Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: ZONE 7: Procedural Chaos: Inside the Mangione Hearing That’s Putting Police Training on Trial
Date: December 7, 2025
Guest Experts: Joshua Schiffer & Cheryl (Legal Expert/Co-host)

Episode Overview

In this episode, legal experts Joshua Schiffer and Cheryl dissect the ongoing Mangione hearing—a case putting established police training and procedures under intense scrutiny following a high-stakes manhunt and assassination. The hosts passionately debate police practice, the ease of obtaining warrants, evidentiary pitfalls, and the ripple effects procedural errors have on high-profile cases. The episode reflects on systemic issues in law enforcement, judicial expectations, and how such procedural missteps might compromise the integrity of even the most solid-seeming cases.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Centrality of Warrants to Law Enforcement Procedure

[02:31 – 06:17]

• Joshua Schiffer: Stresses repeatedly that officers should obtain warrants 99.9% of the time before searches (“If you are searching a person, their home, their business or their vehicle, we’ve made it easy. We made it easy.” [02:45])
• Cheryl: Describes how legal developments over the past 50 years have dramatically lowered the barrier for officers to get warrants—now often handled electronically or via video.
• Notable Quote:
  • “There is no downside, save exigent circumstances, to getting a warrant. Warrants are there as the mandatory bright line safety rule check…” – Cheryl [03:47]
• Both experts describe how the modern system allows for near-instant access to a judge, eliminating the previous logistical hassle.

2. Mangione Hearing: What Went Wrong?

[04:58 – 09:12]

• Cheryl outlines how a critical procedural error—the failure to get a warrant for a suspect’s backpack—has put a mountain of potential evidence at risk.
• The pair express incredulity that, despite the high-profile nature of the case, protocols were skirted.
• Notable Quote:
  • “How in the world do five officers show up…there’s not a warrant for that backpack?” – Joshua Schiffer [05:55]
• Political, class, and social movement undertones in the case are flagged as looming factors not yet fully examined.

3. Testimony, Coaching, and “Lying by Omission”

[06:23 – 09:52]

• Cheryl suspects the officer’s testimony has been carefully coached to fit legal thresholds, highlighting the “needle-threading” that often occurs in contested hearings.
• Analysis centers on how, if officers don’t strictly adhere to rules, evidence risks suppression, and each misstep creates potential grounds for appeal.
• Notable Moment: The room’s reaction to an officer’s admission mid-testimony—“basically stopped all the criminal practitioners in the room. And everybody that knows criminal law stopped and looked at each other and were like, did he just say that?” – Cheryl [09:52]

4. Judicial Perception & Public Narratives

[11:40 – 12:51]

• Cheryl raises concerns about the impact of pretrial publicity, overzealous prosecution press releases, and how they erode “fundamental fairness.” Judges, she asserts, genuinely consider what it would mean if they, personally, were in the defendant’s position.
• Notable Quote:
  • “It makes it very hard to have integrity in your judicial system…that fundamental unfairness of a narrative being created by law enforcement before there’s any investigation.” – Cheryl [11:56]

5. The Stakes of Suppressed Evidence & Death Penalty Cases

[12:51 – 14:29]

• The experts agree that while some evidence might be suppressed, there is still video evidence making the state’s case viable.
• Still, they lament that the suppression of critical evidence (e.g., a manifesto, gun, fake ID) weakens both the prosecution’s narrative and the possibility for the death penalty.
• Notable Quote:
  • “If the death penalty portion of this case gets substantially weaker, that causes big problems.” – Cheryl [13:42]

6. The Importance of Strict Rule Adherence

[15:00 – 15:53]

• Joshua and Cheryl discuss how errors, even if labeled “harmless” by the appellate courts, degrade legal discourse and trust in the system.
• Notable Quote:
  • “If the rules don’t apply here, when do they really apply?” – Cheryl [15:25]

Important Moments and Timestamps

• Warrants are easy now: “Gone are the days you had to go search for somebody at a bar or restaurant. It’s all video. It’s all electronic.” – Joshua Schiffer [04:23]
• On coached testimony: “It appears that his testimony has been thoroughly coached in a specific way.” – Cheryl [08:49]
• The defense's delight at a police error: “Imagine being the defense lawyer and getting the potential murder weapon suppressed because of a bad stop.” – Cheryl [23:27]
• Cheryl’s analogy for skipping legal procedures: “It’s like making a grilled cheese sandwich, and you’re like, well, we’re gonna do this, but we don’t need cheese.” [30:42]

Takedown of the Brian Walsh Case

[23:56 – 28:57]

• Brief discussion of the unrelated Brian Walsh murder case, included for comparison.
• Cheryl mocks the defense’s opening and highlights the overwhelming digital evidence against Walsh, hammering home the importance of digital forensics in today’s cases.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “A lie is as good as a confession. But once I lock you in…and you start changing it even slightly. Now we’re getting somewhere.” – Joshua Schiffer [26:28]
  • “His search history could not be more inculpatory. It’s literally, can you identify a body when you break the teeth in? What’s the best saw to cut up a body…” – Cheryl [28:28]

Closing Strong: Training and Frustration

[28:57 – 31:00]

• Both experts express deep frustration at procedural failures, reiterating the simplicity and legal necessity of regular warrant use.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “So to me, the training should be, you get a warrant every time. Get a warrant.” – Joshua Schiffer [29:40]
  • “It’s that easy, y’all. It ain’t hard.” – Cheryl [29:46]

Tone, Style, and Final Thoughts

• The tone throughout is candid, informal, and occasionally wry—suitable for listeners wanting both education and unfiltered opinion.
• Cheryl and Joshua’s rapport brings humor and accessibility to legal minutiae.
• The episode closes with mutual appreciation between the hosts and practical advice on loving yourself and others, while expressing ongoing bafflement at some officers’ mistakes.

Summary Table of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | Speaker | Memorable Quote/Point | |------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:31–06:17| Police Procedures & Warrants | Joshua & Cheryl | “99.9% of the time you need a warrant.” | | 04:58–09:12| Mangione Case Hearing | Cheryl | “Not a warrant for that backpack?” | | 09:52–11:40| Testimony & Training Shortcomings | Cheryl | “Did he just say that?” | | 11:40–12:51| Narrative & Judicial Fairness | Cheryl | “It makes it very hard to have integrity in your judicial system…” | | 12:51–14:29| Stakes of Suppressed Evidence | Joshua & Cheryl | “If the death penalty portion...gets weaker, that causes big problems.” | | 23:56–28:57| Brian Walsh Case Analysis | Cheryl | “His search history could not be more inculpatory…” | | 29:40–30:54| Frustration & Systemic Lessons | Joshua & Cheryl | “It’s that easy, y’all. It ain’t hard.” |

For listeners new and seasoned, the episode pulls no punches: procedure isn’t just paperwork—it’s the backbone of justice. And for every officer listening, the message echoes: Get. A. Warrant.