5 episodes

From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

For over a decade, one Tennessee county arrested and illegally jailed hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. A four-part narrative series reveals how this came to be, the adults responsible for it, and the two lawyers, former juvenile delinquents themselves, who try to do something about it.

The Kids of Rutherford County Serial

    • True Crime
    • 4.2 • 2.5K Ratings

From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

For over a decade, one Tennessee county arrested and illegally jailed hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. A four-part narrative series reveals how this came to be, the adults responsible for it, and the two lawyers, former juvenile delinquents themselves, who try to do something about it.

    Episode 1: The Egregious Video

    Episode 1: The Egregious Video

    A police officer in Rutherford County, Tenn., sees a video of little kids fighting, and decides to investigate. This leads to the arrest of 11 kids for watching the fight. The arrests do not go smoothly.

    From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

    • 27 min
    Episode 2: What the Hell Are You People Doing?

    Episode 2: What the Hell Are You People Doing?

    A young lawyer named Wes Clark can’t get the Rutherford County juvenile court to let his clients out of detention — even when the law says they shouldn’t have been held in the first place. He’s frustrated and demoralized, until he makes a friend.

    From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

    • 32 min
    Episode 3: Would You Like to Sue the Government?

    Episode 3: Would You Like to Sue the Government?

    Wes Clark reads a telling line in a police report about how Rutherford County’s juvenile justice system really works. He and his law partner Mark Downton realize they have a massive class action on their hands.

    From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

    • 47 min
    Episode 4: Dedicated Public Servants

    Episode 4: Dedicated Public Servants

    The lawyers settle with the county, which agrees to pay the kids who were wrongfully arrested and illegally jailed; the hard part is actually getting the kids paid.

    From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

    • 38 min
    Trailer

    Trailer

    For over a decade, one Tennessee county arrested and illegally jailed hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. A four-part narrative series reveals how this came to be, the adults responsible for it, and the two lawyers, former juvenile delinquents themselves, who try to do something about it.

    From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South. Get it everywhere you get your podcasts on Thursday, October 26th.

    • 2 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
2.5K Ratings

2.5K Ratings

PCtobenamedlater ,

Worth a listen

I’ll listen to anything from or recommended by Serial. Although I may have been hoping for a little more, I found the topic interesting. Our world has become so complex, and is reliant on so many parties acting in an ethical manner that it feels like progress is grindingly slow.

Soapjunkie67 ,

Appalled

I’m on episode 2 and loving the show but so appalled that this happened! I’m a retired courtroom clerk from the Orange County Superior Court in California and I’ve never seen anything like this. In California we have CJP, Council on Judicial Performance and I’m wondering, does Tennessee not have this too because, if not, they need it and, if they do, these attorneys need to be reporting on Judge Davenport.

LexiWanda ,

why is she talking like that

the narrators voice and weird cadence is extremely hard to listen to …. not sure i’ll be able to listen to this one to completion because it’s very annoying.

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