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.
While working as with the DC Public Defender Services, today's guest realized there was a critical lack of attorneys assisting youth after they had been sentenced. Today, Hunter spoke with Penelope Spain, CEO and Co-Founder of Open City Advocates, to discuss how her organization hopes to keep kids from falling through the cracks simply because they do not have an attorney post-conviction.
Guests:
Penelope Spain, CEO and Co-Founder, Open City Advocates
Resources:
Open City Advocates on
Website
https://www.opencityadvocates.org/
https://twitter.com/opencityadv?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/opencityadvocates/
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In just this past year, there have been over 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in state houses around the country. Many have no hope of passing, but some will end up creating new was to criminalize and ostracize already vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community. Joining Hunter today to talk about these laws and their impacts is Richard Saenz from Lambda Legal. Throughout this conversation, Richard and Hunter explore the many ways our legal system disregards the unique needs of LGBTQ+ folks being processed through it. Most importantly though, Richard lays out key ways that the legal community can help to stop the legal onslaught against the LGBTQ+ community.
Guests:
Richard Saenz, Senior Attorney and Criminal Legal System Strategist, Lambda Legal
Resources:
Lambda Legal
Protected and Served
Sam Alito Statement
https://newrepublic.com/post/179149/supreme-court-samuel-alito-traditional-people-bigots-lgbtq
Lambda Legal Social Media
https://twitter.com/lambdalegal?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/lambdalegal/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/lambdalegal/
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"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you at no cost." Ask the average American, and they will tell you that Public Defenders are free…. Unless of course you live in most states where they charge you something for getting a Public Defender. If you live in Iowa, this means you could pay up to the entire cost of your representation even if you are found not guilty or the charges are dropped. Joining Hunter today is Alex Kornya from Iowa Legal Aid to discuss the history, legality, and future of the fines and fees trapping thousands of Iowans in perpetual debt.
Guests:
Alex Kornya, Litigation Director and General Counsel, Iowa Legal Aid
Resources:
Marshall Project Reporting
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/02/12/miranda-rights-indigent-defense-iowa
Iowa Legal Aid
Cases
Woodbury County v Anderson
https://casetext.com/case/woodbury-county-v-anderson
James v Strange
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/407/128/
Fuller v Oregon
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/417/40/
State v Dudley
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914b1a4add7b0493475ab37
Bearden v Georgia
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/461/660/
Fines and Fees Justice Center
https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/
Email Alex
akornya@iowalaw.org
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After being rated as one of the worst places in the country for their youth legal system, Maryland law makers decided to implement an overhaul of said system. After two years of study and advocacy, the state was guilted into action. Now, after less than 18 months in effect, police and prosecutors have convinced law makers into chipping away at the reforms. Today, Hunter is joined once again by the Public Defender of Maryland, Natasha Dartigue, and by Deputy District Public Defender for Baltimore City, Alycia Capozello, to discuss the anecdotes and fear driving legislators towards bad criminal legal policy.
Guests:
Natasha Dartigue, The Public Defender of the State of Maryland
Alycia Capozello, Deputy District Public Defender, Baltimore City, MD
Resources:
Maryland before the JJRA
https://humanrightsforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/State-Ratings-Report_2020.pdf
JJRA Report
https://djs.maryland.gov/Pages/Juvenile-Justice-Reform-Council.aspx
Child Interrogation Protection Act
https://www.aclu-md.org/en/press-releases/child-interrogation-protection-act-goes-effect-saturday
Current Talks About JJRA
Office of the State Public Defender Maryland
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If you've listened to the show long enough, then you know Hunter has consistently advocated for more public defenders to become judges. With their insight into the legal system, communities can stand to gain so much by having a bench with more diverse job experience. Today, Hunter is joined by three L.A. public defenders who are all running for Superior Court Judgeships in Los Angeles County. Ericka Wiley, George Turner, and Kim Repecka know that their careers as public defenders make them uniquely qualified to serve as judges and ensure justice, fairness, and compassion for every person who might stand before them. Guests: Ericka Wiley, Public Defender and Candidate for Superior Court Judge Seat 48, Los Angeles George Turner, Public Defender and Candidate for Superior Court Judge Seat 39, Los Angeles Kim Repecka, Public Defender and Candidate for Superior Court Judge Seat 124, Los Angeles Resources: Ericka Wiley Contact https://wileyforjudge.com/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Ericka-Wiley-For-Judge-2024/61553248058723/ https://www.instagram.com/wiley4judge/ https://www.tiktok.com/@erickawileyforjudge2024 George Turner Contact https://georgeaturner4judge.com/ GeorgeTurner4Judge@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/turner4judge/ Kim Repecka Contact https://kimrepeckaforjudge.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kimrepeckaforjudge/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=0b2d1af0-961f-4311-8352-530c5589f562 Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patron www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
Why is it that even the most well intentioned, well thought out reforms for policing fail? At the heart of policing is a culture that teaches police to see threats around every corner. Today, Hunter sat down with sociology professor, Michael Sierra-Arévalo, to discuss his newest book The Danger Imperative: Violence, Death, and the Soul of Policing to try and understand all that contributes to that culture and how it impacts police practices.
Guests:
Michael Sierra-Arévalo, Professor of Sociology, University of Texas-Austin
Resources:
Get your copy of Michael's Book here:
https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-danger-imperative/9780231198479
Killology
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/warrior-cop-class-dave-grossman-killology.html
Michael's Contacts
https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/sociology/faculty/ms39643
https://www.sierraarevalo.com/
Tony Cheng Policing Machine
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo208342229.html
Samantha Simon Before the Badge
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Badge-Academy-Training-Violence/dp/1479813273
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Today, Hunter is once again joined by Arlington, VA Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood. This time, Brad joins the show to dig into the ways copaganda has negatively impacted criminal legal reforms in Virginia. Specifically, we discuss the ways false media outrage about organized retail theft and the century old war on drug rhetoric have shaped Virginia's discourse on criminal legal policy.
Guests:
Brad Haywood, Chief Public Defender, Arlington and City of Falls Chruch, Virginia
Resources:
Retail Theft Coverage
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/07/retail-theft-losses-inventory-nrf
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/02/27/shoplifting-retail-theft-lawmakers-response
Fentanyl Terorism Law
Radley Balko on Jason Miyares
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/virginias-culture-warrior-attorney
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Today, Hunter is once again joined by James McDermott and Paul Chambers from the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender Office. This time, James and Paul are discussing how they utilized the new National Workload study to double their attorney staff. While the use of data was extremely important into winning over county commissioners, James' and Paul's willingness to let the system fail proved to be the catalyst in securing more funding.
Guests:
James McDermott, Chief Public Defender, Far West Texas Regional Public Defender
Paul Chambers, Deputy Chief Public Defender, Far West Texas Regional Public Defender
Resources:
National Workload Study
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2559-1.html
Far West Texas Regional Public Defender
https://far-west-texas-regional-public-defender.business.site/
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Today, Hunter sat down with Jessica Brand, the found of the Wren Collective, to discuss their recent report about the death penalty in Harris County, Texas. For decades, Harris County used the death penalty more than anywhere in the world, but unlike many places, it did not use full time public defenders for these cases. Instead, they used court appointed counsel, and the results of that representation model have been stunningly bad.
Guests:
Jessica Brand, Founder, Wren Collective
Resources:
Contact the Wren Collective
https://www.wrencollective.org/contact-3
Death by Design Part 1
https://www.wrencollective.org/_files/ugd/8fe8f0_fd475c291d07486188088f0d5c2ffa33.pdf
Death By Design Part 2
https://www.wrencollective.org/_files/ugd/8fe8f0_cd056b2be4634f3e9410053388c79bfe.pdf
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In a follow up to our episode on Operation Lone Star, Hunter is joined by UC Davis Law Professor Eric Fish to discuss his recent law review article, "Resisting Mass Immigration Prosecutions." On our previous OLS episode, we discussed the many ways the state of Texas has stacked the deck in its favor, making it extremely difficult for PDs to get anything close to a "win." Yet, OLS is not the first mass immigration prosecution scheme, and today's episode is about understanding the lessons we can learn from Eric, the other PDs, and the criminal defense attorneys in San Diego who got amazing wins against Operation Streamline.
Guests:
Eric Fish, Former Federal Public Defender and Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law
Resources:
Law Review Article
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4659514
History of Operation Streamline
https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Operation_Streamline_Policy_Brief.pdf
Contact Eric
https://law.ucdavis.edu/people/eric-fish
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