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 Lisa Wayne, the Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. In this episode, Lisa and Hunter discuss how NACDL is trying to help give Public and Private Defenders the tools, skills, and policies they need to fight for their clients in and out of the court room.
Guests:
Lisa Wayne, Executive Director, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Resources:
Trial Penalty
https://www.nacdl.org/Landing/TheTrialPenalty
NACDL
https://www.facebook.com/NACDL
https://www.instagram.com/nacdl/
https://www.tiktok.com/@nacdlofficial
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
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Today, Hunter is by two Colorado State Public Defenders, James Hardy and Kayleigh TenBarge. When this episode was first recorded, James, Kayleigh, and Hunter were primarily focused on a piece of legislation that the Defenders Union of Colorado attempted and failed to get through the state house. That bill sought to get workload standards in place in Colorado by mid-2025. After recording that segment, an audit of the Colorado State Public Defender dropped, and revealed that at least 46% and maybe as many as 99% of Public Defenders in Colorado are exceeding workloads. Considering that, OSPD has stated they will get a workload standard by mid-2026. But why the wait? What will happen in the interim? What relief will come to an increasingly overloaded system?
Guests:
Kayleigh TenBarge, Public Defender, Colorado, Secretary, Defenders Union of Colorado
James Hardy, Appellate Public Defender, Colorado, Executive Board Co-Chair, Defenders Union of Colorado
Resources:
Audit of the Colorado Public Defender
Defenders Union of Colorado
https://www.defendersunionco.org/
Defenders Union of Colorado Back Bill
Ethics Opinion
Bill
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1289
Email Kayleigh
tenbargekayleigh@gmail.com
Email DUC
executiveboard@defendersunionco.org
Defenders Union of Colorado Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/defenders_union_of_colorado/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined by Professor Rachel Kincaid to talk about her recent law review article about the junk science excited delirium. Through her research, we can trace how this science steeped in racism has been able to infect the legal system and provide police a shield for their unlawful uses of force.
Guests:
Rachel Kincaid, Professor of Law, Baylor University
Resources:
Read Rachel's Article
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4831202
Professor Kincaid's Faculty Page
https://law.baylor.edu/person/rachel-kincaid
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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Today, Hunter is joined by our first North Carolina Public Defender, Beth Stang. Today, we will be discussing all that is going right, going wrong, and what the future holds for Public Defense in Beth's office that covers Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties.
Guests:
Beth Stang, Chief Public Defender, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk County, North Carolina
Resources:
Email Beth
beth.w.stang@nccourts.org
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by Alex Kornya to discuss the intersection between the criminal and civil legal systems. Last time, Alex detailed how fines and fees abuse people in the criminal and civil legal systems, and today, Alex joins us to discuss crime nuisance ordinances and "Crime Free" Housing programs.
Guests:
Alex Kornya, Litigation Director and General Counsel, Iowa Legal Aid
Resources:
2020 story from the Atlantic about this issue and some history:
HUD guidance on how crime nuisance ordinances may violate the Fair Housing Act:
https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/FINALNUISANCEORDGDNCE.PDF
DOJ Reinforces Previous Guidance on Crime Nuisance
Justice Department Secures Landmark Agreement with City of Anoka, Minnesota, to End Disability Discrimination in "Crime-Free" Housing Program
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-landmark-agreement-city-anoka-minnesota-end-disability
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
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@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined by journalist Jeremiah Hayden. Over the past several months, Jeremiah has been covering the reality for homeless people in Grants Pass, Oregon. If you are familiar with that town, it is likely because it was the town at the center of the recent Supreme Court case saying it was okay to criminalize homeless people. Instead of diving into the decision, Jeremiah is here to help people understand what it was like for a homeless person living in the town and what will happen now that their very existence can be criminalized.
at around 55 minutes, Hunter said the city of Vail paid $26 million to not build affordable housing. The actual figure is $17 million
Guests:
Jeremiah Hayden, Staff Reporter, Street Roots, Portland Oregon
Resources:
Street Roots
Street Roots Reporting on Grants Pass
https://www.streetroots.org/news/archive/grants%2520pass
Grants Pass Decision
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-175_19m2.pdf
Martin v Boise
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2019/04/01/15-35845.pdf
Gospel Mission Rescue
The Appeal's Coverage on Policies post Grants Pass
https://theappeal.org/supreme-court-homelessness-grants-pass-ruling-camping-bans/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by Alexandra Bailey, senior campaign strategist with the Sentencing Project, to discuss how her and a coalition of amazing activists were able to get a Domestic Violence Survivor Justice Act passed in Oklahoma.
Guests:
Alexandra Bailey, Senior Campaign Strategist, The Sentencing Project
Resources:
OK Survivor Justice Coalition
https://oksurvivorjusticecoalition.org/legislation
Sentencing Project
https://www.sentencingproject.org/
Email Alexandra abailey@sentencingproject.org
Coverage of the Bill
https://boltsmag.org/oklahoma-survivors-act/
https://www.sentencingproject.org/newsletter/oklahoma-survivors-act-overcomes-veto/
https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/just-the-start-domestic-violence-survivors-react-to-new-law
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined once again by Ricardo Garcia and joining the show for the first time Marcus Huntley. On today's show, Ricardo and Marcus detail how they were able to get a mobile court established in Los Angeles that brings court to a location that is easier for their clients to access.
Guests:
Ricardo Garcia, Chief Public Defender, Los Angeles Public Defender
Marcus Huntley, Head Deputy of Collaborative & Restorative Justice, Los Angeles Public Defender
Resources:
Email Marcus
MHuntley@pubdef.lacounty.gov
Email Ricardo
RGarcia@pubdef.lacounty.gov
Articles on Community Court
https://abc7.com/post/la-county-community-outreach-court-program-life-altering/14834255/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
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@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined by Erica Nichols Cook, an Iowa State Public Defender and Director of the Iowa State Public Defense Wrongful Conviction Unit. On today's episode, we are discussing the case of Mr. Bill Beeman, a client of Erica's. In this case you will hear about a shoddy investigation, Brady violations, ineffective assistance of counsel, and the destruction of evidence that would exonerate Mr. Beeman.
Guests: Erica Nichols Cook, Director Wrongful Conviction Unit, Iowa Public Defender
Resources:
Drake Law School Wrongful Conviction Clinic
https://www.drake.edu/law/clinics-centers/clinic/wrongfulconvictionsclinic/
Contact Erica
enicholscook@spd.state.ia.us
West Virginia Law Review Article Young Blood
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6199&context=wvlr
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter is joined by Kathrina "Kasia" Szymborski Wolfkot from the Brennan Center for Justice. On today's episode, Hunter and Kasia explore a rare area for hope on the show: State Courts. While much of the focus of teaching and discussion about our legal system starts and ends with the Supreme Court, state courts offer a path to meaningful, major changes to our criminal and constitutional legal systems.
Guests: Kathrina (Kasia) Szymborski Wolfkot, Senior Counsel, Brenan Center for Justice, Managing Editor of the State Court Report
Resources:
Commonweatth v Mattis
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ma-supreme-judicial-court/115703895.html
New Yorker on State Supreme Courts
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/10/can-state-supreme-courts-preserve-or-expand-rights
State Court Report
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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