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 spoke with David Garlock, a formerly incarcerated and current criminal justice reformer, to discuss how David's journey from victim, to prison, to life after prison has landed him advocating to end sex offender registries. As a child, David endured nearly a decade of child sexual abuse. Eventually, he and his brother sought revenge against the man who committed the acts, and they made the decision to murder that man. David and his brother would go on to be convicted of murder and spend a decade locked away in an Alabama prison. Following his prison time, David began working with those who committed sex crimes in an attempt to rehabilitate them. Given his experience, there are few people who can speak with such moral authority on the issue of the sex offender registry and in the efforts to move our system away from one with a bedrock of vengeance.
Guest:
David Garlock, Formerly Incarcerated and Criminal Justice Reformer
Resources:
David Garlock Website
https://www.davidlgarlock.com/
David Garlock on Twitter
https://twitter.com/davidleegarlock
National Association for Rational Sex Offender Laws
NAPD 2023 National Conference Sign Up
https://nationalpublicdefensevirtua2021.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
On today's episode, Hunter spoke with Jon Lyon, the Investigator Resource Coordinator for the National Association for Public Defense, to talk all things investigator related. As Public Defense is focused on the practice of law, it makes sense that most of our conversations are lawyer centric, but part of the role of this show and of the NAPD is to remind everyone involved in Public Defense that it takes an entire team of people to represent someone. You may be the best lawyer on Earth, but if there is no one to assist you in collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, or chasing down leads, there are limits to what you can accomplish in the court room. For this reason, it is essential that we understand that without investigators, there is no Public Defense.
Guest:
Jon Lyon, Investigator Resource Coordinator, National Association for Public Defense
Resources:
NAPD Website
https://www.publicdefenders.us/
Lyon Legal Logistics
https://lyonlegallogistics.com/
Internet Sleuths
https://www.internetsleuth.net/
NAPD 2023 National Conference Sign Up
https://nationalpublicdefensevirtua2021.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Previously on the show, Hunter spoke with Marea Beeman about the dangerous fines and fees that make "free" attorneys decidedly not "free". Today, Hunter sat down with Priya Sarathy Jones, Deputy Executive Director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, to do an even deeper dive on the hidden costs that come with any interaction with the legal system. Since the Reagan administration, local communities, starved of federal support, began using the legal system to generate revenue. From that point on, more and more fees that have nothing to do with restitution to victims of crimes have been added to our legal system. As a result, a simple interaction with the legal system now carries a high risk of getting trapped in a cycle of poverty and debt.
Guest:
Priya Sarathy Jones, Deputy Executive Director, Fines and Fees Justice Center
Resources:
Fines and Fees Justice Center Website
https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/
NAPD 2023 National Conference Sign Up
https://nationalpublicdefensevirtua2021.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Taking over a Public Defender System requires one to understand the greatest weaknesses of the system. For TaShun Bowden-Lewis, one of those is a sever lack of outreach from the Connecticut Office of the Public Defender Office. While it will not happen overnight, TaShun hopes that by achieving her three main goals she will be able to transform the state wide system into one that is at the forefront of reshaping public safety policy. From innovative ideas for external affairs to caring for the wellbeing of every Public Defender under her leadership, TaShun offers the state hope for a better model of Public Defense.
Guest:
TaShun Bowden Lewis, Chief Public Defender, Connecticut Office of the Public Defender
Resources:
Connecticut Office of the Public Defender
CT Public Defender on Twitter
https://twitter.com/ctpublicdfndrs
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
After spending 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Anthony Graves hopes he can start a movement of getting more people with experience with the legal system involved in Public Defense. As the Director of Community Outreach for the Harris County Public Defender Office, Anthony is helping to bridge the gap between Public Defenders and the clients they represent. With crushing caseloads and minimal resources, Public Defenders cannot always provide the type of care that each of their clients need. While we may understand that this is more a product of a failing public defender system than the indifference of the attorney, the client only sees that their needs are not being met. From there, trust, with the client and the community, can easily erode. This is where Anthony steps in.
Few people know the needs of those currently accused of a crime quite like those who have spent time trapped in the legal system. Yet, many who serve as Public Defenders are unable to fully relate to the plight of their clients. With the help of Anthony and his Peer Navigators, Public Defenders can fill this critical knowledge gap and move one step closer to true holistic representation.
Guest:
Anthony Graves, Director of Community Outreach, Harris County Public Defender Office
Resources:
Harris County Public Defender Office
http://harriscountypublicdefender.org/
Anthony's Website
https://www.anthonygraves.org/
Follow Anthony on Twitter
https://twitter.com/anthonycgraves?lang=en
Email Anthony
ACGraves18@Gmail.com
In Memorium of Jeff Blackburn
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Normally in criminal law, intent matters. The intent of a person is one of the most critical features in determining how we will punish someone for a crime they committed. Then came the felony murder law. As a result of this law, people committing a felony that resulted in the death of another, no matter how remote that death may have been, were treated the same as someone who acted with the intent to kill someone. How this happened, the impacts of this harsh law, and what we can do about it are all topics in today's episode with Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Co-Director of Research at the Sentencing Project.
Guest:
Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Co-Director of Research, The Sentencing Project
Resources:
Nazgol's Publications
http://www.nazgolghandnoosh.com/research.html
Sentencing Project Report on Felony Murder
https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/felony-murder-an-on-ramp-for-extreme-sentencing/
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Today, Hunter spoke with the newest Chief Public Defender for the State of Maryland, Natasha Dartigue. Throughout her career, Natasha worked in every imaginable part of the Maryland Public Defender system. As such, she is acutely aware of the strength, weaknesses, and challenges she will face as she leads the office into the next decade. As with all of the conversations we have with leaders of a state wide Public Defense system, Natasha brings with her a vision for a safer, more vibrant community through the revitalization of public defense in the state of Maryland.
Guest:
Natasha Dartigue, Chief Public Defender, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Resources:
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Maryland Public Defender Caseload Standards
https://silo.tips/download/maryland-attorney-and-staff-workload-assessment-2005
Geoff Burkhart "How to Leverage Public Defender Workload Studies""
https://kb.osu.edu/bitstream/handle/1811/80800/OSJCL_V14N2_403.pdf?sequence=1
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
For somewhere between a third and a half of indigent people accused of a crime, they will be given either an assigned or contract Public Defender. Today's guest, Professor Eve Primus, argues that we must move away from that contract model of Public Defense. After years of research and writing, Eve is positive of one thing: to ensure everyone accused of a crime who cannot afford an attorney is provided competent representation, we must make full time Public Defense Offices the standard delivery method for public defense.
From the lack of available resources to the lack of political voice, Eve posits that assigned counsel systems are no longer a viable option for the indigent clients they represent. To hear how she arrived at this point, why she is hopeful change can manifest, and the role she feels law schools must play in making our legal system better, tune in to this awesome conversation!
Guest:
Eve Primus, Professor of Law, University of Michigan
Resources:
The Problematic Structure of Indigent Defense Delivery
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4232443
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
For some reason, people forget that long before New York or Illinois ended cash bail, New Jersey successfully eliminated cash bail. As Joseph Krakora shares on today's episode, that initiative came, in part, because Public Defense was valued enough by local politicians to be a major voice in shaping criminal justice reform. With more than a decade as the head of the New Jersey Public Defender System, few are better situated to share the story of bail reform and Public Defense in the state of New Jersey. Most importantly though, this story highlights why it is so important for Public Defenders to make themselves heard when policy is being crafted.
Guest:
Joseph Krakora, Public Defender of the State of New Jersey
Resources:
Office of the New Jersey Public Defender
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
While the main focus of the podcast is the representation that adults receive in felony and misdemeanor cases, there are countless other areas of law where indigent people need the help of attorneys. There are few states capable of providing the resources and care necessary to create a functioning public defense system for adult representation, so we shouldn't be surprised when things like Juvenile and Immigration representation fall to the wayside. Iowa is no exception. Recently, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court stated Public Defense in Iowa was on the verge of collapse. If that's the case, what's happening to juvenile and immigration representation?
To help answer these questions, Hunter spoke with Julia Zalenski, a Public Defender in the Iowa City Public Defender Office, and Rachel Antonuccio, the supervisor at the Waterloo Juvenile Public Defender Office. Through their tireless work and speaking on the show, they hope to draw attention to the needs of the countless clients who are easily ignored by the state.
Guest: Rachel Antonuccio, Supervisor, Waterloo Juvenile Public Defender Office
Julia Zalenski, Public Defender, Iowa City Public Defender Office
Resources:
Iowa Public Defender Office
Iowa Public Defense Crisis
NAPD Conference Sign Up
https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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