
The Third Degree
The Triple Murder That Shook Washington and Changed American Criminal Justice
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Christopher T. Carley
About this listen
Part murder mystery, part courtroom drama, and part landmark legal case, The Third Degree is the true story of a young man’s abuse by the Washington police and an arduous seven-year journey through the legal system that drew in Warren G. Harding, William Howard Taft, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John W. Davis, and J. Edgar Hoover. The ordeal culminated in a sweeping Supreme Court ruling penned by Justice Louis Brandeis that set the stage for the Miranda warning many years later. Scott D. Seligman argues that the importance of the case hinges not on the defendant’s guilt or innocence but on the imperative that a system that presumes one is innocent until proven guilty provides protections against coerced confessions.
Today, when the treatment of suspects between arrest and trial remains controversial, when bias against immigrants and minorities in law enforcement continues to deny them their rights, and when protecting individuals from compulsory self-incrimination is still an uphill battle, this century-old legal spellbinder is a cautionary tale that reminds us how we got where we are today and makes us wonder how far we have yet to go.
©2018 Scott D. Seligman (P)2018 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Tong Wars
- The Untold Story of Vice, Money, and Murder in New York's Chinatown
- By: Scott D. Seligman
- Narrated by: David Shih
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nothing had worked. Not threats or negotiations, not shutting down the betting parlors or opium dens, not throwing Chinese offenders into prison. Not even executing them. The New York DA was running out of ideas, and more people were dying every day as the weapons of choice evolved from hatchets to automatic weapons and even bombs. Welcome to New York City's Chinatown in 1925.
-
-
Valuable Imformation! Fascinating History.
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 05-21-18
-
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist
- A True Story of Injustice in the American South
- By: Radley Balko, Tucker Carrington, John Grisham - foreword
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist, Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington write a true story of Southern Gothic horror - of two innocent men wrongly convicted of vicious crimes and the legally condoned failures that allowed it to happen. Balko and Carrington will shine a light on the institutional and professional failures that allowed this tragic, astonishing story to happen, identify where it may have happened elsewhere, and show how to prevent it from happening again.
-
-
Gothic Horror-Show, With A Few Digressions
- By Gillian on 03-01-18
By: Radley Balko, and others
-
Devil in the Grove
- Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
- By: Gilbert King
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arguably the most important American lawyer of the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the US Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and to cost him his life. In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve....
-
-
the fight for civil rights
- By Jean on 01-17-14
By: Gilbert King
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
-
Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
-
The Run of His Life
- The People v. O.J. Simpson
- By: Jeffrey Toobin
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive account of the O. J. Simpson trial, The Run of His Life is a prodigious feat of reporting that could have been written only by the foremost legal journalist of our time. First published less than a year after the infamous verdict, Jeffrey Toobin's nonfiction masterpiece tells the whole story, from the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman to the ruthless gamesmanship behind the scenes of "the trial of the century".
-
-
Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles
- By Cynthia on 05-24-16
By: Jeffrey Toobin
-
Holding the Line
- Inside the Nation's Preeminent US Attorney's Office and Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department
- By: Geoffrey Berman
- Narrated by: Geoffrey Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ascending to the leadership role of US Attorney for the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and several counties to the north, is a capstone to any legal career: it entails guiding a team of the best lawyers in America in selecting and winning cases that often have global import. Geoffrey Berman was honored to be tapped for the job by Donald Trump in 2018. The manner in which Trump had dispatched his predecessor Preet Bharara was troubling, but the institution was fabled for its independence. Surely he could manage.
-
-
Excellent Story of SDNY JD during Trump Years
- By WLC on 09-14-22
By: Geoffrey Berman
-
Tong Wars
- The Untold Story of Vice, Money, and Murder in New York's Chinatown
- By: Scott D. Seligman
- Narrated by: David Shih
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nothing had worked. Not threats or negotiations, not shutting down the betting parlors or opium dens, not throwing Chinese offenders into prison. Not even executing them. The New York DA was running out of ideas, and more people were dying every day as the weapons of choice evolved from hatchets to automatic weapons and even bombs. Welcome to New York City's Chinatown in 1925.
-
-
Valuable Imformation! Fascinating History.
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 05-21-18
-
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist
- A True Story of Injustice in the American South
- By: Radley Balko, Tucker Carrington, John Grisham - foreword
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist, Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington write a true story of Southern Gothic horror - of two innocent men wrongly convicted of vicious crimes and the legally condoned failures that allowed it to happen. Balko and Carrington will shine a light on the institutional and professional failures that allowed this tragic, astonishing story to happen, identify where it may have happened elsewhere, and show how to prevent it from happening again.
-
-
Gothic Horror-Show, With A Few Digressions
- By Gillian on 03-01-18
By: Radley Balko, and others
-
Devil in the Grove
- Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
- By: Gilbert King
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arguably the most important American lawyer of the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the US Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and to cost him his life. In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve....
-
-
the fight for civil rights
- By Jean on 01-17-14
By: Gilbert King
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
-
Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
-
The Run of His Life
- The People v. O.J. Simpson
- By: Jeffrey Toobin
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive account of the O. J. Simpson trial, The Run of His Life is a prodigious feat of reporting that could have been written only by the foremost legal journalist of our time. First published less than a year after the infamous verdict, Jeffrey Toobin's nonfiction masterpiece tells the whole story, from the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman to the ruthless gamesmanship behind the scenes of "the trial of the century".
-
-
Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles
- By Cynthia on 05-24-16
By: Jeffrey Toobin
-
Holding the Line
- Inside the Nation's Preeminent US Attorney's Office and Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department
- By: Geoffrey Berman
- Narrated by: Geoffrey Berman
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ascending to the leadership role of US Attorney for the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and several counties to the north, is a capstone to any legal career: it entails guiding a team of the best lawyers in America in selecting and winning cases that often have global import. Geoffrey Berman was honored to be tapped for the job by Donald Trump in 2018. The manner in which Trump had dispatched his predecessor Preet Bharara was troubling, but the institution was fabled for its independence. Surely he could manage.
-
-
Excellent Story of SDNY JD during Trump Years
- By WLC on 09-14-22
By: Geoffrey Berman
-
The Franklin Scandal
- A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal
- By: Nick Bryant
- Narrated by: Nick Bryant
- Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A chilling exposé of corporate corruption and government cover-ups, this account of a nationwide child-trafficking and pedophilia ring in the United States tells a sordid tale of corruption in high places. The scandal originally surfaced during an investigation into Omaha, Nebraska's failed Franklin Federal Credit Union that went beyond the Midwest, ultimately to Washington, DC.
-
-
Why Do Citizens Trust Govt At All Anymore?!?
- By mary on 12-09-17
By: Nick Bryant
-
Gideon's Trumpet
- How One Man, a Poor Prisoner, Took His Case to the Supreme Court - and Changed the Law of the United States
- By: Anthony Lewis
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A history of the landmark case of Clarence Earl Gideon's fight for the right to legal counsel.
-
-
best book on the subject
- By J.B. Price on 06-12-18
By: Anthony Lewis
-
Devil’s Knot
- The True Story of the West Memphis Three
- By: Mara Leveritt
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Free the West Memphis Three!” - maybe you’ve heard the phrase, but do you know why their story is so alarming? Do you know the facts? The guilty verdicts handed out to three Arkansas teens in a horrific capital murder case were popular in their home state - even upheld on appeal. But after two HBO documentaries called attention to the witch-hunt atmosphere at the trials, artists and other supporters raised concerns about the accompanying lack of evidence.
-
-
Surprisingly disappointing
- By La Becket on 12-05-12
By: Mara Leveritt
-
The Plot to Kill King
- The Truth Behind the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
- By: Dr. William F. Pepper Esq.
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Pepper was James Earl Ray's lawyer in the trial for the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., and even after Ray's conviction and death, Pepper continues to adamantly argue Ray's innocence. This myth-shattering expose is a revised, updated, and heavily expanded volume of Pepper's original best-selling and critically-acclaimed book of the same name, with 26 years of additional research included. The result reveals dramatic new details of the night of the murder, the trial, and why Ray was chosen to take the fall for an evil conspiracy.
-
-
Required listening
- By MJ in LA on 07-20-17
-
American Injustice
- Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System
- By: David S. Rudolf
- Narrated by: David S. Rudolf, Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the past thirty years alone, more than 2,800 innocent American prisoners—their combined sentences surpassing 25,000 years—have been exonerated and freed after being condemned for crimes they did not commit. Terrifyingly, this number represents only a fraction of the actual number of persons wrongfully accused and convicted over the same period.
-
-
Mind boggling
- By lc on 03-11-22
By: David S. Rudolf
-
The Devil's Advocates
- By: Michael S. Lief, H. Mitchell Caldwell
- Narrated by: Gabrielle De Cuir, Stephen Hoye, Stefan Rudnicki, and others
- Length: 21 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Devil's Advocates shows us the crimes and trials that have captivated the public, cases that illuminate the underlying principles of the American criminal-justice system.
-
-
American History Pivot Points
- By Cynthia on 08-28-13
By: Michael S. Lief, and others
-
Illusion of Justice
- Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System
- By: Jerome F. Buting
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not since The Thin Blue Line has there been a true-crime saga as engrossing as Making a Murderer. Captivating audiences across demographic lines, it made Steven Avery a household name and thrust defense attorney Jerome F. Buting - and his fight against America's dysfunctional criminal justice system - into the spotlight. In Illusion of Justice, Buting uses the Avery case as a springboard to examine the shaky integrity of our law enforcement and legal systems, which he has witnessed firsthand for nearly four decades.
-
-
Tells it like it is . . .
- By Regan Williams on 11-26-17
By: Jerome F. Buting
-
Beneath a Ruthless Sun
- A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found
- By: Gilbert King
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In December 1957, the wife of a Florida citrus baron is raped in her home while her husband is away. She claims a "husky Negro" did it, and the sheriff, the infamous racist Willis McCall, does not hesitate to round up a herd of suspects. But within days, McCall turns his sights on Jesse Daniels, a gentle, mentally impaired white 19-year-old. Soon Jesse is railroaded up to the state hospital for the insane and locked away without trial. But crusading journalist Mabel Norris Reese cannot stop fretting over the case and its baffling outcome. Who was protecting whom, or what?
-
-
As In The Beginning, So GoethThe Entire Book
- By Gillian on 04-26-18
By: Gilbert King
-
Emmett Till
- The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement
- By: Devery S. Anderson
- Narrated by: Brandon Church
- Length: 21 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emmett Till offers the first truly comprehensive account of the 1955 murder and its aftermath. It tells the story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago brutally lynched for a harmless flirtation at a country store in the Mississippi Delta. His death and the acquittal of his killers by an all-white jury set off a firestorm of protests that reverberated all over the world and spurred on the civil rights movement.
-
-
An important story narrated with power and warmth
- By R. Nance on 10-04-16
-
Convicting the Innocent
- Death Row and America's Broken System of Justice
- By: Stanley Cohen
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every day, innocent men across America are thrown into prison, betrayed by a faulty justice system, and robbed of their lives - either by decades-long sentences or the death penalty itself. Injustice tarnishes our legal process from start to finish. From the racial discrimination and violence used by backwards law enforcement officers, to a prison culture that breeds inmate conflict, there is opportunity for error at every turn.
-
-
Wow this gives you a different view
- By Gudrun on 08-19-16
By: Stanley Cohen
-
Ghost of the Innocent Man
- A True Story of Trial and Redemption
- By: Benjamin Rachlin
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the final gavel clapped in a rural Southern courtroom in the summer of 1988, Willie J. Grimes, a gentle spirit with no record of violence, was shocked and devastated to be convicted of first-degree rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. Here is the story of this everyman and his extraordinary quarter-century-long journey to freedom, told in breathtaking and sympathetic detail, from the botched evidence and suspect testimony that led to his incarceration to the tireless efforts to prove his innocence and the identity of the true perpetrator.
-
-
Could have been half as long.
- By B Hart on 08-25-17
By: Benjamin Rachlin
-
Charged
- The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration
- By: Emily Bazelon
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charged follows the story of two young people caught up in the criminal justice system: Kevin, a 20-year-old in Brooklyn who picked up his friend’s gun as the cops burst in and was charged with a serious violent felony, and Noura, a teenage girl in Memphis indicted for the murder of her mother. Bazelon tracks both cases - from arrest and charging to trial and sentencing - and with her trademark blend of deeply reported narrative, legal analysis, and investigative journalism illustrates just how criminal prosecutions can go wrong and, more important, why they don’t have to.
-
-
For any fan of wrongful conviction podcasts
- By L. H. Arnold on 05-13-19
By: Emily Bazelon
Critic reviews
"This is a book with real crime-noir appeal and serious implications." (Foreword Reviews)
"A fascinating and easy read that can be consumed in one sitting." (New York Journal of Books)
"A dramatic and insightful read for anybody who cares about human rights and wants to understand the roots of the Miranda warning." (Pennsylvania Literary Journal)