Stay ConnectedAnyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system is perpetuating cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day.
Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system.
Today, Hunter was joined by Dujuan "Zoe" Kennedy of Force Detroit a Community Violence Intervention organization in Detroit. For decades, Detroit was known around the country for being the poster child for the decaying state of U.S. manufacturing. With this reputation as a decaying city came a reputation for high rates of violent crime, but over the past few years, Detroit has seen some of the lowest rates of homicides, gun crimes, and violent crimes it has in 60 years. Zoe joins the podcast to explain how through community interventions, and not policing, the city has provided a model for alternative solutions to violence.
Guest
Dujuan "Zoe" Kennedy, Executive Director, Force Detroit, Michigan
Resources:
Force Detroit
More About Zoe
https://www.instagram.com/dujuanzoe/
More About Remarkable Crime Rate Reductions in Detroit
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/detroit-reports-historic-drop-in-violent-crime-2024/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/detroit-homicide-drop-2024-1.7423641
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined Claire Valentin and Hayley Upshaw to discuss how the intersection of criminal and immigration law impacts kids. So far on the show, Hunter and various guests have explored the "Crimmigration" intersection as it pertains to adults. Now, Hunter, Hayley, and Claire unpack the ways this already cruel system is especially cruel for kid.
Guest
Hayley Upshaw, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco Public Defender Officer
Claire Valentin, Managing Director of Innovation and Advocacy, Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
Resources:
US Citizen Picked Up By ICE
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/20/us-citizen-jose-hermosillo-border-patrol
Contact Claire
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined by Ali Saidi, Deputy Public Defender in Contra Costa County, California. On this episode, Hunter and Ali discuss how Public Defenders can have a larger impact in immigration defense by bringing the services to the communities who need them the most.
Guest
Ali Saidi, Deputy Public Defender, Contra Costa County, California
Resources:
Contra Costa County Public Defender
https://www.cocopublicdefenders.org/
https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaPublicDefender/
https://www.instagram.com/cocopublicdefenders/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined once again by Angla Chan of the San Francisco Public Defender Officer. This time, the two say down to discuss the history of sanctuary laws in California, why they are so important, and reflect on the reasons why people leave their home countries in the first place.
Guest
Angela Chan, Chief of Confront and Advocate, San Francisco Public Defender's Office
Resources:
Gov. Newsom's history with ordering juvenile probation in SF to turn youth over to ICE when he was SF Mayor in 2008. His "regret" over his prior actions in 2018 when he was running for governor.
stories of Southeast Asian refugees who were incarcerated firefighters who CDCR turned over to ICE.
SF Public Defender Office
https://www.facebook.com/sfpublicdefender
https://www.instagram.com/sfpublicdefender/
https://bsky.app/profile/sfpublicdefender.sf.gov
American Interventionism
https://www.amazon.com/Jakarta-Method-Washingtons-Anticommunist-Crusade/dp/1541742400
Guatemala
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/jacobo-arbenz-guzman-deposed/
https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-in-guatemala-guide/
https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/the-guatemala-genocide-case/
Laos
https://www.history.com/articles/laos-most-bombed-country-vietnam-war
https://www.mnvietnam.org/story/the-cia-the-hmong-and-the-secret-war/index.html https://winwithoutwar.org/secret-war-forgotten-war-the-u-s-bombing-of-laos/
Cambodia
https://www.history.com/articles/nixon-war-powers-act-vietnam-war-cambodia
https://macmillan.yale.edu/gsp/us-involvement-cambodian-war-and-genocide-0
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined once again by the Chief Public Defender of Delaware, Kevin O'Connell. This time, the two focused on the see-saw history of death penalty abolition in the state of Delaware. It may come as a surprise to many, but Delaware has historically been one of the most prolific death penalty states in America, and today, Kevin and Hunter discuss the politics and policies that kept the death penalty alive and thriving in the state. Finally, they discuss what lessons those interested in death penalty abolition can learn from the meandering path that Delaware took to get on the door step of a Constitutional ban on the practice.
Guest
Kevin O'Connell, Chief Public Defender, Defender Services of Delaware
Resources:
More on the Death Penalty in Delaware
https://deathpenalty.org/delaware-officially-repeals-its-death-penalty/
https://www.aclu-de.org/en/death-penalty-repeal
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was by the Public Defender for the state of Idaho, Eric Fredericksen. Over the past two years, Public Defense in Idaho underwent a massive overhaul. For decades, the state has operated a county-based system that functioned with serious justice by geography problems, but with pressure from ACLU lawsuits, the state needed to change. So, they finally made the decision to transition to a state wide, state funded system. The transition, however, has been anything but smooth. Eric and Hunter discuss that transition, and why Eric is optimistic about the future given the strong support from the legislature and Governor in this first budget cycle.
Guest
Eric Fredericksen, The State Public Defender, Idaho
Resources:
Idaho Public Defender Reports
Idaho Public Defense Workload Study
https://www.boisestate.edu/sps-ipi/our-research/idaho-public-defense-workload-study/
News about the Transition
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article297887643.html
News About Death Penalty in Idaho
https://gov.idaho.gov/pressrelease/gov-littles-statement-on-death-penalty-for-pedophiles/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined by Hans Menos and Rob Kenter of the Center for Policing Equity. They sat down to discuss the successes their organization has had in trying create a more equitable legal system and understanding of how we can create safer communities.
Guest
Hans Menos, VP Public Safety Innovations and Government Affairs, Center for Policing Equity
Rob Kenter, Senior Director of Public Safety, Center for Policing
Resources:
Center for Policing Equity
https://www.instagram.com/policingequity/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforpolicingequity/
https://www.facebook.com/CenterForPolicingEquity
https://www.tiktok.com/@policingequity
https://www.threads.com/@policingequity?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/@policingequity
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Donate on PayPal
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Today, Hunter was joined by two San Francisco Public Defenders, Sujung Kim and Lilah Wolf, to discuss their recent Racial Justice Act Victory. This California law was designed in part to give public defenders the tools to get explicit and implicit racism out of the criminal legal system. Today, we discussed how it came to be, why it needs to be in place, and how public defenders in California and around the country could be using it.
Guest
Sujung Kim, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco, California
Lilah Wolf, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco, California
Resources:
Contact the SF Public Defender
https://www.facebook.com/sfpublicdefender
https://www.instagram.com/sfpublicdefender/
Exhibits from the Trial
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qd5HC8wB7HuV_xoh6fHLQwRMmybJWShD?usp=sharing
Read More About the Case
https://sfpublicdefender.org/news/2025/03/10462/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined by two former police officers turned defense witness experts. Christina Sally and Chris Bertram joined the show to discuss their insights into the many ways in which police officers mess up the investigations into claims of child sexual assault cases.
Guest
Christina Sally PhD, Consultant, Defense Expert Witness, Retired Law Enforcement Officer
Chris Bertram, Retired Chief of Police, Associate Professor, Defense Expert Witness
Resources:
Email Christina
christinasallyphd@gmail.com
https://www.drchristinasallyphd.com/
Email Chris
chris@tbertramgroup.com
https://www.tbertramgroup.com/team.php
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined once again by Los Angeles County Chief Public Defender Ricardo Garcia. This time, they discuss how the new LA County DA is trying to bring back the death penalty and the impact of Prop 36 and the Los Angeles Wildfires on Public Defenders and their clients.
Guest
Ricardo Garcia, The Public Defender of Los Angeles County, California
Resources:
Contact the LA County Public Defender
https://www.instagram.com/lapubdef/
https://www.facebook.com/LACOUNTYPD/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lapubdef
LA DA Brings Back Death Penalty
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/26/los-angeles-da-death-penalty
Prop 36
https://lao.ca.gov/handouts/crimjust/2025/Fiscal-Impacts-of-Proposition-36-022525.pdf
https://www.ppic.org/blog/early-implementation-of-prop-36-varies-widely-across-counties/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
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Donate on PayPal
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Donate on Stripe
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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