EP 9 - The Quarterback and The Con Artist

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: “The Quarterback and The Con Artist”

Podcast: Jonathan Walton Media
Host: Jonathan Walton
Episode: 9 – "What the Fuck Did You Just Do?"
Date: October 29, 2025

---

Main Theme

This episode delves deep into how former NFL quarterback Eric Kramer, still recovering from a traumatic brain injury and vulnerable due to a court-imposed conservatorship, becomes further victimized by con artist Courtney Baird. It follows the escalation of Courtney’s deception from financial abuse to engineering a false domestic violence charge against Eric, the legal and personal fallout, and the battle to clear his name and regain his autonomy. The episode exposes massive failures in the legal system, especially concerning conservatorship and domestic violence claims, underscoring the dangers of mistaken advocacy and self-serving manipulation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Manipulation of the Conservatorship System

• Courtney Baird influences a mentally incapacitated Eric Kramer, prompting him into marriage and continuing to steal from him—despite the legal protections supposedly afforded by his conservatorship.
  • “She masterfully tricks attorneys and judges into doing her bidding by manipulating a mentally incapacitated Eric Kramer, instructing him on what to think, what to do and what to say.” (Jonathan Walton, 01:45)
• Systemic breakdown: Court-appointed figures adopt the abuser’s narrative.
  • “So basically what the judge is listening to as the primary message is the wishes and the language of the abuser.” (Anna Durgan, 02:11)

2. Eric’s Awakening and Courtney’s Countermove

• As Eric’s mental clarity returns, he realizes the extent of Courtney's manipulation and theft.
  • “Eric suddenly realizes Courtney hustled him into marrying her and that she's stealing from him.” (Jonathan Walton, 03:01)
• Eric’s Calm Ultimatum: He asks Courtney for a divorce, but instead of leaving, she initiates a fabricated domestic violence claim.

3. The False Domestic Violence Accusation

• Courtney calls the police, and Eric is arrested without evidence on her say-so—illustrative of how LA County responds post-O.J. Simpson case.

  • "All any cop … needs is a wife claiming her husband hit her for them to immediately arrest the husband." (Jonathan Walton, 16:10)
  • “You can thank O.J. for this.” (Arresting Officer to Eric Kramer, 16:25)

• Courtney exploits the situation: With Eric in jail and unable to intervene, she steals nearly $20,000 in four days, using his credit cards for personal expenses.

  • “She charged Taylor Swift tickets. She paid for her daughter’s soccer for the whole entire year.” (Anna Durgan, 18:34)
  • “The one and only person that should have gotten arrested that morning got left with my credit card.” (Eric Kramer, 19:02)

4. Further Legal Victimization and Reputation Damage

• The media runs with the arrest story, tarnishing Eric's reputation and undermining his chances of recourse against Courtney.
• Court system continues to fail: Courtney manipulates the courts to secure $20,000 for relocation, while Eric accrues legal costs fighting a fabricated case.
  • “That’s $20,000 of Eric’s money. And Eric has to spend thousands more to hire a lawyer to defend against this bogus domestic violence charge that Courtney invented out of whole cloth.” (Jonathan Walton, 20:28)
• Eric’s own attorney attempts to negotiate a no contest plea—effectively treating him as guilty without proper advocacy.
  • “Here again is another lawyer in the system that does not represent my best interest. That sold me out.” (Eric Kramer, 21:10)

5. Turning Point: Advocacy and Real Legal Defense

• Anna Durgan’s Intervention: Anna is horrified by Eric’s attorney’s capitulation; she demands action and finds top defense attorney Todd Melnick.
  • “The judge goes, Eric, do you understand? Do you agree? Eric was silent... I was cursing, my voice was raised, and I basically said, ‘What the fuck did you just do?’” (Anna Durgan, 23:05)

[25:00] Introduction of Todd Melnick, famous for the “Longshot” defense (using Curb Your Enthusiasm footage to exonerate a murder defendant).

• Todd Melnick’s Approach: Instantly doubts Courtney’s story due to contradictions and investigatory logic.

  • “I started putting things together. Statements that she had made that were inconsistent ... In terms of physical violence...didn’t make sense to me...” (Todd Melnick, 28:19)

• Notable inconsistency: whether Courtney’s daughter was present during the alleged incident.

  • “Courtney initially told sheriff’s deputies...her daughter was asleep upstairs...then days later...her daughter was actually standing right beside her...” (Jonathan Walton, 29:10)

• Dismissal of Charges: Todd Melnick’s work leads to the case being thrown out.

  • “When it came time for trial, there was a motion to dismiss the charges and we all went home happy.” (Todd Melnick, 31:04)
  • But, “There’s no headline with Eric Kramer. Charges dropped. Domestic violence was bogus... The harm is done.” (Jonathan Walton, 31:27)

6. The Fight Against Conservatorship Abuse

• Anna and Eric’s persistence leads to ending the conservatorship in Nov 2018.
  • “I eventually got a letter of capacity.” (Eric Kramer, 32:42)
• They sue the court-appointed conservatorship attorney for malpractice—exposing how in Eric’s case, he failed to speak with detectives or experts, though he did so in another case.
  • “So it appears this court appointed conservatorship attorney was conned by Courtney Baird too. And according to his deposition testimony... Did you find Courtney credible? Answer: Yes.” (Jonathan Walton/Anna Durgan, 36:20-36:38)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s like a con artist game of telephone.”

  • (Jonathan Walton, 02:37)

• “Boy, what a miracle it is for you to be sitting here talking to me as a regular person again.”

  • (Jonathan Walton to Eric Kramer, 06:19)

• “There wasn’t one single bit of domestic violence that went on that morning by anybody. Yet this lying thief...I’m arrested for doing nothing.”

  • (Eric Kramer, 17:39)

• “Her story keeps changing. If I throw something at you from ten feet away, I’m not going to miss.”

  • (Eric Kramer, 29:55)

• “Don’t rely on anyone other than yourselves ... You have to be your own advocate. You have to be your own investigator. You have to be your own detective.”

  • (Anna Durgan, 32:01)

---

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------| | 01:23 | Recap of Courtney’s admitted financial theft | | 03:57 | Eric’s recollection of being mentally incapacitated in court | | 07:07 | Eric’s lucidity emerges; pivotal realization | | 09:42 | Eric’s decision to seek a divorce from Courtney | | 16:10 | Eric is falsely arrested for domestic violence | | 18:34 | Details on Courtney’s theft after Eric’s arrest | | 20:28 | Eric must pay Courtney $20k to move out | | 21:10 | Eric’s attorney negotiates a plea against Eric’s wishes | | 23:05 | Anna confronts Eric’s (ineffective) attorney | | 25:00 | Introduction of Todd Melnick | | 28:19 | Breakdown of holes in Courtney’s allegations | | 31:04 | Case dismissed; damage to Eric’s reputation remains | | 32:01 | Anna’s message about self-advocacy | | 32:42 | End of Eric’s conservatorship | | 36:38 | Court-appointed attorney admits he found Courtney “credible”|

---

Tone & Style

The episode is gripping, direct, and raw—mixing investigative depth with personal testimony and moments of wry, sometimes exasperated humor. Walton’s narration balances outrage at systemic failures with empathy for Eric’s ordeal, and guests like Anna Durgan and Todd Melnick infuse the story with righteous indignation, dogged determination, and clear-eyed analysis.

---

Key Takeaway

Eric Kramer's story is a sobering indictment of how easily legal protections can be manipulated by a determined abuser—and how crucial self-advocacy and persistent allies can be when systems fail. The episode is a clarion call to question surface narratives, scrutinize so-called experts, and never underestimate the power of one’s own voice in the face of injustice.

---

Transcript

[Jonathan Walton]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Rubrik Ad Voice]

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U B R-I K.com this series deals with.

[Jonathan Walton]

Troubling topics including suicide, drug overdosing and dependent adult abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 right now and speak with a counselor for free. Previously on the Quarterback and the Con Artist.

[Anna Durgan]

Courtney wrote a three or four page history of her and Eric's relationship. And in that document she admits to the court appointed attorney that she was stealing money from Eric's account without his permission, without his knowledge, but that they discussed it and that he was okay with it, but that she won't do it again.

[Jonathan Walton]

But despite the legal confines of a conservatorship, Courtney Baird still manages to continue stealing Eric's money in the plain light of day. And she masterfully tricks attorneys and judges into doing her bidding by manipulating a mentally incapacitated Eric Kramer, instructing him on what to think, what to do and what to say.

[Anna Durgan]

So we have a vulnerable person who is parroting the language, the vernacular of his or her abuser. And then the court appointed attorney takes down the language of the vulnerable person and repairs that to the judge. So basically what the judge is listening to as the primary message is the wishes and the language of the abuser.

[Jonathan Walton]

It's like a con artist game of telephone.

[Anna Durgan]

Exactly.

[Jonathan Walton]

But what con artist Courtney Baird isn't planning on is Eric's recovery.

[Anna Durgan]

Almost three years from the time that Eric shot himself. So the brain is starting to rewire itself, starting to heal, starting to do whatever it needed to do in order to understand or get a little bit more comprehension.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric suddenly realizes Courtney hustled him into marrying her and that she's stealing from him. He calmly tells her he wants a divorce and he wants her out of his house. But instead of leaving. 911. What is your emergency? Courtney Baird starts a whole new Con.

[Anna Durgan]

Former NFL quarterback Eric Kramer is in jail tonight, arrested at his Los Angeles area home on domestic violence charges.

[Jonathan Walton]

I'm Jonathan Walton, and this is the quarterback and the con artist. Episode 9 what the Fuck did you just do?

[Eric Kramer]

Do you swear that the evidence you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So he'll be. God, yes. I couldn't have been standing more than five feet from him. I don't remember him being there. I don't remember a word he said. Ana had to show me the transcripts to show me he was there and talked. She had to show me that I spoke.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric Kramer is recalling one of the many conservatorship related court appearances he had to endure while he was mentally incapacitated. He didn't recognize Detective Dave Lynnscheidt in court on this particular day, even though Lynnschit had interviewed Eric for several hours just two months earlier.

[Eric Kramer]

I don't remember him being there.

[Jonathan Walton]

It sounds like you were a zombie.

[Eric Kramer]

Correct. That's a great descriptive term.

[Jonathan Walton]

Like the walking dead.

[Eric Kramer]

Pretty much.

[Jonathan Walton]

But worse than just being a zombie. Eric was actually a married zombie, unduly influenced into sharing his life and his home and his money with a con artist.

[Eric Kramer]

We're living under the same roof, but we are literally throughout the day and evening, having little to no contact.

[Jonathan Walton]

Even though Eric Kramer was mentally incapacitated when Courtney Baird coerced him into marrying her in late December of 2016. Looking back now in his right mind, he remembers a lot of strange and unusual things. And while he couldn't make any sense of them at the time, he can now. And Eric realizes living with Courtney Baird as his quote unquote wife was bizarre. And it really wasn't a marriage at all. They were like two ships passing in the night, barely ever saying a word to one another, because Eric was mentally incapacitated. And as long as Courtney could keep taking his money, she thought it was better to just stay quiet than to say something that might jeopardize her cushy yet tenuous situation.

[Eric Kramer]

I can't remember one conversation.

[Jonathan Walton]

Meanwhile, she's just spending your money.

[Eric Kramer]

Sorry, Stealing my money?

[Rubrik Ad Voice]

Yes.

[Jonathan Walton]

Boy, what a miracle it is for you to be sitting here talking to me as a regular person again.

[Eric Kramer]

Just a miracle it is. As the days go by and more things in my life I get, I dive into and take part in every now and then. Like right now. Only because you brought this up. I'll have to go. Wait a minute. I'm not even supposed to be here.

[Jonathan Walton]

Yeah. I mean, you're here against all odds, literally.

[Eric Kramer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jonathan Walton]

What did it feel like when you started coming to? You started remembering? Where were you? What were you doing? How did it happen? What was the feeling?

[Eric Kramer]

I have no idea. I don't remember when I started remembering. I don't have a clue when that day happened.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric's brain capacity doesn't return all at once. It creeps back ever so slowly in dribs and drabs over the course of years. It's a series of tiny moments of realization interspersed by days and sometimes weeks. And each morsel of lucidity on its own doesn't really mean anything. But as they compound over time, Eric suddenly begins to see the big picture. One of those seminal moments happens in May of 2018, right before Eric is set to take a trip to Illinois for a Chicago Bears alumni golf event. Remember, Eric was the quarterback for the Chicago Bears from 1994 to 1998. And just before that trip, Courtney convinces Eric that he needs to buy a new house for them to live in. Keep in mind, there was nothing wrong with the house Eric was living in at the time. Courtney just wanted some real estate with her name on it. So she induced Eric to get a Realtor and make an offer on a new $1.5 million home.

[Eric Kramer]

Eventually, the owners and I came to an agreement on what was not only the price, but the terms.

[Jonathan Walton]

And.

[Eric Kramer]

Eventually, after agreeing to that, the home was not going through, the purchase was not happening, and I didn't know why. And then it occurred to me, I'm conserved. I'm conserved because of Courtney. So this all happened about a week before I left. That's when this kind of feeling came over me that, hey, wait a minute. You're stealing from me. So I didn't. During that week, even though we lived in the same house, her daughter was there, her dog was there, her rabbit was there. We didn't have any communication, like, not even hi. And I knew internally that you're stealing from me. And I left thinking that I'm coming back to get a divorce.

[Jonathan Walton]

So Eric flies off to Chicago for four days to play golf with his former Bears teammates. And when he gets back to la, things take a crazy and unexpected turn.

[Eric Kramer]

I got out of the cab from the airport the night before at about 11:30 at night, Courtney and her daughter were asleep every night, never in my room, meaning Courtney, by nine. 9:30, mind you, while I'm gone, we don't have a phone call, nothing. So I get home, and she springs off of the Couch and says, how was Chicago? I said, fine. And now she's walking toward me. She says, well, how was your trip? Fine. Is everything okay? Everything's fine. I'm just getting a divorce.

[Jonathan Walton]

That's how you sprung it? Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just getting a divorce.

[Eric Kramer]

I left my luggage there. I walked straight up to bed and went to sleep. And I shut the door. And sometime after I was asleep, she opens the door and says, oh, I guess you don't want me sleeping in here. Now, mind you, in all the time she lived there, she didn't sleep in that bed. Not one time. So I said, no, I guess I don't. So she shut the door and went downstairs. Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Anna Durgan]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[Eric Kramer]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you. Teach me. So, Dana.

[Anna Durgan]

Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate camera system.

[Eric Kramer]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T mobile is the best place to.

[Jonathan Walton]

Get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Todd Melnick]

Nice.

[Anna Durgan]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Jonathan Walton]

T mobile is the best place to get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[Eric Kramer]

So what are we having for launch?

[Anna Durgan]

Dude, my work here is done.

[Todd Melnick]

The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 device connection charge credits ended balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs 1,090 a new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based.

[Jonathan Walton]

On analysis by Oaklove Speed Test Intelligence.

[Todd Melnick]

Data 1H 2025 visit t mobile.com.

[Eric Kramer]

So I get up in the morning and now it's probably 6 o' clock in the morning and I don't even acknowledge her. She's on the couch. I'm not even sure she slept. And I go about making coffee and back then I got the actual newspaper and made some oatmeal or something and went out in the backyard like at that table to eat. And there was a sliding glass door that you had to go in and out of. And there was like one of those brown long wooden dowel sticks that was the lock for the door. She eventually comes out, she sits down and she says, I'd like to talk about this. And I said, talk about what? And she Says, you getting a divorce? I go, what's there to talk about? She goes, well, where? Where am I going to go? And I said, well, you should have thought of that before you started stealing from me. She says, I didn't steal from you. And she stands up, and she walks a few steps, and I get up, and I literally walk towards her, saying, and I touch her shoulder, and I said, why don't you just go back inside? So she kind of shrugs her shoulder as though I'm touching her.

[Jonathan Walton]

Like, don't touch me.

[Eric Kramer]

Yeah. And then she walks inside, and then she shuts the sliding glass door, and she drops that dowel stick in there. So now I'm locked out. I'm thinking, all right, how am I now going to get in the house? Well, I said, I'll figure that out later. So I went back to reading the paper.

[Jonathan Walton]

At some point, while reading the paper, Eric hears that dao stick being lifted from the track of the sliding glass door. So he gets up and goes back inside.

[Eric Kramer]

She's upstairs now. And as a little confirmation to myself, I realize, you know, there's some pictures in here that she's in, and I'm gonna go scoop them up and stack them up, and eventually I'll figure out what to do with them. So I did that, and there's about six or seven of them, and I put them in that entryway somewhere. And I go back. Now I'm at the kitchen table still reading the paper. So she comes downstairs, and she sees these stack of pictures, and she starts putting them back up again. There's no words exchanged. I get up, and I start taking those same pictures and throwing them out the front door. At some point, she says, I'm calling the police. Go right ahead. So eventually she does. And I swear, within five or ten minutes, eight cop cars come swarming up my street. And I'm standing in the front doorway with the door open. You know, there's two guys that come walking up, two cops. And one of them says something to the effect of, hey, it looks like we've had a rough morning here. And I said, yeah. Eventually, one of them says, did you put your hands on your wife? And I'm thinking back to the time I was in the backyard when I put my hand on her shoulder, and I said, yes. And he said, okay, put your hands behind your back and come with me.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric Kramer never hit Courtney Baird that day. But in Los Angeles county, all any cop or sheriff's deputy needs is a wife claiming her husband hit her. For them to Immediately arrest the husband.

[Eric Kramer]

Now I'm walking from the front porch to the cop car, handcuffed, and by the guy who handcuffed me says, you can thank O.J.

[Jonathan Walton]

For this. Retired NFL running back O.J. simpson was charged with the brutal murder of his ex wife back in 1994.

[Eric Kramer]

The body of 34 year old Nicole Brown Simpson, ex wife of O.J. simpson, was found after midnight on the sidewalk outside her West Los Angeles home.

[Jonathan Walton]

And it later came out in the press that she had called police many times over the years to report that O.J. was beating her and posed a grave threat to her life. And they didn't really do much about it. And ever since the gruesome murder of Nicole Brown Simpson that day back in 1994, Los Angeles authorities take claims of domestic violence very seriously. They don't need to see blood or bumps or bruises. They don't require any evidence of an assault at all. If A woman in LA county calls 911 saying her husband hit her, cops show up and arrest the husband, whether there is evidence of an assault or not.

[Eric Kramer]

There wasn't one single bit of domestic violence that went on that morning by anybody. Yet this lying thief had been stealing from me for years and I'm arrested for doing nothing.

[Jonathan Walton]

It's such a perverse system. And it's how and why Eric Kramer winds up in a jail cell that morning back June of 2018. And the diabolical clincher is deputies don't allow Eric to grab his wallet before they cart him off to the station. And while he's in jail, Courtney snatches his wallet from his nightstand and steals nearly $20,000 over the course of just four days.

[Anna Durgan]

She charged Taylor Swift tickets. She paid for her daughter's soccer for the whole entire year.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric's childhood friend, Anna Durgan.

[Anna Durgan]

She paid for storage fees, her insurance, her health insurance for her and her daughter.

[Jonathan Walton]

Courtney also used her own PayPal account to charge $10,000 to Eric's credit card.

[Eric Kramer]

There were 10 different PayPal transactions, all for $1,000 to Courtney. Baird C. Baird C. Baird C. See Baird. See Baird. So the, the one and only person that should have gotten rested that morning got left with my credit card.

[Jonathan Walton]

And.

[Anna Durgan]

They didn't even do a check on her. If they would have done a check on her, any one of those sheriffs, they would have seen that there was still an open investigation for her theft.

[Jonathan Walton]

So Eric gets charged for domestic violence, and news outlets from TMZ to CBS run stories about it, tarnishing Eric's image in the court of public opinion. And now the chances that con artist Courtney Baird will ever be criminally charged for what she's done to Eric seem infinitesimal. Eric spends the following two and a half months, months in a nearby hotel because he's not allowed back home. Courtney tells the judge that she fears for her life. And that's what gets reported in the press. And everyone, including lawyers and judges and the court system in general, gets fooled by her.

[Anna Durgan]

And she was able to convince the family law judge to give her $20,000 dollars to move out.

[Jonathan Walton]

That's $20,000 of Eric's money. And Eric has to spend thousands more to hire a lawyer to defend against this bogus domestic violence charge that Courtney invented out of whole cloth. And as adamant as Eric is that he did nothing wrong, his lawyer doesn't appear to believe him. He appears to believe the statements Courtney made in the incident report from that day. And he actually starts negotiating a no contest plea with the judge in that case on Eric's behalf. Keep in mind, a no contest plea in a criminal case is a tacit admission of guilt.

[Eric Kramer]

My attorney asked, unsolicited by me to talk to the judge in his chambers with the district attorney in that meeting. He told the judge and the district attorney that I was guilty, but because it was my first time offense. Would the judge agree that with domestic violence counseling and psychological counseling, could the judge appoint that as a diversion program? So here again is another lawyer in the system that does not represent my best interest. That sold me out. And sold me out 20 minutes after I told him the last time of probably 10, that there's going to be no such deal. And yet he did it anyway.

[Rubrik Ad Voice]

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U B R I K.com at this point.

[Jonathan Walton]

Eric is still not 100% back yet. Mentally, he's regaining his faculties, but he's still somewhat easily influenced. Thank God Anna Durgan is sitting in court that day watching this all go down with a look of abject horror on her face.

[Anna Durgan]

I'm in shock. I'm like, what the am I just hearing? That is not what we just discussed 20 minutes ago. The judge goes, eric, do you understand? Do you agree? Eric was silent. He didn't say anything. All of a sudden, you see Eric's attorney lean his head over and whisper something in his ear. And then Eric slowly and took a few beats and said reluctantly, yes. And I'm livid at this point because I know what that means. I knew Eric didn't know what that means. The attorney comes out and I lay in on him. I literally lay in on him. I was cursing, my voice was raised, and I basically said, what the did you just do? I go, this is going to be in the media, and he's going to be viewed as a domestic violence abuser. When he didn't do it, where did you go to law school? I just avoided it from any legal ramifications. This and that.

[Eric Kramer]

La la la.

[Anna Durgan]

And the public's not going to know about it because it's all confidential. I'm not kidding you. This is, you know, what he's saying. This was on April 15, 2019, that all this went down. On April 20, 2019, our beloved TMZ, Eric Kramer avoids jail time in domestic violence case.

[Jonathan Walton]

But it was after that initial hearing on April 15 that Anna Durgan jumps into action.

[Anna Durgan]

Immediately that day had Eric write an email to that attorney and tell him, you want to rescind whatever you agree to and get the file. Get your file. At that point, I had to find him another attorney.

[Jonathan Walton]

And the attorney Anna Durgan finds is none other than Todd Melnick, arguably one of the greatest criminal defense attorneys working today. If you saw that Netflix documentary Longshot, then you know who Todd Melnick is.

[Eric Kramer]

People saying, my God, that's such an incredible story.

[Jonathan Walton]

And the guy got.

[Eric Kramer]

I thought, what is going on here? I was in Florida in my.

[Jonathan Walton]

If you haven't seen Longshot on Netflix, I highly recommend checking it out. Basically, an innocent Los Angeles man is charged with murder based on erroneous eyewitness testimony. Todd Melnick is hired as this guy's attorney and secures footage of his client in the stands at a Dodger game the night of the murder.

[Eric Kramer]

Was.

[Jonathan Walton]

That footage came from Larry freaking David, who happened to be shooting an episode of HBO's Curb youb Enthusiasm that night at Dodger Stadium. And Todd Melnick used that footage to get his client off.

[Todd Melnick]

The judge dismissed the case, and everybody in the gallery started clapping and cheering. It was just a great. That's a great move.

[Jonathan Walton]

So I'm actually setting up in Todd Melnick's office right now in awe of his reputation and legal acumen. I overhear him as he's finishing up a phone call with another client. After having made a huge break in that case, too. I swear, this man does not rest.

[Todd Melnick]

Seriously. Like, the most pressure a criminal defense attorney can deal with is knowing that your client is innocent and it rests on you to be able to exonerate them. And whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony or even a murder case, it's the stress and the pressure is always there.

[Jonathan Walton]

But you are like a miracle worker. The Netflix talk you're talking about long shot, where you found him in the ballpark with four footage from Larry David. Like, how do you think of these things? Talk about outside the box thinking.

[Todd Melnick]

Yes, it is outside the box thinking.

[Jonathan Walton]

Does it come to you while you're taking a shower? Like, where does this happen in your brain?

[Todd Melnick]

Sometimes it can happen. I get, like, these epiphanies to look somewhere or to do something.

[Anna Durgan]

And it.

[Todd Melnick]

Doesn'T necessarily have to be with a case. Sometimes I'm trying to solve an issue for something else, and it just. The idea pops into my head, you know, when I give it some thought.

[Jonathan Walton]

There is simply no one on earth better suited or more qualified than Todd Melnick to prove to the court that Courtney Baird is lying and that Eric Kramer did not assault her that June morning back in 2018.

[Todd Melnick]

Took us a while to get all the wrongs righted in this case for Eric.

[Jonathan Walton]

What when this case came to you, from what I hear from Ana and Eric, you believed him. You looked at everything and you said, I can see what's really going on here. Like, how did you suss that out when others don't seem to have that ability with this woman?

[Todd Melnick]

Well, I started putting things together. Statements that she had made that were inconsistent. The story, you know, I think he came back. He was coming back from Chicago that particular day after a golf outing, and it didn't make sense that they got into that kind of a fight at the time. You know, he was outside having coffee, and she comes out and claims that she got pushed into the barbecue, and that's it. In terms of physical violence or where he actually put hands on her, which didn't make sense to me. From where the chairs were to where the barbecue was and her statements about that Eric was throwing things at her and her daughter when she made some prior statements that the daughter wasn't there at the time.

[Jonathan Walton]

This one's a biggie. Courtney initially told sheriff's deputies on scene that morning that her daughter was asleep upstairs while Eric threw things at her and missed. And then days later, in a family law court filing, she said her daughter was actually standing right beside her while Eric threw things at them both and missed. Each one of these statements is a lie and they contradict one another. Also, if you think about it, Eric Kramer is a celebrated NFL quarterback.

[Eric Kramer]

Drive. Eric Kramer back looking, finds Willie Green.

[Jonathan Walton]

Touchdown 32 yards out. Who got paid millions of dollars to accurately throw passes across entire football fields.

[Eric Kramer]

If you're standing 10ft from me and I throw something at you, what are the chances of me not hitting you?

[Jonathan Walton]

Zero. Are the chances? Absolutely zero. And yet, even with these kinds of blatant inconsistencies and contradictions and quotes Courtney's story. The Los Angeles District Attorney's office continues prosecuting Eric Kramer for domestic violence. They just refuse to drop the charges. They're probably hoping Eric will acquiesce and take a plea deal. But with Todd Melnick on the case, that's never going to happen. He knows in his bones Eric Kramer is innocent, and he knows he can prove it by to a jury.

[Todd Melnick]

Well, we were pushing the case to trial, and I knew that her lawyer was never going to let her testify. She didn't want her to perjure herself and make things worse for herself because.

[Jonathan Walton]

She was caught lying, saying the daughter was with her when the things were being thrown at her. And then in earlier, she said, no, she was alone.

[Todd Melnick]

She was clearly going to be impeached by statements that she had made. Eric was obviously going to testify. At that point, the prosecution did not want to go through with the trial. They were going to be unable to prove the case. And so when it came time for trial, there was a motion to dismiss the charges and we all went home happy.

[Jonathan Walton]

Yeah, but then the, the crappy thing is that's not in the news. No, you know, that's the part. There's no headline with Eric Kramer. Charges dropped. Domestic violence was bogus. Like, no. Yeah, that doesn't goes away with a whisper.

[Todd Melnick]

You don't get clicks for that.

[Jonathan Walton]

Yeah, the harm is done. You know, she worked the system again. And to think Eric's previous attorney wanted him to plead no contest in this bogus case that con artist Courtney Baird invented.

[Anna Durgan]

I hope during this podcast we are educating people.

[Jonathan Walton]

Anna Durgan.

[Anna Durgan]

Don't rely on anyone other than yourselves. If you believe you have been unjustly crucified or stolen from whatever the case may be. You have to be your own advocate. You have to be your own investigator. You have to be your own detective.

[Jonathan Walton]

And remember the conservatorship that Eric was under from January of 2017. Anna and Eric fight like Hell, to get him out of it and to free him from a system that appeared to always be ignoring con artist Courtney Baird's actions and not listening to Eric's family and friends. How did you get out from under this conservatorship? How did you get out of it?

[Eric Kramer]

I eventually got a letter of capacity.

[Jonathan Walton]

The conservatorship of Eric Kramer is officially over in November of 2018. But the other legal fights that had sworn sprung up because of con artist Courtney Baird were many. With help from his childhood friend, Anna Durgan, Eric sues that court appointed conservatorship attorney for malpractice.

[Anna Durgan]

I personally serve court appointed counsel.

[Jonathan Walton]

Like you walked up, you've been served. What was his reaction?

[Anna Durgan]

I think he was more angry that his receptionist didn't tell him who was here and what they were here for.

[Eric Kramer]

Ah.

[Anna Durgan]

Because that way you can avoid service.

[Eric Kramer]

Right.

[Jonathan Walton]

And all the evidence that Ana uncovers is stunning. It appears to depict inconsistencies in that court appointed conservatorship attorney's representation of Eric Kramer compared to another case. For starters, while he was appointed to represent Eric and Eric's best interests, this attorney never contacted Detective Lingscheid about the criminal investigation in into Courtney Baird's theft or the scam marriage Courtney tricked him into. And he never talked to the neurologist who found Eric to be mentally incapacitated. And this court appointed conservatorship attorney actually made the case to the court that Eric was of sound mind and should not be conserved at all. And that could have given his new wife Courtney access to the millions of dollars Eric had locked away in a trust. According to this court appointed conservatorship attorney's deposition testimony that Ana is reading from now, he said it was not his job to call any of those people.

[Anna Durgan]

It's not my job to call the detective. The conservator has the job of looking into the elder abuse and looking into the financial abuse and that sort of thing. It's not my job.

[Jonathan Walton]

And yet in another conservatorship case that Ana digs up, this same court appointed conservatorship attorney made it his job to call everyone and their mother. Literally.

[Anna Durgan]

So in the matter of Theresa, an 82 year old woman who her family and friends were saying was suffering from dementia and had this apartment complex on PCH worth 20 some odd million dollars, was basically letting people live there free, was giving away money, was previously swindled by someone for $200,000.

[Jonathan Walton]

During her investigation, Ana finds out that the same court appointed conservatorship attorney in Eric's case was also the conservatorship attorney in this previous case. And he completely contradicts the statement he made in the Eric Kramer case that it wasn't his job to call the detective or call the doctor. Because in this other case, he made it his job to call everyone.

[Anna Durgan]

The court appointed attorney interviewed 12 plus.

[Jonathan Walton]

Oh my God.

[Anna Durgan]

Including Teresa, including her family members, including her doctors, including the detective, including the bankers, including her estate planning attorney, friends, tenants, God.

[Jonathan Walton]

So it's a night and day procedure on Eric's case.

[Anna Durgan]

He only interviewed Eric and Courtney. He was given the sheriff linkscheid's phone number. He was given my phone number. He was given Raymond James phone number.

[Jonathan Walton]

He didn't talk to anyone.

[Anna Durgan]

Nobody.

[Jonathan Walton]

Why though?

[Anna Durgan]

Because he met with Courtney.

[Jonathan Walton]

So Courtney just snowed him in like, like convinced him she's that good. So it appears this court appointed conservatorship attorney was conned by Courtney Baird too. And according to his deposition testimony, Anna is reading from.

[Anna Durgan]

Did you find Courtney credible? Answer yes, you found her to be credible. I mean, a lot of that is at a gut feel feeling. But there's nothing that stuck out to you like okay, this is a little fishy or this seems odd or nothing like that? No, she seemed totally credible.

[Jonathan Walton]

Oh my God. This conservatorship attorney doesn't know it yet, but he's about to rue the day he ever laid eyes on con artist Courtney Baird.

[Anna Durgan]

And then there was a whole fight for five months over confidentiality.

[Eric Kramer]

Right?

[Jonathan Walton]

He didn't want you to tell anyone.

[Anna Durgan]

Didn't want to tell anybody.

[Jonathan Walton]

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 right now and speak with a counselor for free. Look, there is some crazy stuff about to go down in the the next episode and you're going to want to leave us a five star review. But why wait? Just do it now and get it over with. And then tap that share button and text this entire series to your cousin Michelle. She needs to hear this. And text it to anyone else you think needs to hear it too. The Quarterback and the Con artist is produced, written and hosted by me, Jonathan Walton for Jonathan Walton Media Executive Producer Eric Kramer and Anna Durgan. Audio engineering by Justin Longer Bean editing and sound design by Hansdale Shee. Legal Counsel provided by Ken Sterling from Sterling Media Law. We've got a lot of incredible stories in the works at Jonathan Walton Media, so make sure you subscribe and keep an ear out.

[Rubrik Ad Voice]

AI agents are everywhere. Automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI [e-mail] that's R U B R-I K.com marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience and their favorite podcasts with Libsyn Ads, go to libsynads. Com. That's L I B S Y N Ads. Com. Today.