That's a wrap on 2025! recap with The Voice of Reason

Well, we are at the end of another year of One Minute Remaining. As we say goodbye to 2025, I thought it was a good opportunity to sit down with the man they call The Voice of Reason, Michael Leonard, to reflect on some of the wildest cases of the past year.I have selected four cases that I feel had the biggest impact on you, the Jury. Michael and I take another look at the key issues in each case, the unanswered questions, and what they reveal about the justice system itself.If a case is not mentioned, it does not mean I do not have major concerns about it or feel for the person at the centre of it. I am grateful for each and every person who has been willing to share their story with me, and we will, as always, make sure we stay in contact with them and keep you updated on their individual situations.Thank you to each and every one of you for another year of amazing support. The show received more than 2.5 million downloads in 2025, which has truly blown me away. Thank you, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you next year.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year I teamed up with arguably the world’s biggest true crime podcast, Casefile, to bring you the story of an incarcerated man I met some time ago who was suing Sean “Diddy” Combs for 100 million dollars.Across this seven-episode series we go on a wild ride through allegations of assault, corruption, and murder for hire which, Derek claimed, all led to his wrongful conviction. Strap yourselves in, because just when you think you’ve heard it all, this story takes you somewhere else entirely.If you enjoy this episode, you can hear the full season now by searching Suing Diddy wherever you get your podcasts.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For the past three years, Jack Laurence has gone behind the bars of America’s toughest prisons, hearing the stories of robbery, arson, murder, and everything in between. He thought he’d heard it all… until he met one prisoner with a story unlike any other.A man who wasn’t just fighting for his freedom, but was on the verge of becoming one of the richest prisoners in the world, by suing Sean “P. Diddy” Combs for $100 million.But that was only the beginning. What Jack uncovered was a rabbit hole of alleged assault, corruption, cover-ups, and murder. A story so unbelievable it made headlines around the globe and left him questioning everything he thought he knew.If you think you’ve heard it all before when it comes to crime stories… you haven’t heard anything like this.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well it's that time again!The Facebook group of legendery jurors have been busy coming up with a stack of great questions for me to answer so in this episode I take on all of them! We chat everything from how I choose the show music, what I think of the death penalty and which show is my least favourite to make!! It's a good one.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well it's that time again! The Facebook group of legendery jurors have been busy coming up with a stack of great questions for me to answer so in this episode I take on all of them! We chat everything from how I choose the show music, what I think of the death penalty and which show is my least favourite to make!! It's a good one.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many men and women incarcerated across the United States, once all legal options for release have been exhausted, there is often one last avenue to hope for: clemency.Clemency in most states is at the discretion of a single person – the governor. This is not to be confused with presidential pardons, as the president can only grant clemency in federal cases, while state-level clemency sits with state governors. Governors hold an incredible power: the ability to effectively give someone their life back, someone who might otherwise be condemned to die behind bars.Of course, like most things, it’s never guaranteed. The exact number of clemencies granted isn’t clear, but it’s fair to say that, compared to the number of people incarcerated, the figure is extremely small. For a fortunate few, though, that mercy does come.Today I speak with one of those people. A man whose story we covered some time ago.Shawn Robert Johnson was staring down a minimum of more than 60 years in prison before he would even be eligible for parole. Instead, this Christmas he will be going home to his family after just shy of 20 years behind bars.Today we catch up to talk about how it happened – and what his plans are for life on the outside.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I catch up with John Merritt, who’s been navigating a very serious health crisis. John talks me through how a growth on his head was left untreated for so long that he was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with cancer. He underwent surgery, but the doctor who operated on him failed to recognise just how severe the situation really was.John explains what the last few months have been like and the conditions he faced inside a facility for sick prisoners — conditions that sound like something straight out of a horror film. This story genuinely gave me nightmares.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------John Merritt has been behind bars for longer than I’ve been alive. Like many of the men and women we speak to, John’s early life was marked by encounters with the law—mostly for petty, non-violent offences. He became trapped in a cycle, moving in and out of the system, until one day, while serving time for burglary, his life took an even darker turn.A visit from a sheriff's investigator would change the course of his life forever, propelling him down an unexpected and terrifying path toward the death penalty for a crime he says he didn’t commit.In the end, John faced a grim choice: life in prison or the electric chair.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He’s simply a man who doesn’t stop. Since being exonerated for a crime that saw him spend almost 27 years behind bars, Evaristo Salas Jnr has wasted no time making up for the life that was taken from him.In this catch-up, we dive into everything he’s achieved in the two years since his release. He’s travelled across the United States giving talks to everyone from school kids to some of the top legal minds in the country. He’s started a business, founded a non-profit, and even taken his message as far as Europe.But the last two years, while full of incredible moments, haven’t been without challenges. Jnr opens up about the times he’s caught the old prison mentality creeping back in — and how he’s learning to navigate freedom after nearly three decades inside.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I catch up with David Talley — a man serving a 100-year prison sentence for crimes that should only have carried a decade behind bars.Now, more than 20 years later, David is still fighting for a resentencing hearing. We talk about how that fight is progressing, and about a recent stint in confinement following an issue with his cellmate.Despite the contraband not being his, David was punished — spending two months in segregation, losing his job, his cell, and now finding himself housed in a punishment wing surrounded by drugs, gangs, and violence… all at the age of 63.A raw and honest look inside one man’s ongoing struggle for justice and survival behind bars. If you know of someone who can help David please get in touch hereEARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I catch up with Jeremy Cain for an update on what’s been happening with his case since we last spoke.After his story aired on One Minute Remaining, the community of Pleasant Grove came together to raise awareness and funds to support the Cain brothers. Their efforts made it possible to hire an attorney — but what, if anything, did that attorney achieve? And where does the case stand now?I also need your help to keep spreading the word about the Cain brothers’ fight for freedom. If you can assist with sharing their story, whether through community boards, advertising, or outreach, please get in touch. HEREA powerful follow-up on one of OMR’s most talked-about stories, exploring hope, persistence, and the fight for freedom.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I catch up with Tariq Maqbool to get the latest on his bid for clemency with the governor.We explore life inside prison and what happens when men become institutionalised, incarcerated for so long that freedom itself becomes something to fear. Many struggle with the idea of release, stepping back into the shadows rather than walking into the light.Tariq also opens up about his favourite film, Shawshank Redemption, and how closely it mirrors the realities of prison life. He’s met men like Brooks — those broken by the system and lives by the same mantra that defines the film: get busy living, or get busy dying.EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week!Apple + HEREPatreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.