(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) The State of Connecticut charged Teresa Beatty $249 per day, every day, while she was in prison for a minor drug offense from 2000 to 2002—But she wouldn't discover this until 20 years later. When her mother died in 2020, the State of Connecticut filed a notice in probate court demanding approximately 35%—over $83,000—of Beatty’s inheritance. And it was perfectly legal.
In fact, at least 45 states in America force you to pay (literally) for the privilege of being imprisoned in a country with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world...
This is Beatty v. Lamont (2022), State v. Richey (2019), and "Pay-To-Stay" laws.
Links
Captive Money Lab: "Pay-to-stay laws keep a person incarcerated long after their prison term ends."
Pay To Stay June 2025 Report, Campaign Zero Research & Policy Brief: "This report takes an in-depth look at pay-to-stay fee policies and practices of charging adults and youths held in jails, prisons, and youth residential facilities for the costs of their incarceration, including medical fees and expenses for room & board."
The "Damaged" State v. the "Willful" Nonpayer: Pay-to-Stay and the Social Construction of Damage, Harm, and Moral Responsibility in a Rent-Seeking Society (2022) (Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences)
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0:00 - Intro
00:10 - CASES BEGIN
10:10 - What is "Pay-to-Stay"?
18:16 - States say it teaches WHAT?!
19:22 - DOES THIS EVEN HELP "TAXPAYERS"?
24:19 - SPOILER: For-profit prisons is a bad idea
28:51 - Who shoulders this burden? Black, Hispanic, the poor
33:46 - PRISONS: DELIBERATE POVERTY AND FORCED LABOR
37:41 - Incarcerated people are forced to work
42:18 - Unsafe work conditions
43:20 - The South = Highest rate in entire world
44:17 - THESE NUMBERS ARE INSANE.
45:00 - Prison Banking
46:45 - Recent accounts from incarcerated people from Oct 2025
49:48 - Captive Money Lab Research: THE IMPACTS OF PAY-TO-STAY LAWS!!!
52:13 - Reb's Rebuttal
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57:42
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57:42
51: The "I'm From Alabama" Defense
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) “You’ve got an impressive slate of candidates,” Brian Manookian said to a panel considering applications for a Tennessee Supreme Court seat. “Judge [Kelvin] Jones is not one of them.”
Why? Check his backyard. And his divorce transcripts.
Reb reminds you to keep your mouth shut in Jones v. Jones (Ten. Ct. App. 2022).
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CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of Our Legal System, *God No, Not Actual Legal Advice
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0:00 - Intro / Important Lesson
1:01 - CASE BEGINS
4:23 - The "that was bonkers" protocol
7:59 - *60 or so pages later*
10:03 - JUDGE JONES HAS A PROFESSIONAL HATER
10:50 - WWJJAD (What would Judge Jones allegedly do) (A lot)
11:30 - LIST OF (ALLEGED) CRIMES
17:33 - Judge Jones wants a promotion. Naturally.
21:30 - DON'T THROW STONES IN A HOUSE OF GLASS
23:26 - Professional hater is disbarred
27:33 - REB'S REBUTTAL
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31:40
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31:40
50: The Parma Police Department Hates Good Jokes
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) BREAKING: If you arrest AND charge a man over a few (really funny) jokes, The Onion will probably file a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to let you know how stupid you are.
And yes, they'll call the Justices "total Latin dorks" on Page 4.
This is Anthony Novak v. City of Parma, Ohio (2022).
>>LINK TO THE ONION'S BRIEF
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CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of Our Legal System, *God No, Not Actual Legal Advice
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***
0:00 - Intro
1:14 - Amicus curiae = "Friend of the court"
5:16 - CASE BEGINS
6:29 - The 6th Circuit is wrong<3
10:25 - QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IS INSANE
13:14 - These cases will enrage you
20:23 - ANTHONY NOVAK SUES
21:42 - This is funnier on YouTube
22:36 - THE ONION CLOCKS IN!!!!!!
50:13 - CASE RESULT + REB'S REBUTTAL
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56:10
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56:10
49: Egos That Kill–Hell on the Set of "Twilight Zone: The Movie"
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) **LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED, GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF TRAUMATIC DEATH INVOLVING CHILDREN** Shortly after 2:00 A.M. on July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow paced nervously in front of a mock Vietnamese village at the Indian Dunes park just north of Los Angeles. Morrow could not help but feel uneasy as he watched the Huey helicopter approach the village for a final rehearsal. Years earlier, Morrow had had a premonition that he was going to die in a helicopter crash. . . .
This is the story of ego, arrogance, a manslaughter trial, and the conduct of Director John Landis and his production team that resulted in the deaths of My-ca Dinh Le (7) , Renee Shin-Li Chen (6), and Vic Morrow (53).
***The YouTube video for this episode includes actual footage of a helicopter crash resulting in death. Viewer discretion advised.***
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***
0:00 - CONTENT WARNING
0:11 - The Night Of
6:56 - The Case
7:59 - The Director
12:01 - The "Animal House" Era
15:47 - The "Blues Brothers" Era & The Ballooning Ego of John Landis
23:06 - Landis's Script For "Twilight Zone: The Movie"....Uh....
27:46 - Landis Hates Child Labor Laws :(
34:59 - The Production Team Hates Laws and/or Their Job
45:26 - The Days Prior & The Night Of (WTF....)
57:49 - John Landis & Co. Is The Worst (Still)
1:00:43 - The Manslaughter Trial
1:27:29 - The Verdict
1:32:55 - Reb's Rebuttal
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1:39:23
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1:39:23
48: The $54 Million Pants
(WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE) How far would you go for your wardrobe? 16 years of litigation, perhaps?
Witness the unraveling of Judge Roy Pearson in Pearson v. Chung (2007).
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CLICK HERE to PREORDER Reb's book: The Book They Throw At You—A Sarcastic Lawyer's Guide* To The Unholy Chaos of Our Legal System, *God No, Not Actual Legal Advice
***
Follow @RebuttalPod on Instagram and Twitter!
Follow @Rebmasel on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter!
***
0:00 - Intro
00:17 - Case begins
2:31 - The Infamous Pants
5:18 - Roy demands...a lot
7:49 - *PRETENDS TO BE SHOCKED*
9:26 - Motions and appeals and...you might be fired?
10:40 - You are broke
12:26 - Sue the city? Sure
13:09 - One Cook, Losing Kitchen
16:19 - Pearson gets disciplined
21:14 - Where are they now?
22:58 - Reb's Rebuttal
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Comedy, case law, chaos. Practicing attorney and TikTok gal @rebmasel breaks down bizarre, chaotic, and intriguing cases and anecdotes from the legal field you've (probably) never heard of. Listen to Reb's hilarious and informative takes on the weird, the awesome, the horrifying, the inspiring, and the everything-in-between happening inside and outside the courtroom.
***NOT LEGAL ADVICE***
https://www.youtube.com/@RebuttalPod
France