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 Defenseless61: Uncovering the Misconduct of Police, Prosecutors, and Judges w/Johann Drolshagen
Thanks to the 1963 case of Brady v. Maryland, prosecutors are supposed to give the defense attorneys any evidence that may be beneficial to the defense's case…
- Public Defenseless
60: How Kansas Public Defense Got Headed in the Right Direction w/Heather Cessna
Heather Cessna, executive director of the Kansas Board of Indigent Services, is dedicated to positively transforming public defense in her state. Since she's…
- Public Defenseless
59: The Lawsuit Pushing to Change the Wisconsin Public Defense w/John Birdsall and Hank Schultz
Today, Hunter is joined by two guests hoping their lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin will bring vital changes to the State's Public Defender System. Hank…
- Public Defenseless
58: Are Public Defense Unions the Key to Systemic Reform? w/Sam Allison-Natale and Bob Kolstad
Are public defense unions the solution to reform? In this episode, Hunter speaks with Sam Allison-Natale, Executive Director of the Kansas Holistic Defenders…
- Public Defenseless
57: Why More People and Public Defenders Need to Think and Advocate Systemically w/Olayemi Olurin
This week, Hunter speaks with Olayemi Olurin—a political commentator, writer, activist, and public defender out of the New York Legal Aid Society. She has…
- Public Defenseless
56: Could Veteran Treatment Courts be the Key to Unlocking Criminal Justice Reforms? with David Pelletier
Today on the show, Hunter is joined by David Pelletier, a Project Director in the Justice for Veterans division of the National Association of Drug Court…
- Public Defenseless
55: Capital Representation and the Office of the Defender General w/Andrea Lyon
Dubbed by the Chicago Tribune as "The Angel of Death Row", Andrea Lyon is one of the most successful Capital Case Public Defenders in the country, but she is…
- Public Defenseless
Andrea Lyon on the Need for the Defender General
Every minute of the full conversation with Andrea Lyon is available to listen to, but Hunter wanted to make sure everyone had an easy time accessing the last…
- Public Defenseless
54: The Public Defense Union Pushing to Change Colorado Public Defense with The Defender's Union of Colorado
In this episode, I speak with three inspiring individuals: Michelle Sages, a Lead Deputy State Public Defender of the Denver Trial Office, Travis Weiner, a…
- Public Defenseless
53: What is Causing the Crisis in Oregon Public Defense w/Chris O'Connor
The Oregon Public Defender System is broken. Due to a shortage of attorneys willing to take on the cases, hundreds of people wait for months without ever…
- Public Defenseless
52: The Court Fines and Fees that Fund Alabama with Adam Danneman and Leah Nelson
What is the true impact of fines and fees? In this episode, I speak with two inspiring individuals—Adam Danneman, the Chief Public Defender of Jefferson…
- Public Defenseless
51: The Texas Capital Punishment System is Designed to Kill w/Ray Keith
When people discuss the criminal legal system, you may often hear someone say, "the system is not broken. It is acting exactly was it was designed." On today's…
- Public Defenseless
50: The Fees Making People Pay for Their "Free" Attorney w/Marea Beeman
Today, Hunter sat down with Marea Beeman, Director of Research Initiatives for Defender Legal Services at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association…
- Public Defenseless
49: How did Arizona Become so Pro-Mass Incarceration and What Can be Done About it? w/Nate Wade and Katie Gipson-McLean
Today Hunter had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Nate Wade and Katie Gipson-McLean, two public defenders from the Arizona. Of all the episodes, this may…
- Public Defenseless
48: The Recent Victories Igniting New Hope for Missouri Public Defense w/Mary Fox
Today, Hunter revisited Public Defense in the state of Missouri with a conversation with Mary Fox. Mary is the Director of the Missouri State Public Defender…
- Public Defenseless
47: In Small-Town Georgia, A Broken Taillight Can Lead to Spiraling Debt w/Nick Barber
Today, Hunter sat down with Nick Barber, author of a recent piece in the magazine In These Times called "In Small-Town Georgia, A Broken Taillight Can Lead to…
- Public Defenseless
46: Fighting Gun Violence Without Using Mass Incarceration in Cook County, IL w/Sharone Mitchell
Today, Hunter spoke with Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Public Defender in Cook County about a few extremely timely topics: Guns and Bail Reform. Born and raised…
- Public Defenseless
45: Lawyers, Social Workers, Investigators, and the Whole Team that Makes the NAPD w/Lori James-Townes
Today, Hunter sat down with Lori James-Townes, Executive Director of the largest Public Defense Association in the country, the National Association of Public…
- Public Defenseless
44: Community Outreach and Staffing Shortages in Miami Public Defense w/Carlos Martinez
Today, Hunter sat down with Carlos Martinez, the Chief Defender in the Miami Public Defender Office. With more than 30 years of experience as a Public Defender…
- Public Defenseless
43: The Problem with Plea Deals with Professor Carissa Byrne Hessick
If you believed the many legal dramas in TV reflected actual court proceedings, you would be under the impression that our legal system is driven by the battle…
- Public Defenseless
42: The Essential Role of Social Work and Mitigation Specialists in Public Defense with Justin Heim
Justin Heim - Staff Development Program Specialist (Training Division), Wisconsin State Public Defender - joins this episode to breaks down what a social…
- Public Defenseless
41: Turning Public Defender Priorities into Public Policy Victories with Brad Haywood and Bryan Kennedy
There are only so many victories that can happen for Public Defense in a court room. Of course, we should the goal should be zealous advocacy and the best…
- Public Defenseless
40: How Moral Injury, Stress, and Trauma Impact Public Defense with Jenny Andrews
Jenny Andrews is the Director of Training for California's Indigent Defense Improvement Division. She's here today to teach you what public defense is truly…
- Public Defenseless
39: The Power of Public Advocacy in Alameda County Public Defense with Brendon Woods
This Week, Hunter spoke with the awesome and powerful, Brendon Woods. As Chief Public Defender in Alameda County, Brendon is one of the loudest and strongest…
- Public Defenseless
38: Can the Michigan Model Pave the Way for Public Defense? with Kristen Staley
38: Michigan Public Defense w/ Kristen Staley Ready for a refreshing dose of positivity? In this episode, Hunter speaks with Kristen Staley, the Executive…
- Public Defenseless
37: How to Train the Next Generation of Public Defense Leaders with Jeff Sherr and Heather Hall
This week, Hunter spoke with Jeff Sherr and Heather Hall of the National Association of Public Defense to discuss the importance of training the next…
- Public Defenseless
36: Kentucky PD and The National Association of Public Defense with Ernie Lewis
Kentucky is known to have a strong and well-structured public defender system, but it is held back by poor funding and an unresponsive legislative body. This…
- Public Defenseless
35: Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Student Debt with Jane Fox and Kyle Morris
This week, Hunter sat down with Jane Fox and Kyle Morris to discuss one of the pressing issues facing millions of Americans: Student Loans. As of today, there…
- Public Defenseless
34: The History of Public Defense with Sara Mayuex
Sara Mayeux is a law professor at Vanderbilt University and the author of the book Free Justice, A History of the Public Defender in 20th Century America. Sara…
- Public Defenseless
33: How Could Low Attorney Pay Cripple Massachusetts Public Defense w/Anthony Benedetti
The Massachusetts public defense system presents arguably the best example of how contract public defense could work, largely in part to today's guest—Anthony…
- Public Defenseless
32: Why Nevada Public Defense Failed and the Plan to Build it Back w/Franny Forsman
Franny Forsman has been working in Nevada indigent defense for several decades, and today she brings her impressive breadth of experience to the show! Franny…
- Public Defenseless
31: The Wrongful Conviction of Cyrus Wilson with Cyrus Wilson and Dawn Deaner
On the night of September 15, 1992, in the Nashville Tennessee area, teenager Christopher Luckett was shot and killed. Two days later, another teenager Cyrus…
- Public Defenseless
30: How Tennessee Fails to Protect Children Accused of Crimes w/Mark Stephens
In this episode, I speak with Mark Stephens, the former chief public defender of Knoxville Tennessee. Tennessee public defense has been stuck in neutral, if…
- Public Defenseless
29: The Role a Judge can Play in Reforming Public Defense w/Tom Boyd
Today, you'll hear about public defense from the judge's point of view. Tom Boyd is a former Michigan District Court Judge who currently works in the court…
- Public Defenseless
28: Public Defense Commissions with David Kaplan and Sara Hildebrand
Today, I speak with David Kaplan and Sara Hildebrand, two former Colorado public defenders and current members of the Aurora Public Defender Commission. The…
- Public Defenseless
27: Why is the Actual Innocence of a Person not Enough to Stop his Execution? with Sylvia Lett and Andrew Sowards
In 1994, Barry Jones was arrested for the rape and murder of his girlfriend's four-year-old daughter. Even though his innocence is obvious to all who would…
- Public Defenseless
26: Junk Science and the Makings of a Wrongful Conviction with Chris Fabricant
Like most people, shows like CSI, Law and Order, or even Dexter, may have you convinced that the science used to convict people is airtight. Everything from…
- Public Defenseless
25: The Need for Mercy in the Kentucky Legal System w/Ed Monahan
In 1976, Ed Monahan was hired as a Kentucky assistant public defender. He would eventually go on to be the state's Public Advocate for an impressive 9 years…
- Public Defenseless
24: How the Media Poisons Criminal Justice Discourse with Scott Hechinger
Scott Hechinger is the founder and executive director of Zealous. Through his work, he is fighting hard to challenge injustice through the media and topple the…
- Public Defenseless
23: Gideon's Promise and Public Defense Culture with Jon Rapping
Jon Rapping is a former public defender dedicated to changing the system and advocating for true equality. The founder of Gideon's Promise, this nonprofit…
- Public Defenseless
22: How Automation Can Help Public Defense with Rocky Ramirez and Paul Chambers
In a profession steeped in tradition, technological advances can come slowly to the legal world. Given the strapped for cash nature of Public Defense, it is…
- Public Defenseless
21: Public Defense Appellate Law and PD Commissions with Frances Brown
Ready to hear about a different type of law? So far, we've spoken to many public defenders who have done work on the trial level, but today I talk to someone…
- Public Defenseless
20: Representing Mothers in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Aisha McWeay
Aisha McWeay is a former public defender and the Executive Director of Still She Rises, the first holistic defense office in the country dedicated exclusively…
- Public Defenseless
19: How Pennsylvania's Failure to Fund Public Defense Hurts Everyone w/Keisha Hudson
In Philadelphia, a whopping 70% of people arrested are represented by public defenders. In this episode, I speak with Keisha Hudson, the Chief Defender of the…
- Public Defenseless
18: Data-Driven Public Defense Policy with Stephen Hanlon
In today's episode, I speak with Stephen Hanlon, who has been working for over 30 years to drive forward public interest law. With the depth of his experience…
- Public Defenseless
17: Public Defenseless 202
In this special solo episode, I share some thoughts on the first 16 episodes, thoughts from my interactions with people who have reached out, and the direction…
Public Defenseless16: Can Assigned Counsel Public Defense System Work? w/Tim Rensch & Bob Pesall
16: South Dakota Public Defense w/ Tim Rensch & Bob Pesall South Dakota is like many states around the country in that there are some public defender offices…
Public Defenseless15: Was a Lawsuit Enough to Fix Missouri Public Defense? w/Anthony Rothert
The Missouri public defense system has been shaped by lawsuits that the ACLU has brought forth. Meet Anthony Rothert, one of the individuals behind those…
Public Defenseless14: West Virginia Public Defense with Dana Eddy & Stacey Fragile
West Virginia Public Defense with Dana Eddy & Stacey Fragile When it comes to the public defense system, simple human connection is more important than you…
Public Defenseless13: How Florida Disregards the Right to Counsel w/Rex Dimmig
From Gideon to Argersinger, much of the legal framework for the public defense came about because of the flaws in Florida public defender system. As one of the…
Public Defenseless12: Why Are Virginia Public Defenders Only Paid to Work on a Case for Two Hours? w/Amari Harris
In the American conversation, there is a large overlap between class and race. Yet very often, we underplay the role that class plays in the dynamics of our…
Public Defenseless11: Is the Cannabis Industry Falling Short in its Fight? with Steve DeAngelo
Right now, approximately 40,000 people are incarcerated for cannabis-related charges, while others are making millions of dollars in the legal industry. Steve…
Public Defenseless10: How did Colorado Build one of the Best Public Defense Systems? w/Doug Wilson
Colorado's Doug Wilson has worked in the public defense system for over 40 years, so to say he holds a boatload of knowledge is an understatement! Colorado has…
Public Defenseless09: What Can Cannabis Reform Teach us About Criminal Justice Reform with Christian Sederberg
Marijuana legalization is a hotly debated subject, so it's no wonder there's so much misinformation surrounding it. Today's guest, Christian Sederberg, is here…
Public Defenseless08: Why Did Indiana's Public Defense System Fail? w/Larry Landis
When it comes to public defense, Larry Landis is a legend. As the former Head of the Indiana Public Defender Council, Larry has been in public defense since…
Public Defenseless07: The Power of Creating an Independent Public Defense System w/Ben Baur
Today, I speak with Bennet Baur, the Chief Public Defender of New Mexico. With the power of the people behind them, Ben Baur and the New Mexico Public…
- Public Defenseless
06: How the Louisiana Public Defenders are Paid to Lose w/Derwyn Bunton & Trisha Ward
Louisiana holds one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. And with a lack of funding, public defenders can only handle 21% of open cases at a time…
Public Defenseless05: What's Causing the Crisis in Maine's Public Defense System w/Justin Andrus
Meet Justin Andrus: Executive Director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services. In this week's episode, I speak with Justin about how he is…
Public Defenseless04: Why is Public Defense Failing Nationwide? with David Carroll
04: Public Defense w/ David Carroll This week, Executive Director of the Sixth Amendment Center, David Carroll walks us through how he got into public defense…
Public Defenseless03: Texas Public Defense with James McDermott and Scott Ehlers
In a country that lacks legal representation for all, some people are fighting for change. James McDermott, Chief Public Defender of Far West Texas, and Scott…