⚖ 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.

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Makhmatov, et al. v. Blanche — 9th Cir. (Oct 26, 2026)

No. 25-6454 Argued October 26, 2026 Published October 27, 2026

The Ninth Circuit hears a Russian couple's challenge to the denial of asylum and related protection. The husband says Russian state officials detained and tortured him because of his Muslim faith. An immigration judge denied protection, and the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld that denial. The couple now seeks review in federal court. An adverse credibility finding is a decision not to believe an applicant's account. Federal asylum law requires looking at all relevant circumstances, rather than mechanically counting discrepancies. That includes comparing written statements, hearing testimony and other evidence. Josh Cayetano represents the couple.

Makhmatov, et al. v. Blanche (No. 25-6454) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued October 26, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — official Ninth Circuit original:https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/media/2026/10/26/25-6454.mp3
Argument date and proceeding — official Ninth Circuit calendar:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/calendar/calendar-week/?date=2026-10-30&loc=SF
Claimed persecution and prior protection-denial background — separate detention order, pages 1–4 (court-text mirror):https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/california/caedce/1%3A2025cv01356/473074/9/0.pdf
Counsel appearances — public clerk docket mirror:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/25-6454
Credibility factors — 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1)(B)(iii):https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1158
Whole-circumstances credibility review — Ninth Circuit majority in Alam:https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/19-72744/19-72744-2021-09-08.html

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