2023 in review: From Tory Lanez to EmRata and Vlad, here are my favorite articles and interviews.
My mailing list is not yet one year old, but it's already bigger than I could have envisioned. Thank you for your readership, subscriptions and general support.
Happy New Year’s Eve! As I look ahead to 2024, I also look back on what was a huge 2023 for me. My Legal Affairs and Trials mailing list and website is not yet one year old, but the readership has already exceeded my expectations and shows no signs of stopping.
Thank you for your readership, subscriptions and general support. I couldn’t do this work without you, and I’m excited about where we will go as my list of paid subscribers grows.
If you haven’t already, please purchase a subscription to show your support and gain access to the archives, where all articles are paywalled after one month.
In 2024, I will continue covering federal cases in Los Angeles such as public corruption prosecutions (former L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar’s federal racketeering sentencing is Jan. 26) and other major criminal cases (sentencing in a fatal weapons of mass destruction case is Jan. 19 and Hunter Biden’s arraignment on tax charges is Jan. 11) while reporting on high-profile celebrity cases in Southern California (A$AP Rocky will be arraigned Jan. 8 on assault with a firearm charges) and nationwide (rapper Young Thug’s racketeering trial resumes next week in Atlanta). A California State Bar judge also should issue a ruling soon on Trump election lawyer John Eastman’s possible disbarment.
Here’s what’s on my radar so far in January:
My focus will continue to expand to include cases across the nation related to the hip-hop music industry because I’ve amassed such a huge readership through my coverage of rapper Tory Lanez’s trial and post-conviction proceedings for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
I’m looking to move my website from Substack to the Ghost platform soon. (More on that later.) I also will launch a capital campaign soon that will help take my online presence to a new level through professionalized video production and branded marketing of the “Meghann Thee Reporter” nickname my fans gave me, as well as the Legal Affairs and Trials with Meghann Cuniff name. My friend and journalism colleague Bryson “Boom” Paul made logos for me to put on coffee mugs, stickers, bucket hats and other merchandise that I will advertise soon.
In the meantime, I want to take a few moments to reflect on the work I did in 2023. I won first-place social media awards from both the Los Angeles Press Club and the Orange County Press Club, and I received honorable mention for “best news-based Twitter thread” in New York University’s American Journalism Online Awards.
As we say goodbye to 2023, here are my top 10 articles and top 10 interviews.
Top 10 articles of 2023
During the hearing on his motion for new trial, rapper Tory Lanez’s post-conviction lawyers persuaded him to waive his attorney-client privilege over emails between him and his original attorney, longtime celebrity defense lawyer Shawn Holley. The emails include Holley telling Lanez before his trial for shooting Megan Thee Stallion that she doesn’t believe blaming Megan’s friend Kelsey Harris for shooting Megan was “a viable defense strategy.” The article took a ton of work to report and write, and it smashed page views for my website when it published in June.
I followed the litigation in Trevor Bauer’s defamation lawsuit against Lindsey Hill since its inception, including attending several hearings before Senior U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California. When Bauer announced a settlement in a social media post that drew attention to messages and a video from Hill, I knew there was a huge backstory that could be told through court documents. My reporting led me to exclusively obtain the recording of Hill confronting Bauer in a 27-minute call covertly recorded by police. It was another huge scoop, and the work I put into explaining the litigation led to an authoritative and informative article that continues to be cited to this day. The article preluded another exclusive regarding Bauer: An article on Hill’s medical reports and injury photos: Pitcher Trevor Bauer’s sex assault accuser Lindsey Hill releases medical reports, photos, Oct. 16.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote support letters for Danny Masterson at rape sentencing, Sept. 8
I published Ashton Kutcher’s and Mila Kunis’ character reference letters for their That ‘70s Show co-star Danny Masterson the day after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003. The article quickly went viral, and it still holds the spot for my most-viewed article of 2023. The broad interest in Kutcher’s and Kunis’ letters as well as rapper Iggy Azalea’s letter for Lanez inspired me to report and write an article explaining the role support letters for criminal defendants play in sentencings: Amid outcry over Ashton Kutcher’s letter for Danny Masterson, other letters, including a child porn defendant’s, highlight judicial complexity, Oct. 2. The breaking news and enterprise articles exemplify my versatility as a reporter and writer. I should also mention this investigative piece about a curious support letter for Lanez from a small-town Missouri police chief and two others that appears to be part of a habeas mill: Police chief among Tory Lanez’s supporters at Megan Thee Stallion shooting sentencing, Aug. 15.
Video of fire victims’ final moments is key in Conception boat captain’s manslaughter trial, Oct. 30
I spent several days watching the federal manslaughter trial of Jerry Boylan, who was captain of the Conception boat when an overnight fire killed 33 passengers and a crew member off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, on Labor Day weekend 2019. My first article captured the tension in the gallery as family members of the victims grappled with the cold nature of the judicial system, including regarding a video of the final moments in the boat’s bunkhouse that was extracted from the broken cell phone of one of the victims. The article and my article on the verdict exemplify the careful approach I take to reporting on trials, and they reflect my experiences writing about crime victims and grief.
Bankruptcy judge orders The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy to hand over documents or face arrest, Dec. 21
This article published only recently, and it’s already one of my most-read articles of 2023. Nearly 75 percent of readers found the article through Google, which I see as a testament to both the article’s broad appeal and my skills at optimizing my articles for online search engines. It’s also an article not many could put together. My experiences reporting on other bankruptcy cases played a big role in my ability to know not only what to look for, but how to understand the implications of what I found. I plan to follow DJ Envy’s legal saga through 2024, including actions in U.S. Bankruptcy Court as well as a federal wire fraud case against his former business partner, Cesar Pina.
Hip-hop moguls T.I. and Tiny Harris want toymaker MGA Entertainment to pay tens of millions of dollars for infringing the trade dress of Tiny’s daughter Zonnique’s group the OMG Girlz with Bahja Rodriguez and Breaunna Womack. The first trial in January ended in a mistrial after jurors heard deposition testimony about cultural appropriation involving Black people, and it included controversy over MGA’s trial counsel using the full n-word while cross-examining Zonnique about her song lyrics. The trial was the most unnecessarily contentious I’ve covered, and the second trial in May was even worse. I wrote several articles, and the one that stands out looks at underlying racial issues that still permeated the second trial. Jurors quickly sided with MGA and asked if they could order T.I. and Tiny to pay the toymaker’s attorney fees, but the verdict was thrown out because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a trade dress case involving a dog toy resembling a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whisky. The third trial is scheduled to begin in September, and I plan to be there.
I didn’t write as many daily articles on Masterson’s second trial as I did his first, when I was with Law & Crime News, but the articles I wrote were deeply reported and captured what others didn’t. The best was my piece on an altercation between current and former Scientologists in the hallway outside the courtroom that led to the jury being sequestered during lunch. The article also captures the historic testimony of former Church of Scientology member Claire Headley, who testified as an expert witness for prosecutors.
I got this story from a single line in a filing that had been overlooked by other reporters, and it ended up perfectly describing the argument prosecutors made in Tom Girardi’s two-day mental competency hearing: That the former legal kingpin is faking his mental state to try to avoid accountability for his crimes. I went on to cover the hearing testimony and final briefs, and I expect to be writing about U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton’s ruling early in 2024.
This was the trial of Ray Chan, a former deputy Los Angeles mayor accused of a racketeering conspiracy involving admitted felon and former L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar, and it helped turn my Substack newsletter into a full-blown legal reporting operation. I will continue to prioritize L.A. public corruption cases because I know they’re important and many of my paid subscribers are interested in them, and Chan’s trial next March will be a highlight. Other public corruption cases of 2023 include Mark Ridley-Thomas’ USC bribery scheme, which was another banner trial for my mailing list, as well as developer David Lee’s case for bribing Huizar. There’s also the recent sentencing of the ex-cop who falsely imprisoned a skateboarder who questioned his harassment of two Black men. His patrol partner is up for sentencing next month.
On tap in the Masimo v. Apple trade secrets trial: Politeness, not pirate flags, April 20
I had a lot of fun writing this article about the blockbuster federal trade secrets trial between Masimo and Apple over the Apple Watch. It captures the tone of Apple’s WilmerHale-led defense and also has a lot of good information about Apple’s use of pirate flags and the history of litigation over it. The Masimo v. Apple trial was one of my favorite trials of 2023, and I’ll be in for a rendition next fall when the second trial begins. The first trial was a mistrial, with jurors deadlocked in favor of Apple. Since then, Masimo scored wins at the International Trade Commission that led to the halting of imports of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, though that’s been paused by an appellate court. My detailed coverage of the trial includes many internal Apple emails that were shown in court but won’t be released publicly.
Top 10 interviews of 2023
I was inundated with interview requests in 2023.
Here are my 10 favorite interviews, starting with the achievement I’d be remiss not to tout at all turns: The Washington Post profile that called me “arguably the most influential legal journalist working today.” It published on the front of the Style section headlined “Meghann Cuniff’s broader appeal.”
The Washington Post: The rise of ‘Meghann Thee Reporter,’ the internet’s favorite court insider, Nov. 16
I’m happy with how this profile captures the relentless work I’ve poured into my career. Writer Anne Branigin and photographer Zaydee Sanchez did amazing work.
I’m most proud of the fact that this great Q&A mentions my old mentor Bill Morlin and also Ann Rule and Carl Hiaasen as my inspirations.
The 19th News How ‘Meghann Thee Reporter’ became the go-to source for information on the Tory Lanez trial, Aug. 15
Another great Q&A inspired by my coverage of Lanez’s sentencing, this time with a young news organization I’m proud to say I’ve supported since it began.
KCRW: ‘Meghann The Reporter’ on the complex world of celebrity cases, Nov. 24
I’d been on NPR Los Angeles affiliate KCRW’s “All Things Considered Before,” but never as the topic. This flattering and fun interview introduced me to people who don’t follow the hip-hop industry.
“High Low with EmRata”: Law & Order & Misogyny with Meghann Cuniff, Oct. 11
I was happy to speak with actress and model Emily Ratajkowski about misogyny surrounding Lanez’s trial, and his own comments about me. This is the biggest mainstream podcast I did in 2023.
“Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay”: The Tory Lanez Sentence With Meghann Cuniff, Aug. 11
I first joined Van and Rachel after Lanez was convicted in December 2022, and I was happy to catch up with him again after their sentencing. Their podcast explores issues of interest to Black culture, and I greatly enjoy the discussions we have and their questions about the case, the sentence and the character reference letters that got so much attention. I also love their reactions when I told them about Sen. Cory Booker’s character reference letter for Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes.
Tony Ortega’s The Underground Bunker: Live with Meghann Cuniff on the Danny Masterson sentencing, Sept. 8
Getting to know Tony was one of the best parts about covering That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson’s trial(s). After a jury convicted Masterson of two counts of rape in May, I joined Tony on his YouTube channel for a detailed, live discussion about the case and the Church of Scientology.
DJ Vlad: Meghann Cuniff interview, Aug. 23
Vlad and I arranged this interview at the last minute on the second-day of Tory Lanez’s sentencing. Vlad is a big platform in hip-hop and beyond, and I was glad to meet with him at his studio in Burbank. I only wish I’d waited a few days so I wasn’t so fatigued. But it’s still a cool showing and one of the security officers at the Los Angeles federal courthouse saw it and gave me props for it.
No Jumper: Meghann M. Cuniff on Tory Lanez, A$AP Rocky Shooting Case, Nicki Minaj & More, Oct. 14
“I’m balling like an athlete but got no jumper.” This was a fun one. No Jumper is a hip-hop culture podcast/YouTube channel and needless to say I don’t endorse everything that’s ever happened on there, but I enjoyed seeing the studios and meeting some of the staff before the big interview with Adam22 about the Lanez case and a bunch of other stuff.
(tie) XXL and HotNewHipHop.com: Meghann ‘Thee Reporter’ Cuniff, the Internet’s Most Popular Legal Reporter Right Now, Weighs In on Young Thug’s Trial, Diddy’s Allegations, Tory Lanez Insults and More, Nov. 3 AND Meghann Cuniff Talks Tory Lanez & Megan Thee Stallion, Her Origins In Journalism, And Rising Above Social Media Narratives, Dec. 3
These are two other major hip-hop platforms, and I’m flattered both wanted to talk to me for year-end interviews. I had a great discussion with HotNewHipHop.com Managing Editor Alex Cole about journalism, social media and of course my coverage of Lanez’s trial, and I had another great discussion with XXL Editor Mackenzie Cummings-Grady about similar topics.
Honorable mention
Street Politicians: The Villainization of Black Women, Sept. 6 I was honored to join activists Tamika Mallory and Mysonne, the General in a discussion about Lanez’s case and also societal issues surrounding racism and police violence.
Slate’s ICYMI podcast: Meghann Cuniff on DJ Envy, Oct. 28 This was a fun discussion about my rise as Meghann Thee Reporter and the Internet fandom that pushed me into covering real estate fraud scheme ensnaring The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy.
BBC’s What in the World: Should rap lyrics be allowed as evidence in criminal trials?, Dec. 8 This was a great discussion about the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials that focused on Young Thug’s racketeering trial in Atlanta but included talk of Lanez’s case and the fatal shooting of a rapper named Dolla in Los Angeles in 2009.
Various outlets: All those TV interviews The Meghann talks on TV playlist on my YouTube channel is up to 48 videos. I’ve appeared on the show Good Morning Britain and the stations BBC, Fox 2 Detroit, CBS Chicago, Scripps News, Spectrum News 1 SoCal and LiveNOW from Fox. I’m enjoying a partnership with LiveNOW that puts me on air regularly, and I recently stacked a couple books under my laptop to give me a better camera angle. I was on there yesterday to discuss my top three cases of 2023.
Remember to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and last but not least TikTok, where I am enjoying a surge in followers (9.000+) as a 60-second clip of me discussing comedian Kevin Hart’s new extortion lawsuit against YouTuber Tasha K gains huge views (180,000+). I’m up to 11,600 followers and will be experimenting with short videos a lot more as my monetization capabilities kick in.
Stay tuned for big things from me in 2024.
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