you don’t have to be a person of color to extract tremendous value from this episode, all you have to be is human.
We invite EVERYONE to listen and be edified.
Dr. Womack, Jr., is the area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district (the largest district in the State of Ohio) and a lifelong educator with 30+ years of experience.
He is an inspirational, motivational leader, frequent motivational and keynote speaker, role model as well as an Urban Educational Transformation Specialist – and the author of two books: "Even the best of plans go astray" and "Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”.
The cornerstone of his educational philosophy that has led to tremendous positive outcomes is that, "exposure changes expectations but experiences change lives”.
Dr. Womack, Jr. earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Ashland University. He is a devout man of learning, wisdom and history – most importantly to me, he’s a dear friend of mine.
I always feel like I am speaking with one of the village elders when I am fortunate enough to chat with Dr. Womack, Jr. Unlike the “rinky-dink leaders” of today -- he epitomizes all what aservant leader is and should be in thought, word and deed.
In this intense fact-packed episode I guarantee you that he will educate, empower and enlighten you.
We drill deep on:
●The insurrection effort at the Capitol Building which took place on January 6th 2021.
●The legacies of the Honorable John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X
●Racial socialization and the instilling of pride, connection and racial knowledge among persons of color.
●The fact that “a person without self-knowledge is like a tree without roots”.
●A path forward for improving the human condition of our neighbor and neighborhoods. Doing for the least of us, accomplishing the greater good for the most of us. A biblical imperative.
●How you “can’t change a problem unless you first admit there is a problem, define the problem, then bring attention to it”.
●Making positive change through education and enlarging the franchise for persons of color.
●The fact that today’s school curriculum is “devoid of the contributions of people of color other than focusing on slavery and civil rights”.
●The negative stereotypical roles in television that for far too long have been relegated to people of color.
●The fact that “equal” is not always “equitable”.
●The Overton Window (which is a very timely and applicable concept that he explains in detail very well).
Dr. Womack, Jr. is always graceful and generous to “Light ‘Em Up” granting us exclusive access to his full range of wisdom and insight – which is deep and profound. He is an intriguing man who NEVER disappoints.
All this and more! Tune in and be empowered!
Listen to Dr. Womack, Jr's first interview <--------- right there!
Thanks so much to everyone!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer
Light 'Em Up
Welcome to Season 2 Episode 2 of 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 '𝙀𝙢 𝙐𝙥.
Thanks to you, our loyal listeners -- we now have a footprint in more than 65 countries!
We take a deep dive on: The Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation and Leadership. Our mission is to enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not, the truth disturbs, the truth divides … but ultimately, the truth delivers.
October will be here before you know it. It is designated Domestic Violence Awareness month -- we are doing our part to get the word out ahead of time.
Today we have the distinct honor and privilege to sit and talk with MJ Vess -- a friend of mine – and an anti-domestic violence abuse advocate.
Her experience resonated deeply with me and I’m confident that her personal testimony that she’ll share with you will be impactful and helpful as well. She is the founder of VictoryLife House – a support center that connects survivors of domestic abuse to the professionals that they need at a reduced rate. MJ is one survivor among countless millions with a story that is similar but not exactly the same. She is a survivor from of a marriage that was highly abusive.
A marriage that was plagued with deep seated mental, emotional and spiritual abuse – just to mention a few areas. MJ said it has taken her four years to get to the point to where she can now share openly from her heart without any fear of what others may say or think.
Today our outreach effort is geared towards re-educating the public on the fact that:
Domestic violence is a pattern of: coercive, controlling behavior that can include: physical, emotional psychological, sexual, or financial abuse. Explained further -- using money and financial tools to exert and exact control. Some abusers are able to exert complete control over a victim’s every action without ever using violence or only by using subtle threats of violence.
Domestic violence is more than just physical violence. It can include sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence intimidates, assaults, and often is an attempt at controlling a partner. All types of abuse are devastating to victims.
Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime that affects millions of individuals across the United States and worldwide regardless of age, economic status, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, or education level.
Sure, high-profile cases of domestic violence will attract headlines, but thousands of people experience domestic abuse every day. They come from all walks of life -- and it is through no fault of their own that they suffer. Abusive partners make it very difficult for victims to escape relationships.
Sadly, many survivors suffer from abuse for decades and even more tragically, many are killed at the hands of their abusers.
● Domestic violence is first and foremost a pattern of power and control.
● Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence or IPV (Interpersonal Violence).
● 1 in 3 women will be a victim of domestic or sexual violence at some point in her lifetime, and each day an average of three women die at the hands of someone who claimed to love them.
We hope this episode will help to perhaps save at least one life. Everyone has a voice and every voice has the power to give hope. The motto of VictoryLife House reads, “Life without abuse is an option. Choose life!”
MJ was a victim, and now is a survivor and woman of valor. Follow her lead!
Thanks so much for tuning in! We hope you enjoy this episode!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to Season 2 Episode 1 of 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 '𝙀𝙢 𝙐𝙥.
Thanks to everyone for a fantastic Season 1.
We finished the year downloaded in more than 60 countries.
A wildly unexpected but equally awesome achievement.
As you know, we take a deep dive on:
The Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation and Leadership.
Our mission is to enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not, the truth disturbs, the truth divides … but ultimately, the truth delivers.
January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month.
We were stunned, shocked and then angered when we learned of the extent of the online child predator problem --- and how this feeds sex and human trafficking as well as the exploitation of women and children.
To help build awareness and to combat this dark plague on our society, we researched and developed this episode.
It’s unthinkable, but every year, thousands of children become victims of crimes—whether it’s through kidnappings, violent attacks, sexual abuse, or online predators.
We learned through our investigations that Pornhub, a Montreal, Canada-based website that prides itself on being the happy-go-lucky, winking face of all things naughty, attracts 3.5 billion visits or hits per month --- this is more than Netflix, Yahoo, or Amazon.
It rakes in millions from almost 3 billion ad impressions per day.
One ranking lists Pornhub as the 10th most visited web site in the world.
Our mission is to BE A VOICE! To remind you that your voice has the power to give hope and to protect others. We set out to use our platform as a way to warn the public of increased risks to children and teens from online sexual predators. In an era where children are spending more time on the Internet, it is essential that parents, guardians, educators and trusted adults know the risks and how to prevent exploitation.
We drill deep and examine:
- An in depth look at Pornhub and its use for underage internet porn.
- Internet Child abductions—the mysterious disappearance of a minor, especially a minor of 16 years or younger.
- Production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM),
- Sexual exploitation of children—online networks and enterprises manufacturing, trading, distributing, and/or selling CSAM.
- Trafficking of CSAM—distribution or possession.
We ask repeatedly, what the hell has happened to us --- as a society?
Children are spending more time online, for school, for clubs, and for playdates. Parents don’t know all the apps or how to use them, but sexual predators do. They know where the kids are and how to reach them. Just as parents taught kids to be safe at home by locking the doors at night, parents must learn how to keep kids safe online. Computers can be scary. The internet can be intimidating. But in this case, ignorance is not bliss.
The borderless nature of the Internet has made these crimes which transcend jurisdictional boundaries.
This isn’t going to be a conversation on the “morality of pornography”.
We don’t have the time or the desire to enter into that debate.
The issue is about rape of and the sexual exploitation of minor children, which is perverted, sick and a crime in all 50 states.
The issue is about monetizing and promoting criminal sexual assaults on children, or anyone, for that matter.
Thanks so much for tuning in! I hope you enjoy this episode!
With much respect and gratitude.
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Today we have reached a momentous milestone, our final episode of the year!
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We want to thank you for being with us every step of the way on this exciting journey.
Today on 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 '𝐄𝐦 𝐔𝐩 we have the distinct pleasure to sit and talk with Paul Hugenberg III. Paul is a respected colleague and friend of mine.
He’s a pioneer and a true expert in the vast area of Information Technology Security.
Paul educates clients about the current threats and risk mitigation opportunities in Cyber Space.
As a Cyber Defense Super Hero he is responsible for protecting the hardware and software of his clients from physical and cyber attacks from enemies both foreign and domestic.
The risk vectors are endless. With consistency he delivers market-leading solutions that always exceed expectations.
Paul is a lifelong IT Security Professional and has served in the capacity as an executive officer for many institutions. He is a member of the NEO ISACA, an international professional association focused on IT governance and is a former fellow at ICIT (The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology).
Both organizations oversee information system threats to business, personal information, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.
In this smokin’ hot episode, we illustrate how at the end of the day, the role of an information security professional is to make sure you are in business tomorrow.
We investigate:
● The average small business has about $50K of liquidity, and only 14% of small businesses are prepared for a Cyber attack. 2 out of every 3 businesses that suffer a cyber event will go out of business within 6 months. A data breach is a liquidity event.
● If you don’t protect your data --- you may as well not have a lock on your front door.
● What are the basic goals of Information Security?
● We push you to examine your true risk appetite
●Do you have controls in place or have you plugged the gaps?
●How do you manage your passwords?
●Are you aware of Lastpass, Duo or Microsoft Authenticator?
●Do you know what two-factor authentication is?
The threats are endless --- and constantly evolving. The water is constantly being “chummed” by the hackers.
The average loss from a cyber security event from simply clicking on a malicious email --- which gave your computer either a blue screen or the “black screen of death” --- is roughly $117K in order to “recover” your data. Did you know you can be phished through a phone call and/or an email? Are you careful not to open suspicious emails?
We drill deep on: What is threat intelligence?
What C-Suite Executives and policy makers need to look for in order to better understand the wider threat landscape.
What are some of the names and types of “Cyber Attacks” that hackers use to compromise systems and networks?
All this, and so much more on this special edition of: 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 '𝐄𝐦 𝐔𝐩.
Thanks so much for tuning in! I hope you enjoy this episode!
With much respect and gratitude.
Season's Greetings to all and a safe start to 2021!
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Thank you so much for joining us for this brand new, smokin’ hot episode of
“Light ‘Em Up”.
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We are grateful to you for subscribing and following our rapidly growing and wildly popular podcast. We currently have a global footprint in over 53 countries around the world – that is an addition of 7 more countries since our last published episode --- an exciting fact that we are very proud of.
Without you, our listeners, we would never have accomplished this feat.
THANK YOU!
Today we have the distinct honor and privilege to sit down with a colleague and friend of mine and someone who I have tremendous respect for in the security industry --- (Ret) Sgt. William R. Bancroft with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Sgt. Bancroft, Administrative Investigations Unit, retired on April 7, 2017, after 29 years with the Patrol.
He joined the Patrol in March 1988 as a member of the 117th Academy Class. He was assigned to the Hiram Post, where he was selected as Post and District Trooper of the Year in 1991.
As a trooper he served at the Canfield Post, Aviation Section and Warren District Criminal Investigations.
In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
As a sergeant, he served at the Ravenna and Warren posts, as well as the Administrative Investigations Unit.
In this episode we drill down on:
● The major services that the OSHP provides the citizens of the Great State of Ohio on a daily basis.
● What some of the core values that are instilled into each and every one of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s new recruits, and continually reinforced to all of officers.
● Interdicting drugs from the highways.
● Is there any truth to “quotas”, that officers are said to have to write a certain number of speeding tickets, say, in any fixed period of time?
● Are higher speed limits safer for the public?
● Radar --- the device that measures your speed on the highway -- more specifically stationary, moving and LIDAR: What it is and how does the Ohio State Highway Patrol use each application in carrying out their daily duties.
● Fatal crashes and the importance of wearing a safety belt.
● The legal blood-alcohol limit in the State of Ohio for operating a vehicle.
● If a driver is travelling over 100 mph --- is that an automatic arrest?
● How essential K-9 officers have become to the demands of 21st century policing.
All this, and so much more on this special edition of: “Light‘ Em Up”.
Thanks so much for tuning in! I hope you enjoy this episode!
With much respect and gratitude,
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Thank you so much for joining us for this brand new, smokin’ hot episode of
“Light ‘Em Up”.
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We are grateful to you for subscribing and following our rapidly growing and wildly popular podcast. We currently have a global footprint in over 53 countries around the world – that is an addition of 7 more countries since our last published episode --- an exciting fact that we are very proud of.
Without you, our listeners, we would never have accomplished this feat.
THANK YOU!
Today we have the distinct honor, privilege and pleasure to sit down with a dear friend and confidant of mine, Master Deputy of the Spartanburg County Sherriff’s Office Mr. Lathier Graham.
For more than 12 years he has been a dedicated and highly decorated crime fighter. His crime fighter cape never gets any rest.
He currently serves in the Civil Division, where among countless other duties, he serves Magistrate Court summonses.
Lathier spent the lion’s share of his career as a Crime Scene Investigator, where he has earned the high honor of “Crime Scene Investigator of the Year” on 3 separate occasions (2019, 2018 & 2015).
In this highly informative episode we cover crime scene basics like:
● What is a primary and secondary crime scene?
● What is the goal of crime scene investigation?
● Why it is so important NOT to permit people to trample through your crime scene, and the most crucial duties and responsibilities of the 1st officer on the scene.
● How you go about becoming a crime scene investigator.
● The “7 S’s” of Crime Scene Investigation.
● The father of forensic science, Dr. Edmond Locard and Locard’s Exchange Principle.
● There is no perfect crime. In every crime scene there is some form of a transfer of evidence, clues that the body leaves to help bring the perpetrator to justice.
● We discuss how television depictions have colored the facts for the general public thinking that all crimes are solvable within 1 hour of time, like what Horatio Caine accomplished on CSI Miami.
● We talk about blood, bullets and murder.
All this, and so much more on this special edition of: “Light‘ Em Up”.
Thanks so much for tuning in! I hope you enjoy this episode!
With much respect and gratitude,
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Thank you so much for joining us for this brand new, smokin’ hot episode of
“Light ‘Em Up”.
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We are grateful to you for subscribing and following our rapidly growing and wildly popular podcast. We currently have a global footprint in over 45 countries around the world – an exciting fact that we are very proud of.
Without you, our listeners, we would never have accomplished this feat.
THANK YOU!
Today we have the distinct honor and privilege to sit down with:
Retired San Francisco Police Department Identification Division Supervisor, Expert Fingerprint Tech and former FBI Confidential Coder, René Rodrigues.
René is an IAI (International Association for Identification) Certified Ten Print Examiner. She is a certified expert in the Henry Classification of Ten Prints.
Her degree in Criminology laid the foundation for her to be an active crime-fighter for an excellent career of public service spanning more than three decades (36 years), having served as a “Confidential Coder” for the FBI and a Supervisor within the SFPD Identification Division, logging the lion’s share of her time on the graveyard shift where you “see it all”, especially in San Francisco, the city by the bay.
In our conversation we drill deep covering everything and anything you ever were curious about regarding fingerprinting and the process; she has accomplished it.
For example, we cover:
● What are fingerprints?
● She speaks to the fact that no two fingerprints in the universe are alike.
● What was the necessary training to become a fingerprint expert?
● What the International Association of Identification is and why it is a distinction and designation of excellence to the world of forensics.
● She defines what the AFIS System is: (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) aka as the Automated Fingerprint Imagining System.
● She defines what arches loops whorls and composite fingerprint designations are and what makes them unique and distinct from one another.
● René says it is “very important” in being ethical and acting with ethics while serving as a fingerprint expert for the San Francisco Police Department.
With every impression in the ink and every drop of blood, the body leaves some form of evidence, some clue – capable of speaking from beyond the grave to the evidence of the case.
René is a lot of fun to talk with and highly personable. Service before self has been a hallmark of her career. She draws upon a vast knowledge base from which she is very gracious to stop by, spend time and share with us.
I hope you will tune in. It was a fascinating conversation for me, a forensic science and criminal justice junkie.
In the mob --- when they send for you, you go in alive, you come out dead, and it's your best friend that does it.
Badda Bing!!! 2 behind the ear … pum, pum.
On this smokin’ new episode of Light ‘Em Up we take an intense look at The Italian Mafia, the Mob, also known as “La Cosa Nostra” – or as it is abbreviated in many indictments in U.S. Federal Court, “LCN” (La Cosa Nostra) -- which translates from Italian to English as “our thing”.
Everybody loves a good gangster movie … from classics like The Godfather, Goodfellas or the TV series The Sopranos -- no genre has influenced the public’s perception of criminals more than gangster movies.
Light ‘Em Up has gained access to exclusive Title III wiretap recordings of former Gambino Mob Family Boss John Gotti. In this episode you’ll be able to hear directly from the late “Dapper Don”, the famed mobster, as he swears his allegiance to La Cosa Nostra.
We’ve delicately scrubbed and cleaned this audio up even more than the Federal Bureau of Investigation solely for you, our fans, to hear this once in a lifetime confession and exclusive audio evidence – evidence that was used along with tons of other evidence to take down the biggest Mafiosi since Al Capone.
We investigate the origin of and define the RICO statutes (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization) and how when the government decided to get tough with the mob – these laws had sufficient teeth to take most “wise guys” out of commission.
We shine a light on the biggest cheese eatin’ rats in the modern day history of the mob: Joseph Valachi, Tommaso Buscetta and Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. “The Bull” admitted on the witness stand to killing 19 people, implicating mob boss John Gotti in four of those murders.
Hey …
If I say you're a friend of mine, that means you're connected.
If I say you're a friend of ours, that means you're a made guy.
If I introduce you, I'm responsible for you.
Anything wrong with you, I go down.
Are ya’ thinkin’ about not listenin’ to this episode?
*Forget about it...
Thank you so much to all of our subscribers. We are currently being downloaded in over 45 countries. This is well beyond our wildest imagination. None of this would be possible without our tremendous guests, our extraordinary production team and YOU --- our listeners.*Thanks so much,
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Thank you so much for joining us for this brand new, smokin’ hot episode of
“Light ‘Em Up”.
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We are grateful to you for subscribing and following our rapidly growing and wildly popular podcast. We currently have a global footprint in over 45 countries around the world – an exciting fact that we are very proud of.
Without you, our listeners, we would never have accomplished this feat.
THANK YOU!
Today, we take a deep dive and a forensic look at your smart phone. This episode is entitled: I.T., you and ME:
If you have a smart phone you are going to want to listen to this very informative broadcast. We explore the challenge, the fun and future of forensics.
We were fortunate and honored to sit down with Donald Wochna.
Don is an experienced attorney, author, consulting and testifying expert witness in computer forensics, electronic evidence, e-discovery, cyber security and data privacy.
By combining his 37 years practicing law, his 21 years as a cell phone and computer forensic expert, and his education and experience in Speech Communication, he has developed a unique ability to make complicated areas of law and technology understandable to attorneys, judges, jurors and lay-people with little or no technical experience.
🔺Have you ever felt constrained by what Apple says you can and cannot do with your cell phone?
🔺Don talks to us about “jail-breaking” or actions taken to the operating system (OS) into permitting you to load and run applications on the device which are not permitted by the manufacturer.
🔺We touch on “Sex-ting”, “texting” and “burner” phones.
🔺Your right to privacy at work.
🔺The 1st and 4th Amendment as they apply to our daily lives, our cell phones and workplaces.
🔺Your “free speech rights” on any social media platform.
🔺The Security or lack thereof of Tik-Tok.
🔺Zero day exploits.
🔺Who owns your data?
🔺Language from Attorney General William Barr.
🔺5G and so much more …
One of our most thorough and comprehensive interviews to date.
Don has been in the trenches of some of the biggest legal battles that this area of law has ever seen, to date.
If you miss this episode, you really are short-changing yourself on an hour long conversation that flows as if it were 30 or so minutes with an expert who has forgotten more about the device we use constantly, our cell phone --- than most of us will ever know.
Thanks so much,
Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo
Note this fact well:
This conversation is designed for informational and educational purposes only.
It does not constitute any legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship in any way, shape or form.
Thank you so much for joining us for this brand new, smokin’ hot episode of
“Light ‘Em Up”.
We focus on leadership, the criminal justice system and crime scene investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not … the truth disturbs, the truth divides, but ultimately the truth delivers.
We are grateful to you for subscribing and following our rapidly growing and wildly popular podcast. We currently have a global footprint in over 45 countries around the world – an exciting fact that we are very proud of. Without you, our listeners, we would never have accomplished this feat.
THANK YOU!
You see the best and the worst of people being a homicide detective.
We were excited to sit and talk with Retired Cleveland Police Homicide Detective
Tom Armelli.
Tom is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He has hammered out a stellar and highly decorated career in law enforcement.
Detective Armelli joined the Cleveland Police Department in 1981 and recently retired in 2016. You may remember him from his episodes on The First 48 on the A & E Television Network.
Detective Armelli has investigated over 200 homicides and is the author of 5 books relating the history of the Cleveland Police Department and his work as a Homicide Detective.
Getting the call from dispatch, finding a dead body lying in an open field at 3 am --- blood, bullets and bodies. From checking alibis, to interviewing suspects, serving warrants and solving homicides -- daily trying to bring peace to the streets and justice for the victims of crime and their surviving family members in the tough, tough city of Cleveland, Ohio.
In our interview, Detective Armelli mentioned, “Crime is going to be here as long as there are more than two people on earth.” You’ll hear about the procedure and process from a consummate professional --- a modern day hero and crime fighter.
Detective Armelli speaks about cold cases and shares tremendous insight, insight that has been hammered out and fashioned from more than four decades in the trenches, from a detective who has dedicated his life to serving and protecting northeastern Ohio from its most violent offenders.
We covered a ton of ground in our interview --- it was a riveting interview.
I hope you will tune in and listen.
Thanks much for your time
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer -- Light ‘Em Up
Thank you so much to all of our listeners ---
We are now broadcasting in over 42 countries around the globe.
On this new smokin’ hot episode of Light ‘Em Up we focus our attention on the 3 C’s of The Criminal Justice System: The Cops, Courts and Corrections. Our episode is entitled: Incarceration Nation: Perspectives from the parent of an incarcerated child.
2.3 million people are incarcerated in the U.S.
Does this make any sense?
Does it make us safer?
Has it served to criminalize poverty which disproportionately impacts on people of communities of color?
Very few people ever inquire how a parent is doing, what are their personal stress levels and how have they suffered by having a child that is incarcerated.
In our time together, we drill down on many of the different impacts that a parent suffers that has a child that is incarcerated.
We hear so often about how children suffer when a parent is sent to prison and nearly 6 million kids in the U.S. are impacted directly by parental incarceration --- having a parent sent to prison or in jail at some point in their lives --- more so for African Americans, who in 2017 were imprisoned at nearly six times the rate for whites and nearly double the rate for Hispanics.
We purposely withheld the last name of our guest so as to maintain his privacy.
Kevin expressed how important it is for the youth to listen to their parents and pay attention and learn from others’ mistakes.
His son suffered with mental health issues early on in his adolescence – he was suspended from school in kindergarten.
His medicine was never properly monitored or leveled out.
He was labeled a “bad kid” --- and diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and oppositional defiance issues.
In this episode we addressed issues regarding:
● Monetary bail and jail.
● The fact that those we do not educate we typically incarcerate.
● “E-jail” or electronic monitoring.
● If the correctional system does anything to rehabilitate inmates.
● COVID-19 and being locked up.
● J-Pay and the hidden costs of being in prison.
● Ban the Box.
● And turning a parent’s anguish into purpose.
Thank you so much for subscribing to our podcast. Without our listeners we would not have been able to achieve the success that we have.
I hope you enjoy this episode.
With respect,
Phil Rizzo
Programming Director
Welcome to our smokin' new hot episode of Light 'Em Up.
We focus on: Leadership, the Criminal Justice System & Crime Scene Investigation.
We enlighten, educate and empower others with the truth.
Like it or not …
- The truth, disturbs,
- The truth divides,
- But … ultimately … the truth delivers.
Thank you so much to every one of our subscribers and listeners. We have grown rapidly and exponentially since our humble beginnings.
In this episode we are extremely fortunate to sit down and spend time with Dr. Sandy Womack. Dr. Womack is the area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district (the largest district in the state of Ohio).
Dr. Sandy Womack is a lifetime educator with 30+ years of experience. He is an inspirational, motivational leader, frequent keynote speaker, role model as well as an Urban Educational Transformation Specialist -- most importantly to me, he is a dear friend of mine.
Earning his Ph. D from Ashland University (in Ashland, Ohio) Dr. Womack has been an urban pioneer blazing a trail of impactful successes that have grown and benefitted the future leaders, the students of today. At only 29 years of age, Dr. Womack earned and was awarded his own building, as head principal, a rare and unique accomplishment.
Dr. Womack is the author of two books: "Even the best of plans go astray" and "Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”. The cornerstone of his educational philosophy that has led to tremendous positive outcomes is that, "exposure changes expectations and experiences change lives”. His turnaround leadership skills and his targeted strategic vison have transformed and re-molded urban schools from academic emergency to an effective ranking in very short time span. His insight makes it very plain that educationally, if you start off behind, you have to run farther and faster just to attempt to catch up.
Dr. Womack stresses the importance that, "it is not how you start, but rather, how you finish" that is crucial to the positive, transformational life processes. He is wise beyond his years. He cogently explains that it is imperative to "focus on the seed, to focus on the youth" as a means of bringing about change.
In our discussion entitled: “Moving towards Chaos or Community”...
Dr. Womack dispatched each of our tough questions with un-equivocating, hard-hitting facts. We asked:
- How do we make the U.S. Constitution a reality for all of its citizens?
- As an educator what do we need to be doing today in order to shrink the “school to prison pipeline”?
- and many others
One of Dr. Womack's idols, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, said, "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." --- Dr. Womack explained the prophetic accuracy and timeliness of this specific quote in the wake of the extra-judicial killing of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, MN.
We talked about race, inequality in education, the criminal justice system, U.S. history and the past, present and future status of this country, examining in painstaking detail as to whether we are on a bullet train to chaos or community. Dr. Womack provides a simple, clear and easy to understand life strategy that we all can achieve together, moving forward with love.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Phil Rizzo
Programming Director
Thank you to all of our listeners for helping us grow so rapidly.
Welcome to our latest and hottest episode of Light ‘Em Up.
We’ve been very fortunate to have a string of special guests that are experts in their field.
This episode is no different.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are honored to sit down with Bilingual (Spanish/English) Psychotherapist, Luz Lopez.
In our effort to continue to use our platform and forum to enlighten, educate and empower others on their path, we are focusing our spotlight and providing a forum to Luz and the tremendous talents that she possesses – as a means of providing hope for those who may be suffering in any way shape or form mentally – perhaps depressed, anxious or in any way in crisis and in need of understanding and care.
Luz is a leading voice on all things focused on mental health, healing and the mind.
She is a powerful force on LinkedIn, as well.
Luz and I share an in-depth, strategic, transformative conversation that expounds on how she addresses and treats holistically and in-depth the entire mind, body and spirit.
Her professional expertise has transformed countless individuals from struggling mentally and being in-crisis to regaining control and able to function effectively in their thoughts, words and deeds.
She says that “Care starts from the beginning.” Her impeccable skills and abilities save lives.
As you listen you will hear evidence of how she takes complex concepts about the brain and explains them in a way that everyone can understand. Her communications are extremely caring, soothing and sensitive to the needs of her clients and to their minds. Knowing how to communicate with a person in crisis is essential, it can be the difference between life and death.
She stresses that: “Our minds are constantly working,” which is a good thing, a defensive mechanism, and that no person is “broken”.
In her professional practice Luz treats the mind in a way that brings about tremendous and impacting healing results. “People are not choosing to feel bad,” she says.
She is a professional mental health expert who knows how to connect with the heart – so as to treat the brain. Her work is filled with compassion, hope.
Luz offers tremendous insight as to:
· How to “break the ice” and start a conversation with a family member or friend when attempting to talk with a loved one about their mental health or the behavior that they may be exhibiting.
· Biological factors that underlie trauma, depression and/or anxiety.
· How not to “re-traumatize” people who are already suffering in the healing process.
· The role of genetic risk factors in mental illness.
· PTSD(s)
· How to address the negative stigma that is too often attached to mental illness.
· How to handle the “trust” that a person in crisis puts in another in order to talk with them and be willing to confide their feelings.
It is a tremendous hour that flies by in no time.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful opportunity to hear from a leading expert in a very crowded field.
Luz helps to unscramble the noise.
Thanks again for listening!
Programming Director
Phil Rizzo
In this fantastic episode of Light 'Em Up ---
We have the distinct pleasure to sit and chat with Tom McMahon (Educational Curriculum Director, NCAA Coach, Leader and man for all seasons).
Tom has spent more than 40 years in the educational field molding, shaping and advancing the field as an educator. His humble beginnings came as he entered the educational field as assistant principal. Tom said, "Assistant Principals have no friends". He has served in many capacities within the education industry: principal, coach, mentor, professor.
He currently oversees the program at Kent State University (in Kent, OH) which provides intensive educational instruction to soon-to-be-teachers --- this is a mandated program by the State of Ohio.
His leadership skills have developed countless young athletes while he served as assistant basketball coach at Cleveland State University for decades. He has studied under legendary coaches such as John Wooten and Coach Adolph Rupp.
If you listen carefully Tom shares some real golden nuggets of sage advice.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Thanks again to each of you ---
With you, each week, we've been growing our listener base.
Programming Director,
Phil Rizzo
Welcome to another smokin’ hot edition of “Light ‘Em Up” --- our new podcast -- growing rapidly in its listener base—that focuses on the “true crime” world of Physical Security,
The Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation and Leadership.
We have been blessed to have back-to-back interviews with two great subject matter experts.
Today we are focused on HR leadership and expertise with Tammy Triolo, Owner/Founder of PCQ consulting.
If you are an HR professional -- if you know anything about culture, employee engagement, compliance, credentialing and licensing, quality assurance, operational improvement or consulting ---it is imperative that you listen to this podcast interview.
This is an excellent conversation, packed from beginning to end with tremendous experience and insight about the HR process and experience.
Tammy has hammered out more than 15 years of experience in healthcare, leadership, operations, compliance, quality and auditing – just to mention a few areas of her expertise.
She possesses a keen awareness, caring and understanding of how much the people and culture of a company can drive its quality, operations, employee/customer/patient experiences and overall business success.
She shares in-depth insights regarding her personal and professional passion to improve the lives of employees and patients, in the constantly changing workplace environment, striving to enhance teamwork for long term business success.
We thank you in advance for your time in listening to this episode. We welcome your feedback, and if you have an idea for a broadcast, feel free to let us know.
Welcome to our most ambitious episode to date!
Thank you for helping us achieve an early milestone, 100 downloads to date!
“Light ‘Em Up” --- our new podcast -- is growing its listener base rapidly. The broadcast focuses on the “true crime” world of: Physical Security, The Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation and Leadership …or the lack thereof.
In today’s episode we are extremely fortunate to sit down and chat with one of my valuable LinkedIn connections, author, leader and U.S Military Veteran Louis J. Fernandez.
Louis is the author of the very timely and highly informative book entitled: Keep on Leading, which is currently available on Amazon.
Louis drills down on the essentials of the art of leadership. As an elite member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, he jumped from helicopters and was in fire-fights in battle, in the defense of freedom in the service of our nation. From the battlefield to the boardroom, he has learned hard-fought lessons on how to lead. To lead is to be accountable. “Service before self” has always been a cornerstone of what makes him the man that he is today. He shares with us great insight that will educate and empower while informing and inspiring. Through clarity and conduct, he leads by example and he knows how to “embrace the dysfunctional” in everyone in a strategic way to benefit the mission and the team.
We thank you in advance for your time in listening to this episode. We welcome your feedback. If you have an idea for a broadcast, feel free to let us know. Today, we focus on leadership -- a sorely-needed trait that many people talk about, but far fewer exhibit.
Louis J. Fernandez personifies what leadership is all about. He lives it, daily. He is a new friend to “Light ‘Em Up” and we are honored to have him as a guest.
Podcast host and creator,
Phil Rizzo
Rizzo’s Protective Group
(a High Risk Security Consultancy)
ASIS Region 2F Vice President (Ohio)
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention month.
Rizzo’s Protective Group strikes at this opportunity to raise awareness on the dangers of "TDV" … or teen-dating violence and connect youth and parents of teens with the resources they may need.
Our mission is to prevent violence before it ever starts.
Just as with Emergency Planning and Preparedness …
The best time to prepare for an emergency is before one occurs … not during, nor after.
- Did you know that approximately 1.5 million teens have reported being hit, slapped or physically hurt by a dating partner in the past year?
- That is 4,110 per day
- 171 per hour
- And 3 in the last 60 seconds … that you’ve been listening to me talk.
Sadly, this could be your daughter or son.
"Light 'Em Up" is growing rapidly and reaching audiences that we never anticipated.
We want you to know that we are very much indebted to you for choosing to listen to our podcast.
I hope you find this episode informative.
Phil Rizzo
Podcast Creator
Welcome to our 2nd edition of our new podcast entitled: "𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 '𝐄𝐦 𝐔𝐩"
"𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 '𝐄𝐦 𝐔𝐩" is a cool podcast focused on: Physical Security, the Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation, Leadership or the lack thereof.
We've officially been accepted to Spotify, Buzzsprout, I-heart radio and Apple Podcasts.
We hope you enjoy this edition on Stalking Awareness & Prevention as January is National Stalking Awareness Month.
Hey! We welcome your feedback.
And again, we are grateful to you for tuning in.
We are better and stronger together!
The Riz
Phil Rizzo
nobodybeatstheriz
"𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 '𝐄𝐦 𝐔𝐩" is a cool podcast focused on: Physical Security, the Criminal Justice System, Crime Scene Investigation, Leadership or the lack thereof.
This episode is devoted to educating the public on the crime of Sex Trafficking and working together to find way to prevent human and sex trafficking. Knowledge is power!