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 Defenseless296 | How South Dakota is Fixing its Public Defense Crisis w/Aditi Goel
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Aditi Goel of the Sixth Amendment Center. This time, we discuss their recent report about Public Defense in South Dakota…
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295 | What Can be Learned About Plea Bargaining from Japan's Failed Plea Experiment w/Lucian Dervan
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Lucian Dervan to discuss plea bargaining. This time, he joins to discuss what we can learn about plea bargaining from…
Public Defenseless294 | A Judicial Candidate Speaks Out Against Retaliation by a High Ranking Member of Oregon Public Defense w/Rachel Philips
Today, Hunter is joined by Oregon Criminal Defense and Victim's Rights lawyer Rachel Philips. Over the past three years, Rachel has been outspoken about…
Public Defenseless293 | Does Bail Reform Impact Crime Rates? w/Ames Grawert
Today, Hunter is joined by Ames Grawert of the Brennan Center to discuss a recent Brennan Center report of Bail Reform's impact (or lack thereof) on crime…
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292 | How Participatory Defense Gets the Community Involved in the Courtroom w/Raj Jayadev
Today, Hunter is joined by Raj Jayadev of Silicon Valley De-Bug to discuss participatory defense. In the early 2000's, Raj and SVDB sought to give communities…
Public Defenseless291 | How the Innocence Project of New Orleans is Fighting to Keep the Innocent out of Prison w/Jee Park
Today, Hunter is joined by Jee Park, the Executive Director of the Innocence Project of New Orleans to discuss wrongful convictions and post-conviction work in…
Public Defenseless290 | How Louisiana's Governor is Reviving the "Super Predator" Myth to Police, Prosecute and Jail Young People w/Hannah Van De Car
Today, Hunter is joined by Hannah Van De Car to discuss the recent "tough on crime" policies that Louisiana Jeff Landry is pursuing in the Youth Justice space…
Public Defenseless289 | The Horrible Direction Louisiana Public Defense is Headed Under its New Leadership w/Derwyn Bunton
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Derwyn Bunton. The last time Derwyn was on the show, he was the chief Public Defender in the Orleans Parish of Louisiana…
Public Defenseless288 | The Problems and Potential for Utah's Patchwork Youth Defense System w/Pam Vickrey
Today, Hunter is joined by Pam Vickrey, Executive Director of the Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys to discuss a recent report, conducted in partnership with…
Public Defenseless287 | How California Law Enforcement Agencies are Keeping Police Misconduct Hidden w/Katey Rusch
Today, Hunter is joined by journalist Katey Rusch to discuss her recent bombshell reporting on California law enforcement agencies use of "clean record"…
Public Defenseless286 | The Courts Giving Young People the Specialized Resources they Need to Succeed w/Paul Bowen and Jacqueline van Wormer
Today, Hunter is joined by Paul Bowen and Jacqueline van Wormer Ph.D. to discuss the juvenile treatment courts that they have helped set up around the country…
Public Defenseless285 | How the Civil Legal System Makes it Difficult to Hold Larry Nassar, the Catholic Church, and Other Powerful Organizations Accountable w/Parker Stinar
Today, Hunter is joined by civil litigator Park Stinar to discuss his work in suing people and organizations who have sexually violated his clients. Through…
Public Defenseless284 | How Alabama's Fines and Fees Fail Criminal Defendants, Victims, and the Entire State w/Leah Nelson and Judge Stephen Wallace
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Leah Nelson, and this time, she is joined by Judge Stepehen Wallace. On today's episode, Leah and Judge Wallace are her…
Public Defenseless283 | The Restorative Justice Program Trying to Heal the Wounds of a Wrongful Conviction w/Jennifer Thompson and Jamie Lau
Today, Hunter is joined by two people who's work attempts to bring people together to heal after a wrongful conviction. Jennifer Thompson, Founder of Healing…
Public Defenseless282 | How a Former Public Defender Hopes to End Mass Incarceration as a Progressive Prosecutor w/Matthew S
Today, Hunter is joined by former Public Defender and current Senior Advisor to District Attorney Larry Krasner, Matthew Stiegler. After Tuesday's episode, we…
Public Defenseless281 | How Philly Public Defenders Uncovered Systemic Abuses in the Philly Police Department w/Paula Sen and Michael Mellon
Today, Hunter is joined by two Philly Public Defenders, Michael Mellon and Paula Sen, to discuss how their work with the Philly Public Defender Police…
Public Defenseless280 | Why did the Stanislaus County Public Defender Say they Were Ready to Refuse Taking New Cases w/Jennifer Jennison
Today, Hunter is joined by Stanislaus County Chief Public Defender, Jennifer Jennison. In the past year, Jennifer has been confronted with the most challenging…
Public Defenseless279 | The Problems with Public Defense in Nueces County Texas w/Jessica Brand and Adrienne Johnson
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Jessica Brand and Adrienne Johnson of the Wren Collective. This time, Jessica and Adrienne join to discuss their recent…
Public Defenseless278 | The Systemic Corruption and Coverups at the Denver Sheriff Department w/Brittany Iriart and Andy McNulty
Today, Hunter is joined by former whistleblower Brittany Iriart and Civil Rights Attorney Andy McNulty to discuss a scandalous coverup with the Denver Sheriffs…
Public Defenseless277 | Venezuelan Gangs Haven't Taken Over Aurora, But What is Happening? w/Chase Woodruff
Today, Hunter is joined by Colorado Newsline Journalist Chase Woodruff. Over the past several weeks, Aurora, Colorado has been thrust into the national…
Public Defenseless276 | The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy w/Jessica Pishko
Today, Hunter is joined by Jessica Pishko to discuss her new book The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy. So far…
Public Defenseless275 | How NACDL is Helping Public and Private Defenders Fight Back Against New Oppressive Policies w/Lisa Wayne
Today, Hunter is joined by Lisa Wayne, the Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. In this episode, Lisa and Hunter discuss…
Public Defenseless274 | Between 46%-99% of Colorado Public Defenders are Overworked. Why is the State Waiting Two Years for Workload Standards w/James Hardy and Kayleigh TenBarge
Today, Hunter is by two Colorado State Public Defenders, James Hardy and Kayleigh TenBarge. When this episode was first recorded, James, Kayleigh, and Hunter…
Public Defenseless273 | How the Junk Science "Excited Delirium" Shields Cops From Accountability w/Rachel Kincaid
Today, Hunter is joined by Professor Rachel Kincaid to talk about her recent law review article about the junk science excited delirium. Through her research…
Public Defenseless272 | The Challenges of Providing Holistic Defense in Rural North Carolina w/Beth Stang
Today, Hunter is joined by our first North Carolina Public Defender, Beth Stang. Today, we will be discussing all that is going right, going wrong, and what…
Public Defenseless271 | How a Person Can Get Evicted for being the Victim of a Crime too Many Times w/Alex Kornya
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Alex Kornya to discuss the intersection between the criminal and civil legal systems. Last time, Alex detailed how fines…
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270 | What Was Happening in Grants Pass, Oregon Before the Supreme Court OK'd Criminalizing Homelessness w/Jeremiah Hayden
Today, Hunter is joined by journalist Jeremiah Hayden. Over the past several months, Jeremiah has been covering the reality for homeless people in Grants Pass…
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269 | How Oklahoma is Giving a Second Chance to Criminalized Domestic Violence Survivors w/Alexandra Bailey
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Alexandra Bailey, senior campaign strategist with the Sentencing Project, to discuss how her and a coalition of amazing…
Public Defenseless268 | How the Los Angeles Public Defender Is Bringing Court to their Clients w/Ricardo Garcia and Marcus Huntley
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Ricardo Garcia and joining the show for the first time Marcus Huntley. On today's show, Ricardo and Marcus detail how…
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267 | How The Destruction of DNA Evidence Might Keep An Innocent Person Behind Bars w/Erica Nichols Cook
Today, Hunter is joined by Erica Nichols Cook, an Iowa State Public Defender and Director of the Iowa State Public Defense Wrongful Conviction Unit. On today's…
Public Defenseless266 | With a Conservative Supreme Court, Do State Courts Offer the Best Path for a Better Criminal Legal System? w/Kathrina (Kasia) Szymborski Wolfkot
Today, Hunter is joined by Kathrina "Kasia" Szymborski Wolfkot from the Brennan Center for Justice. On today's episode, Hunter and Kasia explore a rare area…
Public Defenseless265 | The Problems with Public Defense in Guam w/Aditi Goel
Today, Hunter is joined by the Sixth Amendment Center's Deputy Director Aditi Goel. This time, Hunter and Aditi the Sixth Amendment Center's newest report on…
Public Defenseless264 | How Police Academies Foster a Culture of Police Violence w/Samantha Simon
Today, Hunter is joined by professor Samantha Simon, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona. This episode is a deep dive into…
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263 | What Changes are Coming to Fix Maine's Public Defense Crisis? w/Jim Billings
Today, Hunter is joined by Jim Billings, the Executive Director of the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services. At the very start of the show, Hunter spoke…
Public Defenseless262 | How the Good Faith Exception is Eroding Our Right to Privacy w/Matthew Tokson
Today, Hunter is joined by University of Utah law Professor, Matthew Tokson, to discuss his most recent law review article The Reality of the Good Faith…
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261 | The Problems with Public Defense in Florida and Georgia w/Radley Balko
Today, Hunter spoke once again with Radley Balko, a long-time investigative journalist, to discus his most recent reporting on public defense in Florida and…
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260 | How the Lack of Independence Weakens Federal Public Defense w/Melody Brannon
Today, Hunter spoke with the Chief Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas to discuss independence, or the lack thereof, for federal public…
Public Defenseless259 | How the Threat of a Strike got Minnesota's Public Defenders a 25% Raise w/Bob Kolstad and Veronica Surges
Today, Hunter spoke once again w/Bob Kolstad and for the first time Veronica Surges. Both are public defenders in the state of Minnesota, and they joined the…
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258 | What Actually Happened to Minnesota's Legal and Public Defender System After the Murder of George Floyd w/Bill Ward
Today, Hunter kicks off a week about Public Defense in Minnesota by speaking with the Chief Public Defender of the State, Bill Ward. Throughout this episode…
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257 | If Another Person Confesses to a Crime, Why Can't Jurors Hear that Evidence? w/Sharon Turlington
Today, Hunter is joined by long time Capital Defender, Sharon Turlington. Today, the two discuss cases that bookended Sharon's career in Missouri. Both cases…
Public Defenseless256 | The Fight to Free a Man Convicted Because of One Cop's Perjury w/Jason Gain
Today, Hunter is joined by Jason Gain, a West Virginia Post Conviction defense attorney. On this episode, the two continue the miniseries covering the dangers…
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255 | The Dangers of a Conviction Based on the Testimony of One Person w/Eric Tindal
Today, Hunter is joined by Eric Tindal, a criminal defense attorney in Iowa. Today's discussion focuses on the question, how much evidence does it take to…
Public Defenseless254 | The Former Bronx Defender Campaigning to Bring Holistic Defense to Florida's 9th Judicial Circuit w/Lenora Easter
Today, Hunter is joined by Lenora Easter, a candidate for the Public Defender position in Orange and Osceola Counties. As a former Bronx Defender and member of…
Public Defenseless253 | The ACLU Lawsuit Seeking to Radically Change Pennsylvania Public Defense w/Vic Walczak and Veronica Miller
Today, Hunter is joined by two amazing guests from the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Vic Walczak and Veronica Miller join the show to discuss the newest ACLU lawsuit…
Public Defenseless252 | The Rise, Fall, and Disbarment of Florida's Worst Chief Public Defender w/Andrew Pantazi
Today, Hunter is joined by journalist Andrew Pantazi to tell the story of Florida's worst Chief Public Defender, Matt Shirk. For more than a decade, Andrew and…
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251 | What Can Save Pennsylvania Public Defense w/Sara Jacobson, Autumn Johnson, Samuel Encarnacion
Today, Hunter is joined by three Public Defenders from the state of Pennsylvania to get a feel for how Public Defense is fairing outside of the Philadelphia…
Public Defenseless250 | Why did the Bronx Defender's Union Vote to go on Strike? w/Tyler Johnson, Marlene Marte, Katherine Azcona
Today, Hunter is joined by three members of the Bronx Defenders Union, Tyler Johnson, Katerine Azcona, and Marlene Marte. This episode comes on the heels of…
Public Defenseless249 | Angela Chang and Brooke Burns: How Ohio Public Defenders Push Back Against the Return of the "Super Predator" Myth
Today, Hunter is joined by Brooke Burns and Angela Chang, two Ohio Public Defenders working tirelessly to stop the return of the "Super Predator" myth. Over…
Public Defenseless248 | Scarlett Lewis: After Her Son was Murdered at Sandy Hook, One Mother's Fight to Reduce Violence by Choosing Love
Today, Hunter sat down for a powerful conversation with Scarlett Lewis. Scarlett's son Jesse Lewis was one of the children murdered in the Sandy Hook school…
Public Defenseless247 | Chesa Boudin: Lessons Learned from San Francisco's Progressive Prosecution Movement
Today, Hunter is joined by Chesa Boudin, the former District Attorney of San Francisco, to discuss his transition from public defender to prosecutor and the…
Public Defenseless246 | Eric Whitcher: South Dakota's Small First Step to Statewide Public Defense
Today, Hunter sat down with Eric Whitcher, Director of the Pennington County Public Defender Office. Until recently, South Dakota and Pennsylvania shared the…
Public Defenseless245 | Travis Finck: On the Brink of a Crisis, What can Be Done to Save North Dakota Public Defense?
Today, Hunter sat down with once again with Travis Finck, the Executive Director of the North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents. This time, we…
Public Defenseless244 | Grant Miller: The Utah Public Defender Campaigning to Bring Big Changes to the Utah State Legislature
Today, Hunter sat down with Grant Miller a Utah Public Defender running for Utah House District 24. Throughout the course of the show, Hunter and numerous…
Public Defenseless243 | Duci Goncalves and Lael Chester: How Massachusetts is Re-imaging how the Criminal Legal System Treats Emerging Adults
Today, Hunter sat down with Duci Goncalves and Lael Chester to discuss how Massachusetts has started to reimagine how the criminal legal system treats emerging…
Public Defenseless242 | Eve Primus: The Hollowing Out of Miranda Rights, and What we Can Do About it
Today, Hunter is joined once again by University of Michigan Professor of Law Eve Primus. So far, Eve and Hunter have discussed Public Defender Systems…
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241 | Lucian Dervan: Why do Innocent People Plead Guilty, and What Does it Mean for Our Plea Bargaining System
Today, Hunter is joined Lucian Dervan, Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Justice Studies at Belmont College and Founding Director of the Plea…
Public Defenseless240 | Adrienne Johnson: Can Gwinnett County Muster the Political Will to Solve their Public Defender Problems
Today, Hunter is joined by another amazing guest from the Wren Collective, Adrienne Johnson. Today's conversation is about their report on Public Defense in…
Public Defenseless239 | Elisabeth Pollock and Devshi Mehrotra: How the Champaign IL Public Defenders used A.I. to Revive their Office
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Justice Text Co-Founder Devshi Mehrotra to discuss how Justice Text is helping Public Defender Office's enter the digital…
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238 | Patricia Warth: The Budget Moves Threatening Vital New York Public Defender Services
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Patricia Warth, Director of the NY Office of Indigent Legal Services. This time, Hunter and Patricia discuss the in the…
Public Defenseless237 | Galit Lipa: The Fight to Get California to View Public Defense as a Public Good and not a Private Luxury
Today, Hunter is joined by the newest State Public Defender of California, Galit Lipa. As discussed on previous episodes, California has a county based public…