Cops & Congress Launches The Debate Podcast
New series uses AI-assisted accessibility tools to help break down complex court filings
I am pleased to expand my analysis of court filings and public records with the launch of The Debate from Cops & Congress, a podcast series designed to make complicated legal and public policy issues easier to understand for taxpayers.
This episode examines Fenner v. Bell, the closely watched case involving a petition that sought the removal of District Attorney Ted Bell from office. I was the first journalist to report the story in December 2025.
The proceeding stems from North Carolina’s judicial removal statute, which allows a resident to petition a superior court judge alleging that a district attorney should be removed from office for specified misconduct. If the petition is legally sufficient, the judge may issue an order requiring the official to respond before the matter proceeds further under state law.
Rather than a traditional interview, The Debate from Cops & Congress features two research companions—I’ll call them Al and Allie—using Google’s Gemini Notebook accessibility tools to analyze dense court filings and legal arguments. Their conversation is intended to help listeners better understand the issues raised in the case and to encourage them to read the underlying public documents to reach their own conclusions.
As a journalist who is mostly deaf, accessibility is central to the project. AI-generated audio discussions offer another way to engage with lengthy legal records spanning hundreds of pages, while also making complex litigation more approachable for a broader audience.
The episode walks through the petition, the court’s initial order, the legal standards governing removal proceedings, and the arguments presented in the filings. It is not a substitute for the official court record but an accessible discussion of the publicly available documents, adding more analysis and perspective.
The launch of The Debate expands the mission of Cops & Congress beyond written reporting, offering subscribers another way to follow important cases involving courts, law enforcement, and government accountability.
Take a listen, then email me to let me know what you think with “The Debate feedback” in the subject line. Your opinion may help shape future episodes.
If you’re hard of hearing or deaf, you should be able to access the podcast player’s transcript. (To troubleshoot that feature, you may read more from Substack or your preferred platform.)
Disclaimer: Al and Allie do not necessarily share my personal views. I believe in debating to highlight different opinions and viewpoints under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the North Carolina Constitution.
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🏛️ All those mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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