⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

Real court arguments, crisp audio, with context.

Court recordings can be difficult to follow, and many suffer from poor audio quality. This podcast enhances the audio, provides a brief introduction to each case, and explains legal concepts that may be unfamiliar to some listeners.

We hope these enhancements make oral argument recordings easier to understand, more accessible, and more enjoyable to listen to.

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United States v. Hester — 2d Cir. (Sep 25, 2026)

No. 25-552 Argued September 25, 2026 Published September 30, 2026

Rochester police said they recovered a car reported stolen at gunpoint after a chase and arrested Victor Hester, who faced robbery and gun allegations. The lawyers describe a federal guilty plea negotiated alongside Monroe County charges, which state prosecutors agreed to dismiss. They say the deal was negotiated on the mistaken belief that New York's repeat-violent-felony law might expose Hester to life in state prison. Hester argues that misunderstanding made his plea unknowing; the government says he still got a favorable deal and waived this appeal. Because that specific challenge was not raised below, the panel also considers plain-error review: whether a clear mistake affecting his rights can be corrected without a timely objection. Sarah Kunstler, a court-appointed lawyer from the Law Office of Sarah Kunstler, represents Hester and will argue that the supposed life-sentence exposure drove his choice to plead guilty.

United States v. Hester (No. 25-552) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued September 25, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Second Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/audio/25-552.mp3
Argument date and docket — Second Circuit:https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/oral_arguments.html
Appeal docket and defense counsel:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca2/25-552
Arrest allegations — Rochester police, reported by WHEC:https://www.whec.com/top-news/rpd-chase-leads-to-recovery-of-car-stolen-at-gunpoint/
Related state-court record — New York State Law Reporting Bureau:https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/motions/2025/2025_74483.htm
Persistent violent felony offender statute — New York Senate:https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/70.08
Federal Criminal Rule 11 — pleas:https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_11
Federal Criminal Rule 52 — plain error:https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_52
United States v. Dominguez Benitez — Supreme Court:https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/542/74
Sarah Kunstler — counsel's practice:https://kunstlerlaw.net/index.php/sarah-kunstler/
Sean Eldridge — U.S. Attorney's Office:https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/traffic-stop-vehicle-traveling-95-mph-nys-thruway-results-felony-firearms-charge
Section 2255 proceedings — U.S. Courts:https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/rules-governing-section-2254-and-section-2255-proceedings

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