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 Defenseless121: 50 Shades of Grey Goes to Court: How to Present BDSM and Non-Monogamy in Court w/Jill Weinberg
Today, Hunter spoke with Jill Weinberg, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tufts University, to discuss the difficulties and strategies of discussing BDSM and…
- Public Defenseless
120: The Bronx Defenders' Transformation from Scabs to Unionization w/Babatunde Aremu
When most in the Public Defender world think about the Bronx Defenders, they think of an office at the forefront of imagining a new path forward for Public…
- Public Defenseless
119: Representing Youths is Just as Important as Representing Adults, and It's Time Public Defense Acted Like it w/Mary Ann Scali and HyeJi Kim
Today, Hunter sat down with Mary Ann Scali (Executive Director, Gault Center) and HyeJi (Senior Youth Defense Counsel, Gault Center), to discuss the legacy of…
- Public Defenseless
118: When Student Loan Payments Get Turned Back on, What Will Happen to Public Defense? w/Jane Fox and Kyle Morris
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Jane Fox (Legal Aid Society New York) and Kyle Morris (Nashville Public Defender Office) to discuss all things student…
- Public Defenseless
117: How the King County Public Defender Union is Becoming a Player in Washington Politics w/Elbert Aull
Today, Hunter spoke with Elbert Aull, a Public Defender from King County Washington and chairman of the Public Defender Union's Political Action Committee to…
- Public Defenseless
116: The Promise and Problems of Progressive Prosecution w/Keisha Hudson, Mano Raju and Ricardo Garcia
Across the country, a movement of so called progressive prosecutors has become a focal point of political commentary around the criminal legal system. Today…
- Public Defenseless
115: Is There a Better Way to Provide Public Defense w/James McDermott and Paul Chambers
Today, Hunter spoke with James McDermott and Paul Chambers, two Public Defenders from the Far West Texas Office, to discuss their vision for a better model for…
- Public Defenseless
114: How A Coalition of Prosecutors, City Attorneys, and Public Defenders Produces Better Working Conditions w/Alexandra Pray
Today, Hunter sat down with Alexandra Pray, Deputy Public Defender in San Francisco and Board Member of the Public Defender Union, to discuss the unique…
- Public Defenseless
113: A Broken Legal System, A Lack of Health Care, and How the US Keeps Puerto Rico Under its Thumb w/Diego Alcala
Today, Hunter spoke with Diego Alcala, a criminal defense attorney in Puerto Rico, to better understand the challenges the island faces in the criminal legal…
- Public Defenseless
112: How Mitigation Confronts the Biases of Jurors, Judges, Prosecutors, and Public Defenders w/Victoria Rusk
"Well I grew up poor and I didn't go off committing crimes!" Arguably, this is the most common response those that work in the field of mitigation hear when…
- Public Defenseless
111: A New Path for Public Safety in San Francisco w/Mano Raju
If you spend anytime watching news in the past 3 years, you have likely heard about San Francisco. Normally, that conversation revolves around the state of…
- Public Defenseless
110: The Paper Prisons that Keep Millions of Americans From a Second Chance w/Colleen Chien and Alyssa Aguilar
For more than one-third of a Americans, there is a record of their interaction with the criminal legal system. These records and the bureaucracy that controls…
- Public Defenseless
109: What are a Lawyer's Ethical Obligations to Society? w/David Siegel
Today, Hunter spoke with David Siegel, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Law and Social Responsibility at New England Law, to discuss the ethical…
- Public Defenseless
108: One Investigators Efforts to Revitalize Public Defense in Barron County, Wisconsin w/Felicia Tempel
Today, Hunter spoke with Felicia Tempel, Senior Investigator in the Barron County, Wisconsin Public Defender Office. As with all of the episodes covering a…
- Public Defenseless
107: Non-Capital Mitigation and the Quest to Inject Empathy into the Law w/Lindsay Bendell
Today, Hunter sat down with Lindsay Bendell, LCSW Forensic Social Worker & Mitigation Specialist, to discuss the importance of non-capital mitigation. The…
- Public Defenseless
106: How Unionization Enables Public Defenders to Get Victories in and Out of Court w/Garret Miller and Brooke Longuevan
Last week, Hunter spoke with LA County Chief Public Defender Ricardo Garcia to discuss the state of Public Defense in LA. Today, Hunter sat down with two…
- Public Defenseless
105: Why it is so Difficult to Get the Innocent out of Prison w/Daniel Medwed
In theory, the criminal legal system is designed to find the truth of a matter. In reality, the legal system has been sometimes intentionally and sometimes…
- Public Defenseless
104: Unlocking the Potential of Public Defense in LA County w/Ricardo Garcia
More than 100 years ago, the first Public Defender Office opened in LA County thanks to the dedication and hard work of Clara Foltz. From that point on, the…
- Public Defenseless
103: How Public Defense is Failing in the West w/Emily Hamer
Far too often, the injustices of our legal system go without media attention. This is exceptionally true when it comes to media coverage of the failings of…
- Public Defenseless
102: How the Delaware Law Enforcement Bill of Rights Keeps Cop Misconduct Hidden w/Kevin O'Connell, Misty Seemans, and Elliot Margules
When you hear the phrase "Bill of Rights", you like envision the first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution. You may conjure up the many individual liberties…
- Public Defenseless
101: Reflecting on Gideon v Wainwright, the Past, Present and Future of Public Defense w/Justine Olderman and Wes Caines
60 years ago, Clarence Gideon changed the legal landscape of America forever. Thanks to his self-written petition to the Supreme Court, it was finally…
- Public Defenseless
100: Do Sex Offender Registries Make Us Safer? w/David Garlock
Today, Hunter spoke with David Garlock, a formerly incarcerated and current criminal justice reformer, to discuss how David's journey from victim, to prison…
- Public Defenseless
99: There is no Public Defense Without Investigators w/Jon Lyon
On today's episode, Hunter spoke with Jon Lyon, the Investigator Resource Coordinator for the National Association for Public Defense, to talk all things…
- Public Defenseless
98: Making the Case for the Abolition of Court Fees w/Priya Sarathy Jones
Previously on the show, Hunter spoke with Marea Beeman about the dangerous fines and fees that make "free" attorneys decidedly not "free". Today, Hunter sat…
- Public Defenseless
97: A Reason to Hope for Connecticut Public Defense w/TaShun Bowden-Lewis
Taking over a Public Defender System requires one to understand the greatest weaknesses of the system. For TaShun Bowden-Lewis, one of those is a sever lack of…
- Public Defenseless
96: How to Include the Formerly Incarcerated in Public Defense w/Anthony Graves
After spending 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Anthony Graves hopes he can start a movement of getting more people with experience with the…
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95: Why it's Time to Abolish Felony Murder Laws w/Nazgol Ghandnoosh
Normally in criminal law, intent matters. The intent of a person is one of the most critical features in determining how we will punish someone for a crime…
- Public Defenseless
94: Where Will Maryland Public Defense Go With A New Chief Public Defender w/Natasha Dartigue
Today, Hunter spoke with the newest Chief Public Defender for the State of Maryland, Natasha Dartigue. Throughout her career, Natasha worked in every…
- Public Defenseless
93: Why it is Time to Move Away from Assigned and Contract Public Defense Models w/Eve Primus
For somewhere between a third and a half of indigent people accused of a crime, they will be given either an assigned or contract Public Defender. Today's…
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92: The Important Role Public Defense Played in New Jersey Bail Reform w/Joseph Krakora
For some reason, people forget that long before New York or Illinois ended cash bail, New Jersey successfully eliminated cash bail. As Joseph Krakora shares on…
- Public Defenseless
91: If Iowa Public Defense is About to Collapse, What is Happening in Juvenile and Immigration Defense w/Rachel Antonuccio and Julia Zalenski
While the main focus of the podcast is the representation that adults receive in felony and misdemeanor cases, there are countless other areas of law where…
- Public Defenseless
90: In Order to Review Hours of Video Evidence, Public Defenders Need New Tech w/Devshi Mehrotra
In a good faith effort to hold police accountable, states and counties around the country started mandating that police wear body cameras at all times. When…
- Public Defenseless
89: How to Pass on the Lessons from a 20+ Year Public Defender Career w/Andre Vitale
With the grueling nature of Public Defense work, it takes a special combination of internal and external motivations to navigate a 20+ year career in the…
- Public Defenseless
88: The Most Important Public Defense Victories Don't Happen in the Court Room w/Sam Allison Natale
When we think of zealous Public Defense, we often think of triumphant victories in the court room, but today's guest wants Public Defenders to realize their…
- Public Defenseless
87: How to Make the Case for Public Defense in a Conservative State w/Diane Lozano
Today, Hunter spoke with Diane Lozano, the Wyoming State Public Defender, to discuss how she's been able to secure support for Public Defense in the challenge…
- Public Defenseless
86: The Resurrection of New York Public Defense w/Patricia Warth
For decades, activists, scholars, and attorneys decried the state of public defense in New York. Report after report uncovered a broken system that underpaid…
- Public Defenseless
85: The Challenges Public Defense Faces in Rural Georgia w/Michael Smith
Today on the show, Hunter spoke with Michael Smith, an Assistant Public Defender in Chattooga County, Georgia, to talk about the unique challenges he faces as…
- Public Defenseless
84: How Anne Arundel County, MD Prosecutors Over Incarcerate the Community w/Felipe Gonzalez
Over the last year of Public Defenseless, Hunter spent a lot of time speaking with Chief Public Defenders from commissions and state-wide offices around the…
- Public Defenseless
83: The Everyday Citizens Uncovering Oklahoma Police and Prosecutor Misconduct
A major theme of this show is empower regular people with the knowledge necessary to push back against the overreach of the state via police and prosecutors…
- Public Defenseless
82: The Tech NonProfit Accelerating People Out of the U.S. Justice System w/Serena Chang
Across the country, outdated and disconnected data systems keep thousands of people stuck in prison or on community supervision long after they should…
- Public Defenseless
81: How to Craft Ethical Tech Solutions to the Many Issues with the Legal System w/Jason Tashea
On this episode, Hunter spoke with Jason Tashea to discuss the exciting intersection of tech and the legal system. As the Director and Co-Founder of the…
- Public Defenseless
80: Staff Assaults, A Decade in Solitary, and the Many Horrors of Massachusetts' Prisons w/Elizabeth Matos
From the denial of basic healthcare needs to decades in solitary confinement, prisoners stuck in the Massachusetts prison system face near daily deprivation of…
- Public Defenseless
79: What Could Yolo County Public Defenders Do if They Weren't Funded $16 Million Less than the Prosecutors? w/Tracie Olson
While not a small county, Yolo County California does not have the size or resources to match the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, L.A., or…
- Public Defenseless
78: What's Plaguing Public Defense in Oakland County Michigan and New Hampshire? w/David Carroll
Why are some state's public defense systems so strong while others are so weak? This week, Hunter speaks for a second time with David Carroll, the Executive…
- Public Defenseless
77: The Fallout of the Dobbs Decision on Louisiana Reproductive Healthcare w/Gwyneth O'Neill, Ellie Schilling and Michelle Erenberg
Since its inception, Supreme Court decisions play a terrifying role in controlling the lives of Americans. Few decisions in living memory now play a greater…
- Public Defenseless
76: Trying to Keep Public Defense in North Dakota from Collapsing w/Travis Finck
Right now, a three-attorney public defender office in North Dakota has zero attorneys on staff. And with public defender turnover rates on the rise, the state…
- Public Defenseless
75: Opioids, Addiction, and the Alabama Despair Machine w/Leah Nelson and Stacey Fuller
For many, the hearing about the opioid epidemic invokes images deindustrialized towns in West Virginia and Kentucky, but it was actually Alabama with the…
- Public Defenseless
74: How Public Defenders can Take Back the Public Safety Narrative w/Emily-Galvin Almanza and Danielle Hopkins
In this episode, Hunter is joined by two inspiring guests from Partners for Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support services to people…
- Public Defenseless
73: How a Sixth Amendment Center Report Sparked Change in Utah Public Defense w/Richard Mauro
Today, Hunter spoke with Richard Mauro, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Legal Defender Association, to talk all things Utah Public Defense. Not even a…
- Public Defenseless
72: Why it is Time to End Life Sentences w/Alexandra Bailey and Nazgol Ghandnoosh
Most people believe that life sentences keep people safe, but the evidence actually points to the opposite. In fact, life sentences were never originally…
- Public Defenseless
71: Every Public Defender Office Needs an Immigration Attorney w/Raha Jorjani
Raha Jorjani is an Immigration Defense Attorney in Alameda County, home of California's first public defender Immigration Representation Unit. Because our…
- Public Defenseless
70: Challenging America's Punishment Bureaucracy w/Alec Karakatsanis
Today, Hunter spoke with Alec Karakatsanis, Founder and Executive Director of Civil Rights Corps, for a discussion about dismantling America's punishment…
- Public Defenseless
69: The Need for Holistic Family Representation w/Center for Family Representation New York
When the whole family is involved, it can make all the difference. In this episode, Hunter speaks with three inspiring individuals out of Family Representation…
- Public Defenseless
68: Why do we Punish People? w/Kaelen Perrochet
Why do we punish people? What are the goals of punishment and the legal system? At some point in time, we stopped asking ourselves these questions and it led…
- Public Defenseless
67: Managed Assigned Counsel: A Savvy Solution or a Simple Stop Gap? w/Jim Bethke
Can a managed assigned council system be a workable solution to indigent defense problems? Jim Bethke is the former executive director of the Texas Indigent…
- Public Defenseless
66: Is Incrementalism Enough to Fix the Criminal Legal System w/Jeff Blackburn
Can people incarcerated afford to wait for small, gradual change? What happens to the people incarcerated if the system breaks? What is the right balance…
- Public Defenseless
65: What Happened to the Prisoners Stuck in Jail During Hurricane Ian? w/Kathy Smith
For Public Defenders who serve in coastal areas, the story on toady's show will be all too familiar. As Hurricane Ian barrelled toward the Florida coast, a…
- Public Defenseless
64: How Public Defense can Win the Media Battle w/Maggie Shepard
How can journalists and public defenders work together to bring awareness to the real issues plaguing our court system? Today, Hunter spoke with Maggie…
- Public Defenseless
63: Why do We Punish Domestic Violence Survivors? w/Alexandra Bailey
When does a victim become a suspect? Very often, our legal system cares about someone's status as a victim when it allows the system to incarcerate someone. As…
- Public Defenseless
62: Why Does the Aurora City Council Want to Dismantle the Public Defender Office w/Doug Wilson
Today, Hunter sat down once again with Doug Wilson, Chief Public Defender in the Aurora Municipal Public Defender Office, to discuss what has unfolded in…