Public Defenseless
Anyone 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. Like so many of you, Hunter is not an attorney, simply tired of a news cycle and talking heads that offer no real solutions to the ever-growing list of problems we face. Hunter hopes that with this information, you will share his belief that ordinary people still can make a difference.
Show episodes
384 | How Texas is Trying to Improve Access to Family Defense Attorneys w/Crystal Leff-Piñon
Today, Hunter was joined by Crystal Leff-Piñon, Director of TIDC’s family protection representation unit. On Tuesday, Hunter and Scott Ehlers discussed the funding problem and attorney shortages leading to a slow moving crisis in rural Texas. Today, Crystal joins to share how similar the issues are for family defense t
383 | How Can Texas Solve its Shortage of Rural Public Defender Crisis? w/Scott Ehlers
Today, Hunter was joined once again the Texas Indigent Defense Commission Executive Director, Scott Ehlers. This time, Scott and Hunter explore a slow moving crisis in Texas Public Defense: an absolute lack of attorneys in rural parts of the state. As with so many states with large rural areas, attorneys are retiring f
382 | What Stopped North Dakota Public Defenders from Refusing New Cases? w/Travis Fink
Today, Hunter was joined once again by the Executive Director of North Dakota’s Commission of Legal Counsel for the Indigent, Travis Fink. Last time, Travis joined the show to detail a bleak outlook for public defense in the state. Not enough attorneys in both the contract and full-time systems, inadequate pay, and cru
381 | With a Shortage of Lawyers and Too Many Cases, Will New Mexico Public Defenders Need to Stop Taking New Cases? w/Ben Baur
Today, Hunter was joined once again by New Mexico’s Chief Public Defender, Ben Baur. A few years back, a workload study estimated that New Mexico had 1/3 of the public defenders it needed to meet its workload demands. At that time, the state set out on a five-year plan to address the staffing shortage. Unfortunately, t
380 | How Washington is Helping People Who Have been Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity w/Tim Ray Johnson, Dennis Calhoun, and Amanda Ulrich
Today, Hunter was joined by Dennis Calhoun, Tim Ray Johnson, and Amanda Ulrich to discuss how Washington is helping people who were found not guilty by reason of insanity. Guest: Tim Ray Johnson, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Washington Dennis Calhoun, Student, Washington Amanda Ulrich, Public Defender Washington Resour
379 | How Washington is Trying to Recruit and Keep Lawyers in Rural Parts of the State w/ Nat Jacob, Elizabeth Mustin, Rachel Cortez
Today, Hunter was joined by Nat Jacob, Elizabeth Mustin, and Rachel Cortez to discuss new efforts by the Washington to recruit and retain Public Defenders. Guest Nat Jacob, Recruitment and Retention Managing Attorney Western Washington, Washington Office of Public Defense Rachel Cortez, Recruitment and Retention Mana