Blind Plea
Lemonada Media
In 2017, Deven Grey, a young mother, shot and killed her abusive partner in a remote trailer in rural Shelby County, Alabama. She claimed self-defense and filed a Stand Your Ground claim.
Instead of freedom, she was handed a “blind plea” – an option to take an unknown sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. As a Black woman who shot and killed a white man in Alabama, she did the only thing she could: She took the plea. Deven’s sentence became the final link in a chain of deceit, haunted land, generational trauma, false identity, coercive control, and a broken justice system.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Liz Flock, Blind Plea asks: Who do we believe, and why? And in America, who has the right to self defense and a fair trial?
2 Listeners
All episodes
Best episodes
Seasons
Top 10 Blind Plea Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Blind Plea episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Blind Plea for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Blind Plea episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
An End In Sight
Blind Plea
07/05/23 • 34 min
Episode 9: In October 2022, Deven was given an eight-hour notice that she would be leaving Tutwiler. She was transferred to a temporary facility to prepare for her upcoming release. Five years after John’s death, she's finally able to start looking towards the future – but first, she needs to reckon with the ghosts of her past.
Resources:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domesticshelters.org/.
- If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE
- Have questions about consent? Take a look at this guide from RAINN at www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent
- Learn more about criminalized survival https://survivedandpunished.org/
This series is created with Evoke Media, a woman-founded company devoted to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive social change. https://weareevokemedia.com
This series is presented by Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants.
Follow host Liz Flock on Twitter @lizflock. For more stories of women and self-defense, check out her book “The Furies” from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-furies-elizabeth-flock
Interested in bonus content and behind the scenes material? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in the Apple Podcasts app by clicking on our podcast logo and the "subscribe” button.
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Listener
Haunted Land
Blind Plea
05/17/23 • 40 min
Episode one: When John brought his girlfriend Deven to his family property in Calera, Alabama, Deven became the latest in a decades-long line of women to be beaten and broken down on that same land. In December 2017, after a violent evening and years of abuse, Deven shot and killed John. Then, she called 911 to turn herself in.
Resources:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domesticshelters.org/.
- If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE
- Have questions about consent? Take a look at this guide from RAINN at www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent
- Learn more about criminalized survival https://survivedandpunished.org/
This series is created with Evoke Media, a woman-founded company devoted to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive social change. To learn more, visit weareevokemedia.com.
This series is presented by Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants.
Follow host Liz Flock on Twitter @lizflock. For more stories of women and self-defense, check out her book “The Furies” from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-furies-elizabeth-flock
Interested in bonus content and behind the scenes material? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in the Apple Podcasts app by clicking on our podcast logo and the "subscribe” button.
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Listener
Stuck in the System
Blind Plea
07/12/23 • 46 min
Episode 10: After five long years behind bars, the day has finally come for Deven to leave prison. But hours before she’s set to go home, a breakdown in the process throws Deven’s release into jeopardy, which leaves her and her family scrambling for answers in the tangled bureaucracy of the Alabama prison system.
Resources:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domesticshelters.org/.
- If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE
- Have questions about consent? Take a look at this guide from RAINN at www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent
- Learn more about criminalized survival https://survivedandpunished.org/
This series is created with Evoke Media, a woman-founded company devoted to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive social change. https://weareevokemedia.com
This series is presented by Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants.
Follow host Liz Flock on Twitter @lizflock. For more stories of women and self-defense, check out her book “The Furies” from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-furies-elizabeth-flock
Interested in bonus content and behind the scenes material? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in the Apple Podcasts app by clicking on our podcast logo and the "subscribe” button.
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Listener
Life On The Outside
Blind Plea
07/19/23 • 27 min
Episode 11: Getting out of prison isn’t easy. In the two months since her release, Deven’s been busy: getting IDs, applying for jobs and taking care of her daughter. We caught up with her a few weeks after she left Alabama to see how things were going and what she hopes people will take away from her story.
Resources:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domesticshelters.org/.
- If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE
- Have questions about consent? Take a look at this guide from RAINN at www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent
- Learn more about criminalized survival https://survivedandpunished.org/
This series is created with Evoke Media, a woman-founded company devoted to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive social change. https://weareevokemedia.com
This series is presented by Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants.
Follow host Liz Flock on Twitter @lizflock. For more stories of women and self-defense, check out her book “The Furies” from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-furies-elizabeth-flock
Interested in bonus content and behind the scenes material? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in the Apple Podcasts app by clicking on our podcast logo and the "subscribe” button.
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Listener
06/13/24 • 6 min
We’re excited to drop in your feed today to tell you about a new Lemonada Media series called The Pink House with Sam Smith. Hosted by five-time Grammy winner Sam Smith, The Pink House is about the people and places that make us who we are. One of those places was Sam’s childhood home in the English village of Great Chishill, literally called The Pink House. It was a space of total warmth and love where Sam felt safe enough to find their voice. Each week, join Sam in conversation with icons and friends like Trixie Mattel, Gloria Estefan, Elliot Page, Joel Kim Booster, Ben Platt, Rebecca Sugar and Michelle Visage as they explore their own “Pink Houses” and how they navigated early struggles and ultimately found their place in the world.
You’re about to hear a preview of the first episode of The Pink House, where Sam chats with Elliot Page about his upbringing in Canada, his breakout role in the film Juno, and how seeking time away from it all has helped him embrace a whole new, exhilarating life.
To hear more of The Pink House head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/thepinkhousefd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen Now: The Defenders
Blind Plea
11/08/23 • 44 min
We are dropping in your feed to share Lemonada Media's newest series, The Defenders. On Friday, June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, it's been a barrage of bad news and bleak headlines. But for every restriction, there are many more acts of resistance, and a growing network of activists, clinic workers, faith leaders, and everyday people working to expand access to care.This is the story of the fight for freedom in a post-Roe America, co-hosted by Samantha Bee and Gloria Riviera.
Episode One of The Defenders features Brittany, Back in 2022, shortly after the fall of Roe, Brittany felt trapped. She was pregnant and stuck in an abusive relationship, totally cut off from her support system. She didn’t see a way out - until she happened to hear a radio story about the Midwest Access Coalition, an abortion fund helping people travel across state lines. We follow Brittany’s harrowing journey as she travels hundreds of miles, with the help of a group of volunteer pilots from Elevated Access.
To hear more of The Defenders, head to : https://lemonada.lnk.to/DTc0Crfd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen Now: I Need To Ask You Something
Blind Plea
09/06/23 • 46 min
We are dropping in your feed to share Lemonada Media's newest series, “I Need To Ask You Something." This unique 10-part series bridges the gap between the things we need to say and the words we’re afraid to hear. Each week, trauma therapist Dr. Monica Band sits down with a young person and their parent, friend or partner to help them create a blueprint for building stronger relationships while healing out loud. Created in partnership with The Jed Foundation.
In the series premiere, you'll hear from Jessica. Her parents divorced when she was 18, but the years leading up to it were filled with “contagious unhappiness”. Now she sits down with her father to ask: why did you wait so long, and how do we heal from here?
To hear more episodes of I Need To Ask You Something, head to https://link.chtbl.com/INTAYS
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen Now: The Letter Season Two
Blind Plea
04/16/24 • 14 min
The hit true-crime podcast The Letter is back for Season Two. Today, we’re dropping into your feed to offer you a sneak peek of this gripping and impactful story.
On a winter morning in 1982, two young fathers were found shot to death in a van parked outside an upscale Utah restaurant.The killer soon confessed, but his story about what happened - and why he chose violence - would create more pain, conflict, and questions for the families left in the wake of the murders.
As the families of the men struggle to rebuild their lives, they face questions they never anticipated. Does everyone deserve a second chance? Who is forgiveness for? And if you can inherit trauma, can you also inherit forgiveness? Through their stories, we discover even the most personal decisions can unintentionally ripple through lives, through generations, even impacting the lives of people we’ve never met. From KSL Podcasts (Cold), Lemonada Media (Blind Plea) and WorkHouse Media.
You’re about to hear a clip from Episode 1, Season Two of The Letter. To hear the rest of the episode, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/theletterfd or theletterpodcast.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
05/07/24 • 9 min
We are dropping in your feed today to tell you about a new Lemonada Media series called Fail Better with David Duchovny. On Fail Better, David, who has experienced both low and high profile failures throughout his life, explores the vast world of failure - how it holds us back, propels us forward, and ultimately shapes our lives. Each week, he will chat with guests like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, and more about how our perceived failures have actually been our biggest catalysts for growth, revelation, and even healing. Through these conversations, he hopes listeners can learn how to embrace the opportunity of failure and fail better together.
You’re about to hear a preview of the first episode of Fail Better, where David catches up with Ben Stiller. Believe it or not, Ben Stiller has failed. (Remember Zoolander 2? He’d probably rather you didn’t.) As it turns out, Ben has had his share of flops, and he chats with David about those times in his life and how they sometimes led to something better.
To hear more of Fail Better, head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/failbetterfd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing: Pantsuit Politics
Blind Plea
02/24/25 • 80 min
We’re excited to share a show we know you’ll love: Pantsuit Politics. Hosted by Kentuckians Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, Pantsuit Politics offers a refreshing, thoughtful take on news and culture. It’s all about paying attention to what’s happening in the world—without the anxiety.
This week, destruction can be part of the building process; it certainly is a key part of Elon Musk’s approach to business and his new - legally ambiguous - role with DOGE. There is, however, a fine line between disruption and destruction. The tech mantra of “move fast and break things” can be dangerous, particularly when applied to the government. On today’s show, Sarah and Beth explore this idea and how the new Trump administration is letting Musk run full steam ahead.
Plus, they discuss the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, most notably marked this week by Ukraine’s exclusion from the negotiating table with Russia. Outside of politics, Beth shares her new hack for managing her online shopping.
Topics Discussed
- Ukraine Excluded from Negotiations
- Is Elon Musk Building or Destroying Through DOGE?
- Outside of Politics: Online Shopping Strategies
Visit our Substack page for complete show notes and episode resources. For more episodes, listen to Pantsuit Politics wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/pantsuitpoliticsfd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does Blind Plea have?
Blind Plea currently has 36 episodes available.
What topics does Blind Plea cover?
The podcast is about True Crime and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Blind Plea?
The episode title 'An End In Sight' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Blind Plea?
The average episode length on Blind Plea is 32 minutes.
How often are episodes of Blind Plea released?
Episodes of Blind Plea are typically released every 12 days.
When was the first episode of Blind Plea?
The first episode of Blind Plea was released on Apr 27, 2023.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ