⚖ 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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In re: US — 4th Cir. (Sep 16, 2026)

No. 26-1545 Argued September 16, 2026 Published October 9, 2026

A lower court has accepted a defendant's partial guilty plea, and the United States is asking the Fourth Circuit to undo it. The case comes through a petition for mandamus: an extraordinary request for an order directing a lower court to act. It is not a routine appeal. The government must show that it has no other adequate way to obtain relief and that its right to relief is clear and indisputable; even then, issuing the order remains discretionary.

In re: US (No. 26-1545) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, argued September 16, 2026.

Sources
Official argument audio — Fourth Circuit:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/26-1545-20260916.mp3
Case background and argument date — Fourth Circuit calendar, page 12:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/cal/internetcalSept142026.pdf
Mandamus — Cheney versus United States District Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-542/pdf/USREPORTS-542-367.pdf
Mandamus requirements — Fourth Circuit order, page 3:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/261160R1.U.pdf
Armed Career Criminal Act — 18 U.S.C. Section 924(e):https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title%3A18%20section%3A924%20edition%3Aprelim%29
Erlinger versus United States — Supreme Court opinion:https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/602us1r45_h31i.pdf
Erlinger application — United States versus Casey, pages 2–4:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/184839.U.pdf

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