This is exactly right.

The courtroom isn't just about justice. It's about power and money and some truly bizarre loopholes.

I'm Michael Foote. And I'm Melissa Malbranche, and we've got a brand new show called Brief Recess, Illegal Podcast.

Every week, we talk about wild tales from court, trials gone wrong, and cases and rulings that shape our world.

Today we're going to be talking about stolen antiquities, all the weird things Melissa found at in a state sale, the crazy conversations I had with the bouncer and J.K. Rowling. We make the complicated clear and the serious, surprisingly fun. From the exactly right network, new episodes of Brief Recess drop every Thursday. Watch Brief Recess on YouTube. Listen to Brief Recess on the IHeartRadio app.

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. When I invited you here, I thought I made myself perfectly clear

When you're a guest in my home

You gotta come to me empty-handed

I said no gifts

Your presence is Presence enough

And I already had too much stuff

So how do you dare

disobey me

Welcome to I said no gifts. I'm Bridger Weiner.

We're in the backyard. It's been an interesting little morning for me, I think for everyone, but mostly for me.

The power was out, So I had to, well, it's just been

stressful because it was raining all the weekend, but my home didn't flood. So, you know,

any time my house isn't full of water, it's a good time. So I'm feeling fine. I'm wearing a fantastic shade of green and everybody knows it.

What's going? Oh, I had to take an ice cold shower. That was the big thing for me this morning. An ice cold shower in the dark.

And I tried to imagine, you know, maybe I'm under a beautiful waterfall and that will help. That helps for two

seconds. Then it was agony. So, but I'm awake. I'm alert as much as I can be at 1115. Is there

anything else going on? I'm scanning my brain. I don't think anything else is happening. My house

...