By Julia Cardi

December’s episode of HearSay focuses on oral histories of judges within the six states of the 10th Circuit, done by a nonprofit Historical Society associated with the court. 

I learned about these oral histories while reporting on the career of Judge Richard Matsch, probably best known for presiding over the Oklahoma City bombing trials, who died in May. He did a series of interviews the previous fall about his career and life. The idea of oral histories fascinates me because judges tend to avoid talking publicly about their cases and judicial philosophies, and some are pretty private people in general. None more so than Matsch, who took his role as a nonpolitical arbiter and as a steward of due process so seriously that he avoided socializing with the legal community, even other judges. 

We were excited about the chance to do a story on the 10th Circuit Historical Society’s oral histories because of the rare peek they provide into judges’ lives and philosophies.

Listen to Oral Histories From the 10th Circuit Now!

Coming in January, we plan to officially launch HearSay’s Patreon page. Patreon is a platform for listeners to support podcasts by purchasing bonus content. The launch has been a few months in the works, and we’re excited to take this step to help expand the reach of HearSay.

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