Sep 13 2025

Selects: What's the deal with subpoenas?

Selects 52 min 4 movies discussed
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Subpoenas are all the rage. But what do they even mean if someone can just ignore it? Learn this and a lot more in this classic episode.

AI Summary

# Summary

In this episode, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the world of subpoenas—those scary legal documents that most people hope they never encounter. They explore the two main types of subpoenas (one that demands your testimony and one that demands documents or evidence), explain how they actually work in both the court system and Congress, and unpack some pretty eye-opening history about what happens when powerful people just decide to ignore them. The guys also break down major Supreme Court cases that shaped executive privilege and the ongoing tension between the three branches of government, showing that congressional oversight might be more toothless than you'd think.


Movies Discussed

Beaches
Beaches
1988 PG-13 2h 3m
★ 6.7
"I think I'm thinking of Beaches. Oh. Okay. Well, that means I get to be Bet Middler. — Chuck corrects himself that he was thinking of Beaches rather than Legal Eagles, allowing him to play Bette Midler." — Chuck
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
1983
"It's like that videotape of the guy who got the high score in Donkey Kong. — Josh makes a comparison to the Donkey Kong high score videotape when discussing edited tapes." — Josh
Law & Order
Law & Order
1990
★ 7.3
"you think like law and order, maybe visions of Central Park run through your head — Josh mentions Law & Order as the typical reference people have when thinking about subpoenas in courtroom settings." — Josh
Legal Eagles
Legal Eagles
1986 PG 1h 56m
★ 6.1
"the legal eagles of podcasting. Ooh, can I be Darrell Hanna? — The hosts reference the movie Legal Eagles in a playful role-playing scenario about who would play whom."

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