Shows / Public Defenseless
Public Defenseless
Anyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system perpetuates cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people just trying to get through another day. Public Defenseless explores the rot in the system and what we can do about it. Host and public defender Hunter Parnell talks with defense attorneys, advocates, scholars and journalists from across the country as they pull apart the system's convoluted web. Views are the host's and guests' own, not…
Episodes
Public Defenseless472 | Can Former Public Defenders Improve the Bench in Multnomah County, Oregon? w/Kristine Almquist, Joe Hagedorn, Peter Klym, Joanna Perini-Abott, Chris Behre
Today, Hunter was joined by five former public defenders, all running for a judicial position in Multnomah County, Oregon. Hunter and the candidates discuss…
Public Defenseless471 | The Science of Second Chances w/Jennifer Doleac
Today, Hunter was joined by Jennifer Doleac, Executive VP of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures and author of the book, The Science of Second Chances…
Public Defenseless470 | Why did the Marion County Public Defenders Decide to Unionize Their Office w/Lucy Frick and Tim Smith
Today, Hunter was joined by Lucy Frick and Tim Smith of the Marion County Public Defender Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the past two years, Lucy, Tim…
Public Defenseless469 | How Tennessee's Mass Incarceration Policies are Making the State less Safe w/Dawn Deaner
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Dawn Deaner, Executive Director of the Choosing Justice Initiative and a candidate for Davidson County Judge Criminal…
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468 | How the New Jersey Public Defenders are Integrating AI into their Work w/Jennifer Sellitti
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Jennifer Sellitti, the Public Defender for the state of New Jersey. This time, Hunter and Jennifer discussed a slew of…
Public Defenseless467 | How Coroners Keep How People Die While in Police Custody Hidden from the Public w/Terence Keel
Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Terence Keel to discuss his book Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence. Hunter and…
Public Defenseless466 | The Lawsuit Challenging How Missouri Treats People with Mental Illness Being Held Pre-Trial w/Maureen Hanlon and Anita Tabb
Today, Hunter was joined by Maureen Hanlon and Anita Tabb, two people fighting to change how Missouri treats people with mental illness in the states jails and…
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465 | The Fines and Fees Justice Center's Campaigns to Break the Invisible Shackles of Court Fees and Fines w/Dylan Hayre and Emily King
Today, Hunter was joined by two amazing guests from the Fines and Fees Justice Center, Dylan Hayre and Emily King. They joined the show to discuss incredible…
Public Defenseless464 | The Public Defender Hoping to Bring a New Generation of Leadership to Congress w/Vichal Kumar
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Vichal Kumar. On previous episodes, Vichal joined to discuss the incredible work he has accomplished with Partners for…
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463 | How the Defenders Association of Philadelphia is Resisting Trump's Mass Deportation Agenda w/Lilah Thompson and Maria Thomson
Today, Hunter was joined by Lilah Thompson and Maria Thomson from the Defenders Association of Philadelphia. These two work in the office's immigration unit…
Public Defenseless462 | How Restorative Justice Could Transform What Public Safety Looks Like w/Amanda Carrasco
Today, Hunter was joined by Amanda Carrasco a restorative justice advocate and author of Becoming the Brave One. Throughout her life, Amanda has dealt with…
Public Defenseless461 | How to Empower Social Workers in Public Defender Offices w/Kay Edwards
Today, Hunter was joined by Kay Edwards from the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender Office. There, Kay is the Mental Health Supervisor and she joins the…
Public Defenseless460 | How California's Failure to Fund Public Defense is Hurting Everyone w/Tracie Olson
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Tracie Olson the Chief Public Defender of the Yolo County Public Defender Office. Tracie joins to discuss the recent…
Public Defenseless459 | What will Happen if Washington State does not Figure Out How to Fund Public Defense at the State Level? w/Matt Sanders
Today, Hunter was joined by Matt Sanders, Director of King County's Department of Public Defense. Matt joins to discuss Washington's millionaire tax and the…
Public Defenseless458 | How Public Defense is Sold to the Lowest Bidder in Rural California w/Anat Rubin
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Anat Rubin, an Investigative Journalist with Cal Matters. This time, Anat joins to discuss her reporting about the…
Public Defenseless457 | How Washington Built One of the Best Family Defense Teams in the Country w/Brett Ballew and Tonia McClanahan
Today, Hunter was joined by two members of Washington's Family Defense Team, Brett Ballew and Tonia McClanahan. As we did on Tuesday, the show explores the…
Public Defenseless456 | How Public Defenders can Help Stop Family Separations w/Mary Anne Mendenhall
Today, Hunter was joined by Mary Anne Mendenhall, the Director of Family Defense Initiatives with Partners for Justice. On previous episodes, Hunter has…
Public Defenseless455 | What Can be Done to Slow the Spread of Mass Surveillance? w/Jay Stanley
Today, Hunter was joined by Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. With more than 20 years of experience…
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454 | The Public Defender Running to get Ritchie Torres Out of Congress w/Dalourny Nemorin
Today, Hunter was joined by Dalourny Nemorin, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society and candidate for NY's 15th Congressional District. Dalourny joins…
Public Defenseless453 | How America's Mass Surveillance State is Making it More Likely that Your Data Will be Used Against You w/Andrew Ferguson
Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Andrew Ferguson to discuss his new book, Your Data will be Used Against You. In it, Professor Ferguson discusses how and…
Public Defenseless452 | With a Budget Shortfall Looming, What Comes Next for Maine Public Defense w/Frayla Tarpinian
Today, Hunter was joined by Maine's Frayla Tarpinian, the new Executive Director of Maine's Commission on Public Defense Services. Guest: Frayla Tarpinian…
Public Defenseless451 | How the Tough on Crime Lobby Influences Colorado Criminal Justice Policy w/Kyle Giddings and Rebecca Wallace
Today, Hunter was joined by Kyle Giddings and Rebecca Wallace to discuss how tough on crime types shape Colorado criminal justice policy. From the outside…
Public Defenseless450 | How Has New York's Bail Reform Laws Impacted Public Safety? w/Rene Ropac
Today, Hunter was joined by René Ropac of the Data Collaborative for Justice to discuss their newest report on the impacts, or lack thereof, of New York's bail…
Public Defenseless449 | How the People of Minneapolis Organized to Resist ICE, CBP, and DHS w/Brandon Garcia, Maggie Bott, and Bob Kolstad
Today, Hunter was joined by three people, Maggie Bott, Brandon Garcia, and Bob Kolstad, who have lived through the federal occupation of Minneapolis. They join…
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448 | How the History of the New York Police Department Reveals the Essential Problems with Policing w/Matthew Guariglia
Today, Hunter spoke with Matthew Guariglia, a historian, scholar, and author of the book Police and the Empire City: Race and the Origins of Modern Policing in…
Public Defenseless447 | Why did an Oregon Public Defender Sue the Oregon Public Defense Commission? Part 2 w/Stacey Lowe
Today, Hunter spoke w/Stacey Lowe, Executive Director of the Southwest Oregon Public Defender Services. They discussed why Stacey joined Shannon Wilson's…
Public Defenseless446 | Why did an Oregon Public Defender Sue the Oregon Public Defense Commission? Part 1 w/Shannon Wilson and Stephen Hanlon
Today, Hunter spoke w/Shannon Wilson and Stephen Hanlon. Last fall, Shannon, the Executive Director of the Marion County Public Defender, filed a lawsuit…
Public Defenseless445 | How We Can Improve Public Safety with Mercy and Compassion w/Emily Galvin Almanza
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Emily Galvin Almanza, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Partners for Justice and author of a new book, The Price…
Public Defenseless444 | What Can Help Fix the Public Defense Crisis in Rural California? w/Luke Brownfield
Today, Hunter was joined by Luke Brownfield, the Chief Public Defender in Humboldt County, California. With a shortage of attorneys willing to come to the…
Public Defenseless443 | Will San Joaquin County Public Defenders be the Next Office to Stop Taking New Cases? w/Judyanne Vallado
Today, Hunter was joined by Judyanne Vallado, the Chief Public Defender in San Joaquin County, California. With a tough on crime DA and large amounts of gun…
Public Defenseless442 | How Alameda County Public Defense is Dealing w/Increased Workloads and ICE at the Courthouse w/Brendon Woods
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Alameda County Chief Public Defender Brendon Woods. This time, they discuss how the office is handling their ever…
Public Defenseless441 | With Dems in Control, Will Virginia Finally Pass More Progressive Criminal Justice Policies? w/Rob Poggenklass and Bryan Kennedy
Today, Hunter spoke once again with Rob Poggenklass and Bryan Kennedy from Justice Forward Virginia. Last year, Justice Forward Virginia joined the show to…
Public Defenseless440 | How Public Defenders Can Build Political Coalitions that Support Criminal Justice Policy Reforms w/Stephen Saloom
Today, Hunter was joined by Stephen Saloom, the Director of Concerts of Indigent Defense. He joined the show to discuss Concerts for Indigent Defense and the…
Public Defenseless439 | The Lawsuit Challenging Louisiana's use of Slave Labor on Angola's Infamous "Farm Line" w/Samantha Pourciau
Today, Hunter was joined by Samantha Pourciau of the Promise of Justice Initiative to discuss litigation they are brining to end the "Farm Line" at Angola…
Public Defenseless438 | How to Build Emotional Intelligence Skills in Public Defense w/Ali Bloomquist and Cherise Fanno Burdeen PhD
Today, Hunter was joined by Ali Bloomquist and Cherise Fanno Burdeen PhD about their new paper titled "Emotion First Theory & Practice: Emotional Intelligence…
Public Defenseless437 | The Cruelty is the Point: Immigration Detention Expansion Under the Trump Administration w/Aaron Reichlin-Melnick
Today, Hunter was joined by the American Immigration Council's Aaron Reichlin-Melnick to discuss a new report published by AIC. Over the past two years, the…
Public Defenseless436 | The New York Laws that Could Chip Away at the State's Mass Incarceration Policies w/Thomas Gant
Today, Hunter was joined by Thomas Gant, a Community Organizer with the Center for Community Alternatives. Thomas joins the show to describe three different…
Public Defenseless435 | How Alaska is Punishing American Samoans for Believing They Had the Right to Vote w/Alex Burness
Today, Hunter was joined by Alex Burness of Bolts Magazine to discuss his recent piece of reporting on American Samoans in Alaska. Specifically, Alex walks us…
Public Defenseless434 | Why is a San Francisco Judge Threatening to hold the Public Defender in Contempt? w/Mano Raju
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Mano Raju, the elected Chief Public Defender in the San Francisco Public Defender Office. Last time he was one the show…
Public Defenseless433 | How Pre-Trial Mitigation Can Save People From Incarceration w/Max Miner
Today, Hunter was joined by Max Miner the Founder of Executive Treatment Solutions. At one point in his life, Max hit rock bottom. Suffering with drug…
Public Defenseless432 | How the Denver Municipal Public Defenders Interrupt the Punishment of Poverty w/Alex Flood and Dan Fitzgerald
Today, Hunter was joined by Alex Flood and Dan Fitzgerald of the Denver Municipal Public Defender Office. Today's episode focuses on the holistic public…
Public Defenseless431 | Lessons Learned from Public Defender Offices Trying to Implement Workload Standards w/Jessie Lenhardt
Today, Hunter was joined by Jessie Lenhardt, a Management Consultant with Moss Adams. In her time as a consultant, Jessie has helped countless government…
Public Defenseless430 | How Las Vegas Casinos Got a Special Court that Allows them to Punish Poverty on the Las Vegas Strip w/Dallas Anselmo and Olivia Miller
Today, Hunter was joined by Olivia Miller and Dallas Anselmo of the Clark County Public Defender Office. They joined to discuss the "corridor court" operating…
Public Defenseless2025 Wrap Up
Today, Hunter wraps up 2025 with one last episode! Guest: Resources: Top 10 Episodes of 2025 334 | Was a Former Colorado Public Defender Fired for Raising…
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429 | How Technology Can Improve Public Defense in and out of the Courtroom w/Mohammed Al Rawi and Ryan Wolfe
Today, Hunter was joined by Mohammed Al Rawi and Ryan Wolfe of ZLS.App. The three discussed how ZLS is helping public defenders improve case management with…
Public Defenseless428 | How Will New Leadership Handle Missouri Public Defender's Low Pay and the State's Mental Health Resource Crisis w/Matthew Crowell
Today, Hunter was joined by the new Chief Public Defender for the state of Missouri, Matthew Crowell. Matthew and Hunter discussed a range of topics that…
Public Defenseless427 | What Happened to Public Defense in Stanislaus County After They Started Talking About Not Taking New Cases? w/Jennifer Jennison
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Stanislaus County Chief Public Defender Jennifer Jennison. Last time she was one the show, Jennifer detailed how she…
Public Defenseless426 | The Conservative Arkansas County Trying to Stop a Prison Being Built Next Door w/Lauren Gill
Today, Hunter was joined by Bolts Magazine staff writer, Lauren Gill. Back in September, Lauren authored a remarkable piece about how a small county in rural…
Public Defenseless*AUDIO FIXED* 425 | How Ramsey County Prosecutors and Public Defenders are Collaborating to Improve the Legal System w/John Choi and Greg Egan
Today, Hunter was joined by Greg Egan and John Choi. For the first time on the show, a Public Defender and the District Attorney join the show at the same time…
Public Defenseless424 | If You Cannot Afford an Attorney, None Will Be Appointed to You w/Andrew Davies and Shelby Sirivore
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Andrew Davies and Shelby Sirivore of the Deason Center. This time, the two join the show to help us understand the…
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423 | How the Los Angeles Public Defender is Revolutionizing the Representation of People with Neurocognitive Disorders w/Noah Cox
Today, Hunter was joined by Los Angeles Deputy Public Defender Noah Coax. Noah leads the office's Neurocognitive Disorder Team that has charted a new path for…
Public Defenseless422 | What Does it Take to Undo California's Legacy of Mass Incarceration? w/Danielle Harris
Today, Hunter was joined by Danielle Harris, Managing Attorney of the Freedom Project at the San Francisco Public Defender Office. Thanks to mass incarceration…
Public Defenseless421 | How the Law Makes it So Easy for Prosecutors to Withhold Evidence w/Justin Murray
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Professor Justin Murray. This time, Justin and Hunter discussed Justin's newest law review article, Brady's Shadow. In…
Public Defenseless420 | Did the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Defender Services Flagrantly try to Union Bust? w/Heather Stoloff and Andie Markowitz
Today, Hunter was joined by two guests from the Brooklyn Defender Services, Heather Stoloff and Andie Markowitz. Unfortunately, today's conversation brings us…
Public Defenseless419 | Why did The CJA Panel in New Mexico Stop Accepting New Cases? w/Ryan Villa
Today, Hunter was joined by the CJA Panel Rep for New Mexico, Ryan Villa. The last time Hunter talked about CJA panels on the show he discussed how the federal…
Public Defenseless418 | The Organization Trying to Help More than 195,000 Afghan Allies Find Safety w/Shawn VanDiver
Today, Hunter was the President and Founder of #AfghanEvac, Shaw VanDiver. During our two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, America made a promise to…
Public Defenseless417 | How a Jailhouse Lawyer Challenged Louisiana's Mass Incarceration from Inside Angola Prison w/Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull
Today, Hunter was joined by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull, Co-authors of the book, Jailhouse Lawyer. In this book, Sophie and Calvin tell the story of Calvin's…
Public Defenseless416 | How Louisiana Built the Project of Mass Incarceration w/Nick Weldon and Eric Seiferth
Today, Hunter was joined by Eric Seiferth and Nick Weldon of the New Orleans Historic Collection to discuss a historic exhibit they curated. The Captive State…
Public Defenseless415 | How the Detroit Justice Center is Helping People Eliminate Their Court Fines and Fees w/Nancy A. Parker and Rubina Mustafa
Today, Hunter was joined by two guest from the Detroit Justice Center, Nancy A. Parker and Rubina Mustafa. As they did on Tuesday, Hunter and his guests are…
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414 | How California Built a Database to Track Police Misconduct w/Katey Rusch
Today, Hunter was joined once again by journalist Katey Rausch. Last time Katey was on the show, she discussed her bombshell reporting on the non-disclosure…