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 Defenseless
179: The Cruel Past, Present and Future of Solitary Confinement w/Keramet Reiter
Today, Hunter sat down with Professor Keramet Reiter to discuss her decades+ research into solitary confinement and the American Prison System. In her immense…
- Public Defenseless
178: How Does the Tennessee Youth Legal System Allow Judges to Make up Crimes and Illegally Jail Kids w/Christina Kleiser and Meribah Knight
Today, Hunter is joined by two fierce advocates for youth justice in the state of Tennessee. Chris Kleiser, a Knox County Public Defender, and Meribah Knight…
Public Defenseless177: The Public Defender Policy Team Fighting Back Against San Francisco's Pro-Policing Agenda w/Angela Chan
Today's guest brings a decade plus of experience in criminal justice policy reform to the San Francisco Public Defender Office. Hunter spoke with Angela Chan…
Public Defenseless176: The Corruption and Coverup that Led to the Wrongful Conviction of Tim Wright w/Adam Deutsch
Today, Hunter spoke with a longtime investigator in the innocence movement, Adam Deutsch, to discuss the wrongful conviction of Tim Wright. In 2008, was…
Public Defenseless175: How Iowa Makes People Pay for Their Public Defenders w/Darren Page *AUDIO ISSUES CORRECTED*
*There was an issue with the file uploading to the podcast platforms. It has been corrected! Apologies* Today, Hunter spoke with Iowa Public Defender, Darren…
- Public Defenseless
174: How UnCommon Law Challenges California's Broken System of Parole w/Keith Wattley
Joining Hunter today is Keith Wattley, the Founder and Executive Director of Uncommon Law. Keith and his team at Uncommon Law support people navigating…
Public Defenseless173: Defending those that Protested Against Police Brutality and the Killing of Elijah McClain w/Amelia Power
Today, Hunter is joined by criminal defense attorney and former public defender Amelia Power to discuss her role in defending those who protested the killing…
Public Defenseless172: Manifesting Justice: How Wrongfully Convicted Women Reclaim Their Rights w/Valena Beety
While the Innocence Project has continuously done amazing work in revealing just how flawed our legal system can be, there has always been limits on the cases…
Public Defenseless171: The Innocence Project's Future Fight Against Racial Bias and Emerging Junk Sciences w/Christina Swarns
Few organizations have been able to demonstrate the injustice of our criminal legal system quite like the Innocence Project, but their fight against the things…
Public Defenseless170: The NDS Harlem Union's Fight for a Fair Contract Amidst New York's Housing Crisis w/William Botchway, Naomi Schachter, Jeremy Tinsley
Another union episode and another union episode predicated on a communication failure, a cost-of-living crisis and a desperate need for a fair contract. Today…
Public Defenseless169: How the Ever Expanding Pre-Trial Surveillance Impacts Alaska Public Defense w/Justin Racette
Today, Hunter continues his exploration of the criminal legal system in Alaska. Joining him today is Fairbanks Public Defender, Justin Racette. On Tuesday…
Public Defenseless168: Alaska's Brief Moment of Criminal Justice Reform and their Turn to Tough on Crime Policies w/Mike Garvey and Megan Edge
Today, Hunter spoke with Michael Garvey and Megan Edge of the ACLU of Alaska to examine the policy history of Alaska that has made it such a pro carceral…
Public DefenselessBONUS: A New Database Providing Public Defenders the Latest Social Science Data for Court w/Eve Primus
Part of the goals of this show is to remind Public Defenders that they are not alone in their fight. There is a massive network across the nation of people…
Public Defenseless167: Rebuilding the New York Legal Aid Society's Union Strength w/Jane Fox
There may be no Public Defender Union with as long and storied of a history as the New York Legal Aid Society's, and today, Hunter spoke with Chapter Chair of…
Public Defenseless166: How the Deck is Heavily Stacked Against Federal Public Defenders w/Colin Prince and Jay McEntire
From the limited discovery, limited access to witnesses, and the limited resources, Federal Public Defenders around the country are fighting for their clients…
Public Defenseless165: Will a New Data Driven Approach Be the Key to the Future for Montana Public Defense w/Brett Schandelson
Montana Public Defense has seen a lot in the 21st century. A lawsuit in the early aughts lead to massive changes and the creation of the state public defender…
Public Defenseless164: "Why Would You Even Ask That?" The Absurdity of America's Youth Justice System w/Iliana Pujols
What can we learn from the successes of other countries? Today, Hunter spoke with Iliana Pujols to compare and contrast the youth criminal legal system where…
Public Defenseless163: Imagining Something Better than Washington's Patchwork Public Defender System w/Larry Jefferson
As one of the many states without a unified system of Public Defense, the consistency of Public Defense and access to legal services from county to county is…
Public Defenseless162: How the Georgia AG is using RICO to Punish Free Speech and Cop City Protesters w/Devin Franklin
Today, Hunter is once again joined by Devin Franklin from the Southern Center for Human Rights to discuss the latest violation of civil liberties in the state…
- Public Defenseless
161: The NAPD's Plan to Leverage the National Workload Study for Policy Victories w/Cydni Sanchez
Today, Hunter spoke with President of the National Association for Public Defense's Board of Directors, Cydni Sanchez, to discuss the NAPD's plan to help…
Public Defenseless160: Unveiling the National Public Defender Workload Standards and the Strategy to Implement Them w/Stephen Hanlon
Today, Hunter once again sat down with Stephen Hanlon to talk Public Defender Workload Studies. This time, they spoke about the brand new National Workload…
Public Defenseless159: The Communication Breakdown Eroding Trust in the Colorado Public Defender System w/Kiyomi Bolick, Mike Kubicek, and Oliver Rose Katz
Last year, Hunter spoke with members of the newly formed Defenders Union of Colorado (DUC) to discuss their reason for unionization and the challenges facing…
Public Defenseless158: What is Causing the Indiana Public Defender System to Fail w/Ashley Spolarich, Deana Martin, and Joel Schumm
When the Sixth Amendment Center came to Indiana, it left no doubt that Public Defense in the state was failing. Now seven years later, almost nothing has…
Public Defenseless157: The Racist History of the "Child Welfare" System w/Ieshaah Murphy
Today, Hunter spoke with Professor Ieshaah Murphy to understand how the racist history of the "Child Welfare" should inform our understanding of that very…
Public Defenseless156: Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do about It w/Jay Aronson
How many people die in custody? Such a simple question, but no one can actually tell you the answer. Today, Hunter spoke with Professor Jay Aronson to discuss…
Public Defenseless155: How the NY Legal Aid Created a Digital Forensics Unit to Push Back on the Power of Police and Prosecutors w/Jerome Greco
For cops and prosecutors, the idea of not having access to their own forensic departments is almost inconceivable, but for Public Defense, that is the standard…
Public Defenseless154: Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle: Why the Use and Expansion of RICO is Bad w/Martin Sabelli
Today, Hunter is once again joined by former NACDL President Martin Sabelli to discuss the criminal charge that everyone is talking about, RICO. As with many…
Public Defenseless153: The Coalition Fighting to End the Trial Penalty w/Martin Sabelli and Nathan Pysno
Despite being the bedrock of our criminal legal system, "the jury trial is an exceptional rather than a commonplace outcome." Today, Hunter is joined by Martin…
Public Defenseless152: The Political and Personal Agenda Behind Governor DeSantis' Removal of State Attorney Monique Worrell w/Andrew Darling
In the past few weeks, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis decided to abuse his powers once again as the head of state and remove an elected State Attorney. This…
Public Defenseless151: Without Trust Between Client and Counsel, Litigation is Limited w/Alexander Kostal
Trust between Public Defenders and the communities they serve has been a long running theme of the show. The benefits of such a trusting relationship seem…
Public Defenseless150: To Fix Detroit Public Defense, There Must be a Fair Contract for the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit w/Cait De Mott Grady, Tom Molina-Duarte, Jonathan Roberts
In back-to-back years, the Sixth Amendment Center revealed that Public Defense in Detroit was failing. Both the contract and institutional Public Defender were…
- Public Defenseless
BONUS EPISODE: Another Not Guilty Podcast: Murder-ring The Prosecution's Theory w/David Moore and Hillary King
Recently, Hunter was a guest host on the Another Not Guilty Podcast, and he is happy to share that episode today as a bonus show! The Another Not Guilty…
Public Defenseless149: It's Time to Abolish the Legalized Theft that is Civil Forfeiture w/Dan Alban
Sometimes referred to as Civil Asset Forfeiture, today's episode is an examination of the legalized theft that is civil forfeiture. Joining Hunter to unpack…
Public Defenseless148: Jury Nullification, Conscientious Acquittal, and the Fight To Regain Jury Independence w/Clark Neily
Whether you call it Jury Nullification or Conscientious Acquittal, today's episode is all about the fight to reinvigorate the jury trial and the independence…
Public Defenseless147: Because of its Systemic Indifference to Suffering, Oklahoma Keeps Punishing Domestic Violence Survivors w/Colleen McCarty and Leslie Briggs
A little less than a year ago, Hunter spoke with Alexandra Bailey of the Sentencing Project to explore why states like Oklahoma so readily punish the survivors…
Public Defenseless146: The Fulton County Jail, Cop City, and the Deafening Silence of the Georgia Public Defense Council w/Devin Franklin
In the state of Georgia, the Public Defender Counsel lacks independence from the Executive Branch. As a result, their ability to speak out on social issues is…
Public Defenseless145: What Led to the Unionization of Maryland Public Defense w/Edie Fortuna and Jose Teneza
Crushing workloads. High Turnover Rates. Low Pay. This is not the first time these topics have been brought up on the show, but today, Hunter spoke with two…
Public Defenseless144: The Campaign to Close Rikers Island w/Richard Willstatter and Stan German
Today, Hunter spoke with two New York Criminal Defense Attorneys, Richard Willstatter and Stan Germán, to discuss the crisis at Rikers Island. For more than a…
Public Defenseless143: The Never Ending Torture of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri at Guantanamo Bay w/Annie Morgan
Today, Hunter is joined by Annie Morgan, a Criminal Defense Appeals Attorney with the Guantanamo Bay Military Commission Defense Organization, to continue to…
Public Defenseless142: The Fight for Human Rights at Guantanamo Bay w/John Baker
Today, Hunter kicks off this week's theme of Guantanamo Bay coverage by speaking with BGen (Ret) John Baker. When John Baker took over as the lead defense…
Public Defenseless141: The Horrifying Surveillance Tech Coming to a Neighborhood Near You w/Dhruv Mehrotra
With every passing day, a new technology becomes available for police, prosecutors and the state to further side step the Fourth Amendment. On today's show…
Public Defenseless140: How to Use the Appellate System to Push Back on the Family Policing System w/Annick Lenoir-Peek
Continuing this weeks coverage of the family policing system, Hunter was joined by Annick Lenoir-Peek, a North Carolina Deputy Parent Defender. Just like…
Public Defenseless139: The Race and Class Dynamics Haunting the Connecticut Family Policing System w/Josh Michtom
Today's episode kicks off these weeks focus on the family welfare system aka the family policing system. Hunter sat down with Josh Michtom, a senior assistant…
Public Defenseless138: The Driving Force Behind the Growth of Santa Barbara Public Defense w/Deepak Budwani
Today, Hunter spoke with Deepak Budwani, the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of the Santa Barbara Public Defender Office to discuss how he was able…
Public Defenseless137: How the Civil Rights Corps is Uncovering and Challenging Prosecutorial Misconduct w/Peter Santina
Today, Hunter spoke with Civil Rights Corps' Attorney Peter Santina to discuss their efforts in uncovering and challenging prosecutorial misconduct. From…
Public Defenseless136: If You Cannot Afford an Attorney, One Will not Be Appointed to You w/ Dr. Andrew Davies, Dr. Victoria Smiegocki, and Shelby Sirivore
On previous episodes, we have talked about the importance of data collection and collaboration with outside organizations to turn that data into meaningful…
Public Defenseless135: While She Breathes, She Hopes for a Better Future for South Carolina Public Safety w/Cameron Blazer
On today's show, Hunter sat down with Cameron Blazer, the Circuit Public Defender in Charleston, South Carolina, to discuss the past, present, and future of…
Public Defenseless134: The Colorado Bond Law Enriching the Bail Bond Industry w/Katie Yens
It's no secret that the Public Defenseless Podcast firmly stands in the "abolish cash bail" camp. On today's episode, Hunter is joined by criminal defense…
Public Defenseless133: The Tech Solutions that can Propel Public Defense into the Future w/Rocky Ramirez
A little over a year ago, Hunter spoke with Rocky Ramirez about how a simple bit of no-code programming was able to cut down appointment times from nearly a…
Public Defenseless132: Autonomy to Decide: Managing an Effective Defense with a Challenging Client w/Randy Fiedler and Stacy Newman
Today, Hunter spoke with Randy Fiedler and Stacy Newman about the best ways to handle a challenging client. Whether it is due to mental illness, mistrust, or…
- Public Defenseless
131: How to Solve the Public Defender Shortage in Rural America w/Patrick Crowley, Michael Naughton and Jonathan Sacks
Today, Hunter spoke with Patrick Crowley, Michael Naughton and Jonathan Sacks to talk through the attorney shortage crisis in rural America and what we can do…
Public Defenseless130: Poverty, Prison, and a Path to Redemption w/Champ Napier
Today, Hunter spoke with Chris "Champ" Napier. When Champ was only four years old when he witnessed his father's murder. By the time he was thirteen, Napier…
Public Defenseless129: It's Time to Value Paralegals and Social Workers as much as Attorneys w/ Latosha Watts and Taneal Behrens
Today, Hunter spoke with Latosha Watts and Taneal Behrens to highlight the important role that paralegals and social workers play in a Public Defender Office…
Public Defenseless128: Fostering the Public Voice of the Public Defender w/Kay Levine and Russell Gold
Today, Hunter spoke with two law professors, Kay Levine and Russell Gold, to discuss their law review article calling for an increase in the public advocacy of…
- Public Defenseless
127: Secrets of the Killing State: How the Truth of Lethal Injection Could End the Death Penalty w/Corinna Lain
Today, Hunter spoke with Law Professor Corinna Lain to discuss her career of research around the death penalty and lethal injection. While it may seem strange…
- Public Defenseless
126: From Portland to Klamath Falls, Public Defense in Oregon is on Life Support w/Lee Wachocki and Eve Costello
Last year, Hunter spoke with Oregon Public Defender Chris O'Connor to discuss the public defender crisis in Oregon, and today, Hunter once again returns to…
- Public Defenseless
125: You Might Go to Prison Even Though You're Innocent w/Justin Brooks
On previous episodes, Hunter spoke with Chris Fabricant and Daniel Medwed to discuss various aspects of the innocence movement. With Chris, they discussed the…
- Public Defenseless
124: The Many Ways Alabama Denies People a Second Chance After Leaving Prison w/Stacey Fuller and Kathleen Henderson
Today, we return to once again to the state of Alabama to speak with Stacey Fuller and Kathleen Henderson. If you will recall, Stacey joined Hunter in his…
- Public Defenseless
123: How a Vicious Union Busting Campaign Could Cripple Louisville Public Defense w/Cat Vining and Morgan King
On last week's show, Hunter spoke with Babatunde Aremu and demonstrated the ways in which a Public Defender Office could be unionized without causing strife…
- Public Defenseless
122: How the Municipal Public Defenders of Aurora, Colorado Fight Back Against Incompetence, Corruption, and Malpractice
On today's bonus show, Hunter provides updates on the plans for the show and what he learned from his internship at the Aurora Municipal Public Defender…