S20 Ep117: Presiding Over Shadows: From Chaos To Order In The Court w/Judge Michael Randazzo
Darkness Radio
Darkness Radio
4.8 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 30 September 2025
⏱️ 157 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Judge Michael Randazzo never should have been. His story begins in a pop-up trailer-no electricity, no running water-born to parents who dropped out of high school and carried the weight of the family's excommunication from the Sicilian Mafia. He came into the world premature, delivered by a veterinarian, clinging to life while doctors warned I'd never catch up.
Crime and tragedy run through Michael's bloodline: moonshining, sexual abuse, attempted manslaughter. His father struck deals with the Mexican Cartel and still battles opioid addiction. Every member of his family has been both perpetrator and victim. Yet, somewhere between generational sin and the chance to start over, he clawed his way through law school. Today, Michael serves as one of Missouri's youngest Presiding Circuit Judges.
On Today's Show, we sit down with Judge Randazzo and talk about how the sins of the Great Grandafther, Grandfather, and Father changed the mind of the Son. How Michael and his brother, Kevin have managed to change the reputation and the last name of Randazzo in the community, How Michael keeps his children on the straight and narrow and away from the temptation of "the family business", and what makes Michael Randazzo a unique person to serve on the bench!
Get your copy of "Presiding Over Shadows..." here: https://wildbluepress.com/presiding-over-shadows-crime-memoir-michael-randazzo/
PLUS AN ALL NEW DUMB CRIMES/STUPID CRIMINALS W/JESSICA FREEBURG!
Wanna see the man in the inflatable Dachshund costume walking his Dachshund? Click here: https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/oshawa-man-who-dresses-as-a-dachshund-is-gaining-popularity-one-walk-at-a-time/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
Check out Jessica Freeburg's website and order her new books: https://jessicafreeburg.com/books/
and check out Jess on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicafreeburgwrites
Sign up to go with Dacre Stoker and Mysterious Universe Tours to Romania here: https://www.mysteriousadventurestours.com/darkness_radio/
Want to attend JUST Dracula's Vampire Ball at Bran Castle? Click this link to find out how: https://www.mysteriousadventurestours.com/darkness_radio/
Travel with Brian J. Cano to Ireland for Halloween for 11 days and get 100 dollars off and break it into 10 easy payments here: https://www.mysteriousadventurestours.com/darkness_radio/
Make sure you update your Darkness Radio Apple Apps!
and subscribe to the Darkness Radio You Tube page: https://www.youtube.com/@DRTimDennis
There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store! https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/
#crime #truecrime #truecrimepodcasts #truecrimetuesday #judgemichaelrandazzo
#michaelrandazzo #presidingovershadows #fromchaostoorderinthecourt #drugdealing #drugaddiction #mafia #lacosanostra #sicily #italy #stlouis #missouri #joesphrandazzo #bignickrandazzo #dominickrandazzojr #mobstories #redemptionstories #overcomingadversity #dumbcrimesstupidcriminals #TimDennis #jessicafreeburg #paranormalauthor #floridaman #drugcrimes #foodcrimes #stupidcrimes #funnycrimes #sexcrimes
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the best in True Crime Podcasting. This is True Crime Tuesday. I'm your host Tim Dennis. |
| 0:27.4 | Got a great show today, folks. Jessica Freerberg on the way in just a bit with dumb crime, stupid criminals. |
| 0:32.7 | But first, I want to talk a little bit about generations. I want to talk a little bit about whether it's nature and nurture and whether or not we are doomed to repeat the sins of the father. |
| 0:46.3 | I read a really cool book this weekend and, you know, this one hits home because judges run in my family and the law runs in my family. |
| 0:59.3 | So it's kind of fun to talk about whether the mistakes of the father run in the grandfather in this case run down the bloodline and whether you have to |
| 1:14.8 | repeat that are do you have to is a genetic in other words the to grow up a criminal or see |
| 1:21.8 | crime around you and have to repeat it you know a lot of times in this criminal justice system |
| 1:27.1 | you hear things like, |
| 1:28.8 | well, it's part of my environment. You know, it's just, it's what I grew up around. So that's what |
| 1:32.6 | I learned and that's what I do. But do you have to. And my, my guest today is one that |
| 1:38.8 | wrote a book that shows you that, you know what, you don't necessarily have to go down that road. |
| 1:47.1 | My guest today is Judge Michael Randazzo. |
| 1:51.6 | And actually, I believe it's Randazzo. |
| 1:55.5 | He's a dedicated public servant, accomplished attorney and respected community leader born prematurely and told |
| 2:01.8 | he would face lifelong challenges. Mike overcame adversity to become the first in his family |
| 2:07.2 | to graduate high school, eventually earning his jurist doctorate from St. Louis University School |
| 2:12.1 | of Law and passing the Missouri Bar in 2010. Throughout his career, Mike has embodied leadership and service, prosecuting |
| 2:20.0 | over 50 jury trials, including high-profile murder cases and offering over 100 hours of pro bono |
| 2:25.3 | work annually for veterans, police, and children. And in 2020, he was elected as Division 2 |
| 2:30.9 | Circuit Judge for Missouri's 42nd Judicial Circuit, and by 2020, he became the |
| 2:36.9 | youngest presiding circuit judge in the state. I want to bring him in now, and let's talk about |
| 2:41.8 | the new book called Presiding Over Shadows, From Chaos to Order in the Court. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darkness Radio, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Darkness Radio and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.