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 is joined by Amanda Jack of the New York Legal Aid Society. Today, Amanda and Hunter are discussing the Harvey Weinstein trial. Specifically, they are discussing why the conviction was overturned, why the New York legislature is trying to change the rules of evidence, and why it's a terrible idea for them to do it.
Guests:
Amanda Jack, Policy Director Criminal Practice, NY Legal Aid Society
Resources:
Follow Amanda on Twitter
Federal Rule of Evidence 413 and Harvey Weinstein
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by Andre de Gruy, Chief Public Defender of Mississippi. The last time Andre was on the show, he and Hunter discussed some positive changes he was hoping to get out of the 2024 legislative session. While not everything from the last episode came to pass, Andre believes Mississippi public defense is ever so slowly improving.
Guests:
Andre de Gruy, State Public Defender, Mississippi
Resources:
OSPD Website
Marshall Project Mississippi
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/05/02/mississippi-public-defense-legislative-reforms
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/09/18/mississippi-courts-lawyers-poor-defendants
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/01/24/arrested-hinds-county-mississippi-jackson-courts
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Today, Hunter is joined be the Co-Founder of Reduct, Prabhas Pokharel. Building from Tuesday's conversation about tech, AI, and Public Defense, Hunter and Prabhas explore the ways AI and Reduct can help Public Defenders take on Police and Prosecutors.
Guests:
Prabhas Pokharel, Co-Founder, Reduct
Resources:
Reduct Website, Socials, and Contact
prabhas@reduct.video
Standford Legal AI Study
https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-trial-legal-models-hallucinate-1-out-6-or-more-benchmarking-queries
https://dho.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/Legal_RAG_Hallucinations.pdf
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by Professor Andrew Ferguson. Last time Andrew was on the show, he and Hunter discussed the state of the 4th Amendment in the digital era. This time, Hunter and Andrew dive into three law review articles Andrew has recently published. The first discussed a new framework for analyzing the 4th Amendment. The second and third articles are all about new, dangerous was police and prosecutors are relying on AI.
Guests:
Andrew Ferguson, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Resources:
Andrew's Faculty Page
https://www.american.edu/wcl/faculty/ferguson.cfm
Andrews Law Review Articles
Digital Rummaging
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377633
AI in Police Reports
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4897632
Video Analytics and the Fourth Amendment
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4766249
U.S. v Tuggle
More on AI in Police Reports
https://www.kqed.org/news/12007520/how-artificial-intelligence-is-changing-the-reports-police-write
https://www.propublica.org/article/police-body-cameras-video-ai-law-enforcement
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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Today, Hunter is joined by IV Ashton, Founder and President of Legal Server, to discuss how a quality case management system and powerful AI tools can help Public Defenders pose more systemic challenges to police and prosecutors
Guests:
IV Ashton, President and Founder, Legal Server
Resources:
Legal Server Website
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
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@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined by Nancy Farrell and Dee Miller of the New York Vet Defense Program. Previously on the show, Hunter and other guests have described the power of veteran and other treatment courts. However, we have often lamented at the limited scope that this courts offer veterans who need help but just not drug or alcohol treatment. With this program, Nancy and Dee offer veterans the culturally competent mitigation and service connection that helps Vets escape the criminal legal system.
Guests:
Nancy Farrell, Director, New York Vet Defense
Dee Miller, Program Coordinator, Vet Defense
Resources:
Connect With NY Vet Defense
585 219 4862
Info@NYSDA.org
Website
https://www.nysda.org/page/VetsDefTest
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
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@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by NAPD's Jeff Sherr. This time, they sat down to discuss NAPD's new Change Maker Forum, what Hunter learned from attending, and how NAPD hopes to use it to spark new, impactful changes in Public Defense.
Guests:
Jeff Sherr, Director of Training, National Association of Public Defense
Resources:
NAPD Changemaker Forum 2025
https://publicdefenders.us/event/the-changemakers-forum-napd-strategic-exchange-3/
Notes from 2024
https://publicdefenders.us/blogs/napd-changemakers-forum-tackles-public-defense-challenges/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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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 is joined by Ph.D. candidate and law student Andrew Gurrero to discuss his research about the evolution of the UCLA police department. In this episode, Hunter and Andrew explore the origins of the department and the forces that drove the department away from its original mandate.
Guests:
Andrew Gurrero, Ph.D Candidate, Harvard
Resources:
Read Sources Discussed in the Episode Here
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12_jIy21jUCsPS4qEqSAMjxxvx1Tlce6r?usp=sharing
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
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@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 is joined once again by Rebecca Schaffer to discuss plea bargaining in Europe. As we did on Tuesday, this episode aims to help people understand the intractable problems with plea deals and what countries are doing to try and ameliorate those problems
Guests:
Rebecca Schaffer, Former Legal Director, Fair Trials
Resources:
Follow Rebecca on Twitter
https://x.com/rebeccashaeffe?lang=en
Email Rebecca
rebecca.shaeffer@gmail.com
Read the Reports
https://www.fairtrials.org/articles/publications/the-disappearing-trial/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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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. Like many county based, county funded Public Defense systems, South Dakota is plagued with underfunding, under staffing, lack of independence, and cost saving practices that make Public Defense ineffective. Yet, this episode has a ray of hope because for the first time in its history, the state appears poised to radically reimagine how it funds, supports, and organizes Public Defense.
Guests:
Aditi Goel, Deputy Director, Sixth Amendment Center
Resources:
Read the Report Here:
New South Dakota Public Defense Commission
https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24943/265191
Task Force Report
https://ujs.sd.gov/uploads/committees/Indigent/ILSTaskForceFinalReportRecommendations.pdf
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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@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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