Very Civilized Orangutans
Aug 12, 2026 · 1h 9m
Summary
Hosts Dan Epps and Will Bode discuss *Hunter v. United States*, where Justice Kagan’s majority opinion establishes a “miscarriage of justice” exception to enforce appeal waivers in plea bargains. They analyze the Court’s rationale, which prioritizes judicial legitimacy and prevents courts from appearing complicit in egregious errors. The episode also features a mailbag segment debating Magneto’s comic book powers, the origins of “S-tier” rankings, and the logic of conditional predictions.
Topics discussed
Intro and podcast record predictions
Trump v. California emergency application
Magneto's powers and S-rank origins
Prediction scorecard and Aurora Tap Room
Hunter v. United States case background
Majority opinion and appeal waiver rules
Miscarriage of justice exception analysis
Examples of egregious errors and consensus
Justice Thomas's dissent on plea bargaining
Concurring opinions and supervisory power
Procedural common law and final thoughts
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