Breakdown

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's award-winning podcast "Breakdown," tells deeply human stories about the Georgia justice system. Season 11 explores how a young military couple found themselves at the center of something neither expected. Something terrible. Something… criminal.

News
True Crime
Politics
151
S10 Ep. 13: The Kraken's Released
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey cover the surprise guilty plea of lawyer Sidney Powell one day before jury selection was to begin.
26 min
152
S10 Ep.14: Copping a Plea
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey cover the guilty plea hearings of lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, both of whom were charged with former President Donald Trump in the election interference case.
45 min
153
S10 Ep.10: To Remove or not to Remove?
AJC journalists Bill Rankin and Shannon McCaffrey cover two hearings during which lawyers try to remove their defendants’ cases to federal court in Atlanta.
24 min
154
S10 Ep. 12: Lights, Camera, Action
The AJC’s Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey explore the debate over whether televising the Fulton County case against Donald Trump is such a good idea.
35 min
155
S10 Ep.11: Let's Make a Deal
The AJC’s Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey discuss the first plea deal in Fulton County’s wide-ranging election subversion case and what it could mean for the 18 remaining defendants.
41 min
156
S10 Ep.9: Meadows Is Denied
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey examine a federal judge’s ruling denying former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove his case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta.
26 min
157
S10 Ep.7: The Architect
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey introduce you to Atlanta attorneys Scott Grubman and Manny Arora as they make state their case as to why they believe charges should not have been brought against their client, Kenneth Chesebro.
34 min
158
S10 Ep.6: Meadows’ Gambit
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey recap former chief of staff Mark Meadows’ attempt to transfer the sweeping racketeering case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta.
36 min
159
S10 Ep.8: Finally, the Report
AJC journalists Tamar Hallerman, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert dig into the long-awaited report from Fulton County's special purpose grand jury, which spent eight months investigating Donald Trump and his allies.
36 min
160
S10 Ep.4: Show Time at Rice Street
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, and Shannon McCaffrey recount a busy week where lawyers met with prosecutors to get bonds for their clients, including a $200,000 bond for former President Donald Trump.
40 min
161
S10 Ep.5: Trump Surrenders
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey recap former President Donald Trump’s historic surrender at the Fulton County jail.The latest episode of Breakdown from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps former President Donald Trump’s historic surrender at the Fulton County jail. “Trump Surrenders” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also recounts a flurry of breaking news in just the past few days: the spectacle of Rudy Giuliani’s surrender, Trump gets a new lawyer, a speedy trial demand is made and District Attorney Fani Willis proposes a new trial date for October. You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite podcasting platform.
27 min
162
S10 Ep.3: The Chaos Arrives
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, and Shannon McCaffrey examine the aftermath of the Fulton Grand Jury’s racketeering indictment against former President Donald Trump.
33 min
163
S10 Ep.2: The Enterprise
AJC journalists Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman discuss the 41-count, 98-page indictment against former President Donald Trump and his allies by a Fulton County grand jury.
20 min
164
S10 Ep.1: How We Got Here
AJC journalists Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman catch listeners up on the investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies over the 2020 election and look to the expected indictment that Fulton County prosecutors could hand up in the days ahead.
39 min
165
S10 Ep. 0: The Trump Indictment - Coming Wednesday
Hosted by Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman, from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2 min
166
S10 Ep34: The Cases for Keeping or Disqualifying
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and David Wickert talk with two legal experts – Norm Eisen and Andrew Fleischman – about why they think Willis should remain on the case or be kicked off it.
39 min
167
S10 Ep35: Fani's Choice
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert discuss Judge Scott McAfee’s decision as to whether District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the election interference case.
20 min
168
S10 Ep36: Merchant Speaks Out
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and David Wickert sit down for an interview with Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer who filed the motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
41 min
169
S10 Ep37: Your Burning Questions
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert answer several questions from listeners.
28 min
170
S10 E39: The Case is Submitted
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert break down the presidential immunity arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.
30 min
171
S10 E40: Hello 2025?
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert explore the ramifications of the Georgia Court of Appeals decision to hear the defense’s challenge to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case.
18 min
172
S10 Ep38: The Appeal
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Shannon McCaffrey and David Wickert focus on a First Amendment challenge by former President Donald Trump’s lead attorney.
21 min
173
S10 Ep41: Goodbye For Now
AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman and Shannon McCaffrey look at the elections of two of the most prominent players in the racketeering conspiracy case against former President Donald Trump.
29 min
174
Breakdown Season 11: Three Days in May
1 min
175
Bonus: The Imperfect Alibi
58 min