Veteran AJC reporter Bill Rankin says goodbye to ‘Breakdown’ podcast

Q: You began “Breakdown” more than a decade ago, and at the time, you had no podcasting experience. Where did the idea come from?

Over the Thanksgiving holidays in 2014, our then-managing editor Bert Roughton went to see some relatives and on the drive listened to the popular “Serial” podcast.

When Bert returned from vacation, he asked my editor, Richard Halicks, if I had a case at the AJC that would merit a true crime podcast. It turned out that Atlanta lawyer Mike Caplan had recently told me about problems in the murder conviction of Justin Chapman in west Georgia.

We had no idea what we were getting into, but the “Breakdown” podcast was born, and the AJC became the first newspaper to publish a true crime podcast. We also had no clue how Chapman’s case would turn out, but we were overjoyed to report its conclusion.

Q: “Breakdown” has covered some of the most important legal cases in Georgia. Some — like this year’s season — explore cases that had already concluded. Others have followed developments in real time — like the trial in the Ahmaud Arbery case or the indictment of Donald Trump. What were the challenges and rewards of each?

In two seasons, we covered cases that had ended, and in two other seasons, the trials had concluded but there were still court proceedings that had yet to play out.

In those cases, we were able to secure audio recordings of trials and court hearings, which allowed us to bring listeners into the courtroom to hear the testimony and arguments for themselves. I loved doing that.

Credit: Bill Rankin

Credit: Bill Rankin

It was hard work, but it was nothing compared to putting out a weekly podcast of an ongoing trial.

The first time we did this was in Season 2, which followed the sensational case of Justin Ross Harris, who was tried for murdering his young son after leaving him in a hot car. After court ended, I had to write up that day’s highlights. This meant pulling audio snippets from the testimony and, if time allowed, interviewing experts about what had transpired. I did that every night, then went to court the next day.

At the end of each week, I put together the upcoming episode and recorded it in a closet on Saturday mornings with bedsheets and blankets draped over me to get the best acoustics possible.

Those were 60- to 80-hour work weeks, but it was worth it. Season 2 rose to the top five of all iTunes podcasts, and because of that, many listeners went back and listened to Season 1 for the first time.

Q: You retired in May, so this is your last season of “Breakdown.” What will you miss the most?

I’ve had the great fortune to work with some amazing journalists and sound engineers. It’s quite something to start an adventure like this from scratch and take it to completion. It’s been a true partnership. I already miss that camaraderie. A lot. By my count, of the 10 “Breakdown” seasons I was a part of, I helped put together and record more than 150 episodes. I can honestly say that every single time I was hooked up to a mic and ready to record, I was as nervous as could be. By the time we finished, I was OK. But let’s just say I don’t think I’ll be missing those beginnings.

Q: Apart from the podcast, you have spent 45 years in journalism, most of it at the AJC as its legal affairs reporter. What story or stories stand out to you over that time?

There are so many. I’ve absolutely loved my job and the opportunities that led me to report on numerous high-profile cases, not to mention getting to know some wonderful lawyers and judges who helped me in countless ways.

I’ve always said the story I’m most proud of was being the first to report the timing of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing, which pretty much shattered the accepted narrative that security guard Richard Jewell had something to do with it. (He was soon cleared.)

The others that stand out are a series of stories that showed the state’s indigent defense system was unconstitutionally dysfunctional and an investigation that showed Georgia’s death penalty was being administered in a wholly arbitrary and racially discriminatory manner.

There were also the sensational cases: the dogfighting charges against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, the racketeering case involving Atlanta’s infamous Gold Club strip club and the investigation and indictment of President Donald Trump in Fulton County. But the one that stands out the most is the murder case against NFL star linebacker Ray Lewis, partly because the trial was chock-full of surprises and mostly because I got to cover it with my wonderful friend and colleague Bill Torpy. That was a trial for the ages.

Q: Looking back at your career, what do you hope people take away from your reporting on the criminal justice system?

When I told my dad, a former editor at the paper, that I’d been given the job as the AJC’s courts and legal affairs reporter, he told me I needed to make sure the justice system operated in a just and fair manner and to expose any inequities I came across. I could not have received better advice because I came across many, many of them.

I like to say that my mission was to do everything I could to help keep the scales of justice on an even keel. And, when doing so, I tried to explain our court system in such a way that our readers, listeners, politicians and court officials could understand what was wrong.

Q: What are you doing in retirement?

I finally have time to read something other than court motions and judicial opinions. So I’m thoroughly enjoying reading one book after another. (I highly recommend Jonathan Eig’s “King: A Life” and Percival Everett’s “James.”) I’m trying to revive my golf game and am finding that a round more is enjoyable when played on a weekday instead of a weekend. My wife Carol and I also plan to travel as much as possible, hopefully to see our son James, who’s now living in Taipei.

I’m also going to be The AJC’s biggest cheerleader.

You can download the Breakdown podcast from Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcasting platform.