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.
Hunter is joined once again by Jennifer Jennison and joining us for the first time is Sammy Provencio. After spending more than 30 years in custody, Sammy has joined the Stanislaus County Public Defender Office to help run their newest community-centred initiative, the Hub. Jennifer and Sammy join the show to share what the Hub is, what it does, and to share the power of having formerly incarcerated people work in a Public Defender Office.
Guest:
Jennifer Jennison, Chief Public Defender, Stanislaus County, California
Sammy Provencio, Client Support Specialist, Group Facilitator, Stanislaus County, California
Resource:
Learn More Here
https://www.stancounty.com/publicdefender/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVhDRWsEoYD/
https://www.facebook.com/thehubcenterforchange/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast
Twitter: @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!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Hunter is joined by Ben Polk, Director of the Transformative Justice Project at New York University School of Law, Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights to discuss a recent law review article he authored where he conservatively estimated it would cost $28 billion to fund Public Defense nationwide.
Guest:
Ben Polk, Director, Transformative Justice Project and Research Scholar, New York University School of Law, Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights,
Resource:
Read the Article Here
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6359060
Ben's Faculty Page
https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/bernstein-institute/team
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast
Twitter: @PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon: www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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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!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Hunter is joined once again by Professor Eve Primus to discuss another excellent law review article about Public Defense. This time, Professor Primus details how delays in the appointment of counsel can and do create Constitutional violations that PDs can challenge.
Guest:
Eve Primus, Professor of Law, University of Michigan
Resource:
Read the Article Here
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6288018
Contact Eve
https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/eve-brensike-primus
MDefenders
https://michigan.law.umich.edu/mdefenders
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
Donate on Stripe
https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined by Alena Chulick, the Co-Founder and Project Manager of Project Rehabilitate out of the Allegheny County Public Defender. Thanks to a federal grant, Project Rehabilitate has been able to keep people out of custody and kept them in the care they need to get back on their feet.
Guest:
Alena Chulick, Co-Founder and Project Manager, Project Rehabilitate, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Resource:
Project Rehabilitate
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Court-Related/Public-Defender/Project-Rehabilitate
Allegheny County PD Website
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Government/Court-Related/Public-Defender\
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined by Ann Miller, Susette Billedeaux, and Josh Cahoon from the Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. They joined the show to the tell the history of this office and how they've built it into a model holistic office.
Guest:
Ann Miller, Managing Attorney, Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana
Susette Billedeaux, Holistic Programming Director Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana
Josh Cahoon, Lead Case Manager Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana
Resource:
https://cskt.org/tribal-defenders-office/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Professor Shira Diner. Last time she was on the show, she explained why the bar advocates in Massachusetts stopped accepting new cases. This time, she joins to explain how the Legislature and Judiciary responded and what comes next for the state.
Guest:
Shira Diner, Professor of Law, Boston University
Resource:
Read the Case Here
https://statecourtreport.org/case-tracker/committee-public-counsel-services-v-middlesex-and-suffolk-county-district-courts
Updated Coverage
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined by Damon Silver Chief Defender of the Santa Clara County Public Defender. Home to Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County is struggling with a large budget deficit due to federal budget cuts. As such, the Public Defender Office has lost full time positions and is facing a severe workload crisis.
Guest:
Damon Silver, Chief Public Defender, Santa Clara County, California
Resource:
Read More Here
https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-public-defenders-crushed-by-caseloads/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
Donate on Stripe
https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined by Colin Charbonneau and Victoria Blumhorst, two Public Defender leaders from Spokane, Washington. They joined the show to explain why they decided to sue their county over the workload standards the county recently imposed.
Guest:
Colin Charbonneau, Director, Spokane County Public Defenders, Washington
Victoria Blumhorst, Director, Counsel for Defense, Spokane, Washington
Resource:
Read the Complaint Here
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j9QTRxm6VXpiZQTmvdkgY9HHwgauBt_L?usp=drive_link
Read more about the story here
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/11/public-defenders-sue-spokane-county-over-work-stan/
https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/6067
https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6049
Contact Colin and Victoria Here
CHARBONNEAU@spokanecounty.gov
vblumhorst@spokanecounty.gov
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
Donate on Stripe
https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined once again by Shannon Wilson and Stacey Lowe. The last time these two Public Defender Leaders in Oregon were on the show, they discussed why they were suing the Oregon Public Defense Commission. Today, they join to discuss their victory in court and what it means for Public Defense in Oregon.
*** Note for the show: After recording, editing and publishing the show, Carl McPherson, the Executive Director of The Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, responded to my request for comment with the following statement: "Regarding the current contract, our office is already using an internal workload model and believe we have ethical caseloads. So, the lawsuit is not impacting our current practice. The lawsuit will impact negotiations for our next contract (and terms) that will begin on July 1, 2027." Please keep that in mind when you listen to the episode!
Guest:
Shannon Wilson, Executive Director, Public Defender of Marion County Inc., Oregon
Stacey Lowe, Executive Director, South West Oregon Public Defender Services, Oregon
Resource:
Check out the Trial Transcript Here
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LoISTUXKRJ8lO9W7uogBRW9l3bf_1UR9?usp=drive_link
Contact Stacey and Shannon Here
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
Donate on Stripe
https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
Today, Hunter was joined by Nia Holston from the Abolitionist Law Center and Sean Damon of Straight-Ahead to discuss a case out of Pennsylvania. In Commonwealth v. Lee, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down mandatory life without the possibility of parole for felony murder convictions because those sentences violated the states prohibition on cruel punishments.
Guest:
Nia Holston, Staff Attorney, Abolitionist Law Center
Sean Damon, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Straight-Ahead
Resource:
Read the Case Here
https://statecourtreport.org/case-tracker/commonwealth-v-lee
Contact ALC and Straight-Ahead
https://abolitionistlawcenter.org/person/nia-holston/
sean@straight-ahead.org
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
Donate on Stripe
https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
**** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****
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