Public Defenseless

The State of Alabama sentenced Robin "Rocky" Myers to death after he was convicted of murder in 1994. Over the next 30 years, Rocky fought to prove his innocence, and with each passing year, the evidence of his innocence continued to grow. There was a lack of DNA evidence. Inconsistent witness testimony. Police and Prosecutorial misconduct. On top of all that, there were serious problems with the verdict itself. Taken together, these factors pushed Governor Kay Ivey to commute Rocky's death sentence. Yet, Rocky is still serving a life sentence. Now, our guest, Leah Nelson, is here to present evidence that Rocky's trial lawyer might have been in the Ku Klux Klan.   Guest: Leah Nelson, Special Investigator, Alabama   Resource: Justice 4 Rocky Website https://www.justice4rockymyers.com/ Undisclosed Podcast https://www.undisclosedpod.com/seasons-cases/rockymyers https://open.spotify.com/episode/40VBEwOtdaO6suwPRx8SLa     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

Hunter is joined once again by Professor Valena Beety. Valena joins the show to discuss her new book, Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity. In it, she discusses the cognitive biases, junk sciences, and the systemic policies used to surveil, police, and incarcerate women and queer communities.   Guest: Valena Beety, Professor of Law, Indiana School of Law   Resource: Pick up a Copy of the Book Here https://thenewpress.org/books/pink-crime/   Contact Valena https://www.linkedin.com/in/valenabeety/ https://law.indiana.edu/about/people/details?name=beety-valena https://valenabeetyjd.com/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter: @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****

Hunter is joined once again by Professor Lisa Waters to discuss her law review article, Automating Junk Science. In it, Lisa details a troubling trend where police officers are using automated technology to "verify" that gun matches a bullet found at the scene of a crime. The only problem? The underlying tool mark science is complete junk. How can defenders respond to this automation of Junk Science? Lisa offers a few insights.     Guest: Lisa Waters, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law, New York   Resource: Read the Article Here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5440637 Contact Lisa Here https://www.law.cuny.edu/faculty-profile/lisa-waters/#profile   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter :@PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

Hunter is joined by Liz Ortenburger, the CEO of Safe Nest. Liz and her team at Safe Nest operate a shelter and aid center for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. As Liz sees it, the conventional approach to domestic violence, policing and incarceration, is simply insufficient to end the cycles of violence that lead to domestic violence. Liz joined the show to discuss the different approach Safe Nest takes to try and eradicate domestic violence.   Guest: Liz Ortenburger, CEO, Safe Nest, Clark County, Nevada   Resource: Check out Safe Nest Here https://safenest.org/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]   Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter: @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

Breaking  news: As the evening of Aug 4, the NDS Union won a contract!!   Hunter is joined by Ashley Munger, Katherine Shamsie, and Samantha Rudelich of the NDS Union. The union, representing NDS Harlem, NDS Detroit, and NDS Texas, have been on strike. Hunter sits down with them to discuss why they went on strike, what they hope to accomplish, and what management needs to do to end this strike.      Guest: Ashley Munger, Staff Attorney, Criminal Division, NDS Detroit Katherine Shamsie, Staff Attorney, Criminal Division, NDS Texas Samantha Rudelich, Staff Attorney, Family Defense Division, NDS Harlem   Resource: SUPPORT THE STRIKE FUND HERE https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-striking-legal-service-workers-n3x56?attribution_id=sl:ca61e32e-c420-4d6f-a848-cdde768cb52c&lang=en_US&ts=1785196351&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link   Follow the Union https://www.instagram.com/ndsunion/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter: @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 two guests from the Idaho State Public Defender System. Eric Fredericksen, State Public Defender, and Doug Nelson, Litigation Director, join the show to provide an update on the Idaho State System and to highlight a case that shows why the state wide system is better for the people of Idaho.     Guest: Eric Fredericksen, State Public Defender, Idaho Doug Nelson, Litigation Director, Idaho   Resource: Learn More about the System Here https://spd.idaho.gov/     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

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:      [email protected]  Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter: @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

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:      [email protected]   Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter: @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

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:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 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:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 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 https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-03-17/following-high-court-ruling-mass-bar-advocates-turn-to-lobbying-lawmakers https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/05/defense-lawyers-sue-over-mass-law-they-say-stops-them-from-fighting-for-better-pay.html https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/04/04/massachusetts-continues-to-address-bar-advocate-shortage-with-incentive-plan/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 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/ https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/san-jose-spotlight-santa-clara-county-public-22236000.php     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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.kxly.com/news/public-defenders-sue-spokane-county-over-excessive-caseloads/article_fc46807b-d0f0-4171-9533-0c5acdf2a59f.html https://www.inlander.com/news/spokane-county-public-defenders-challenge-their-caseloads-in-court-and-at-the-bargaining-table/article_e883ca3a-4f51-4373-959c-2684f35ccf31.html https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/6067 https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county-sued-public-defender-caseload-limits/293-568f4e4c-a03c-4671-a74f-d3c0fcf081ec https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6049 Contact Colin and Victoria Here [email protected] [email protected]   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 https://swopds.org/ https://www.pdmarion.org/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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/ [email protected]     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Professor Deborah Lolai to discuss her law review article, Out of the Closet, in on Bail. In the article, Deborah details the systemic issues within the bail system, especially as they relate to LGBTQ+ individuals. She explores how pretrial detention disproportionately impacts queer and trans people and how Public Defenders can help get their clients the individualized considerations they deserve.   Guest: Deborah Lolai, Clinical Professor and Lecturer, Harvard Law     Resource: Read the Paper Here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5172965   Contact Deborah Here https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/deborah-lolai/     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****  

Hunter is joined by Salil Dudani and Carson White from the Civil Rights Corps. Since they were founded, the Civil Rights Corps has been one of the leaders in the fight to end cash bail. Today, Carson and Salil joined to explain the recent California Supreme Court Case, In re Gerald Kowalczyk, and what it means for the fight against cash bail.       Guest: Carson White, Supervising Attorney, Civil Rights Corps Salil Dudani, Senior Attorney, Civil Rights Corps   Resource: More from Civil Rights Corps Here https://civilrightscorps.org/case/kowalczyk-california-bail-pretrial-detention/   Read the Case Here https://courts.ca.gov/opinion/published/2026-04-30/s277910     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 John Haried a career prosecutor in the Department of Justice. After more than 30 years with the Department, John walked away after seeing the abuses in under the Second Trump Administration. Today, he joined the show to help us understand why he left.   Guest: John Haried, Former Director of Electronic Litigation, Department of Justice   Resource:   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Maggie Shepard and Bob McGovern. Bob and Maggie serve as communications directors for Public Defender agencies, and they joined to discuss how they are helping Public Defenders better engage with the media.   Guest: Maggie Shepard, Director of Communications, Law Offices of the Public Defender, New Mexico Bob McGovern, Director of Communications and Special Counsel, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Massachusetts   Resource: New Mexico LOPD https://www.lopdnm.us/offices/ CPCS https://www.publiccounsel.net/   Contact Maggie and Bob [email protected] [email protected]   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Eric Tindal, a criminal defense lawyer in Iowa. He joined to explain issues Public Defenders in Iowa are facing. While the contract system is on the verge of breaking, the Public Defenders secured a major win for the right to stand up against excessive workloads. With the challenges the system faces, the two discuss if new tough on crime polices will be the straw that breaks the camels back?   Guest: Eric Tindal, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Iowa   Resource: Contact Eric [email protected]   Read about the Supreme Court Case Here https://www.iowacourts.gov/courtcases/24301/embed/SupremeCourtOpinion   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Alex Kornya. In this episode, Alex and Hunter discuss a range of topics including court fines and fees in Iowa and how to pass policies that stop local governments from co-operating with federal immigration enforcement.   Guest: Alex Kornya, Litigation Director, Legal Aid Justice Center, Virginia     Resource: No Immigration Fines https://noimmigrationfines.org/   Legal Aid Justice Center https://www.justice4all.org/   Ability to Pay Calculator https://abilitytopay.org/interview?i=docassemble.ATPCalculator:data/questions/ATP.yml#page1     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Nate Crippes of the Disability Law Center in Utah. Nate joined to discuss the proposed 1,300 bed homeless camp that might be built outside of Salt Lake City. Hunter and Nate discussed why this is happening, the danger it poses to the homeless community of Salt Lake City, and what Public Defenders can do to better represent those who are homeless or who have disabilities.   Guest: Nate Crippes, Public Affairs Supervising Attorney, Disability Law Center, Salt Lake City, Utah   Resource: DLC Website https://disabilitylawcenter.org/   Learn More About the Camp Here https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/09/03/utah-homeless-campus-site-unveiled-after-secretive-search/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/utah-homeless-camp-stalls.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/politics/utah-trump-homeless-campus.html https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/11/19/massive-slc-homeless-shelter-plan/       Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Angela Chang and Sean Vicente of the Hamilton County, Ohio Public Defender Office. They joined the show to explain how they, along with their community, are fighting to hold police and prosecutors accountable for their unethical and illegal actions.   Guest: Angela Chang, Youth Defense Director, Hamilton County Public Defender, Ohio Sean Vicente, Municipal Director, Hamilton County Public Defender, Ohio     Resource: Contact the PDs https://www.hamiltoncountypd.org/ https://www.instagram.com/hamcopubdef/ https://www.facebook.com/hamcopubdef/   Issues around policing/accountability and intersection with discovery/defense Overview of Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement  https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/collaborative-agreement-refresh/ https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/collaborative-agreement-refresh/documents-and-media-resources/ Discussion of Ohio Public Records law change/ attempts to circumvent discovery exchange by the prosecutor/police https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-149.43 The bill with the redlined amendments https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb265  https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2025-11-25/ohio-supreme-court-rules-police-officer-identities-can-be-hidden-from-public-under-marsys-law https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/06/ohio-lawmakers-step-back-from-sweeping-police-secrecy-measure.html       Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales. Senator Gonzales was instrumental in shaping Colorado's progressive immigration policies. She is running against Senator John Hickenlooper in the Democratic primary for Colorado's Senate seat. Julie hopes that she will be able to bring her progressive politics to D.C. so she can challenge the status quo.   Guest: Julie Gonzales, Colorado State Senator and Candidate for U.S. Senate   Resource:   Julie Gonzales Campaign Website: https://www.julieforcolorado.com/ Julie Gonzales on Socials:  https://www.instagram.com/senadorajulie https://www.facebook.com/senadorajulie https://bsky.app/profile/senadorajulie.bsky.social https://x.com/SenadoraJulie Cato Institute Immigration Data: https://www.cato.org/immigration     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 long time criminal defense lawyer Jim Castle. Jim is here to help people understand the legal ethics related to workload limits and to explain where the Office of the State Public Defender gets these ethics wrong.   Guest: Jim Castle, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Colorado   Resource: Google Drive with Relevant Documents  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NVuuL9L6BUH8xBggXKnUMvsqJvSygk38?usp=drive_link   Link to ABA Formal Opinion 06-441 https://www.in.gov/ccaa/files/ABA.Ethics06-441.pdf     Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Travis Weiner, the former Colorado Public Defender who is suing the Colorado Public Defender System. On a previous episode, Travis detailed that he sued the state because he believed that OSPD retaliated against him for trying to do something about his unethical workloads. Today, Travis joins to discuss the most recent substantive hearing in his case to discuss the important take aways.   Guest: Travis Weiner, Public Defender, New Mexico   Resource: Google Drive with Relevant Documents  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NVuuL9L6BUH8xBggXKnUMvsqJvSygk38?usp=drive_link   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 shared the results of unfair labor complaint against the Colorado State Public Defender system.   Guest:   Resource: Google Drive with Relevant Documents  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1poeBD8pjrxLaMDTaCgN1lX12n3NKE0h5?usp=drive_link   Contact Hunter Parnell:      [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Jenny Andrews and for the first time Matthew Thiese and Sarah McCarthay. As was the case on Tuesday, this episode is a continued discussion about the National Public Defender Well-Being Study. This time, the focus is on the upcoming phase two that people can participate in starting June 1.       Guest:   Jenny Andrews, Director, Be Sustained   Matthew These Ph.D., Professor, Utah University School of Medicine   Sarah McCarthy, Chief Assistant Public Defender, Santa Clara, California   Resource:   Find Everything About the Study Here   https://besustained.org/   Contact Matthew Here   https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/matthew-s-thiese   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Aaron Gottlieb and Melissa Mahabir to discuss how excessive workloads drive worse outcomes for the people public defenders work for. Guest: Aaron Gottlieb, Associate Professor, University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice Melissa Mahabir, Social Worker and Former Mitigation Specialist Resource: Read the Article Here https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/712924 Contact Aaron Here https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/directory/aaron-gottlieb Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Jenny Andrews and for the first time Professor Jon Jachimowicz. Over the past year, Jenny, Jon, and the amazing team working with Be Sustained have been conducting a study about Public Defender Well Being. This episode details the findings from phase one of that study.   Guest: Jenny Andrews, Director, Be Sustained Jon Jachimowicz, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School   Resource: Find Everything About the Study Here https://besustained.org/ Contact Jon Here https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1175257   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Jane Fox and for the first time Alexi Shalom. These two have been working tirelessly to develop programs that can help members of their union deal with crushing student debt. Today, these two join to explain those programs and what else Public Defender leaders can do to help their people with student debt.       Guest: Jane Fox, Legal Aid Society and Unit Chair, ALAA Local 2325 Alexi Shalom, Ed Rep, UAW Region 9A   Resource: Learn More Here https://region9a.uaw.org/education Contact Jane [email protected]   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Dan Hinkel. Dan is an investigative journalist with Injustice Watch, and today, he joined the show to talk about the third instalment of his series called "Denying Innocence." This series details how the new Cook County State Attorney, Eileen O'Neil Burke has changed how her office handles wrongful convictions. This episode is about how Burke's office is now fighting to keep exonerated people from getting certificates to show their innocence.       Guest: Dan Hinkel, Investigative Journalist, Injustice Watch   Resource: Read the Series Here: https://www.injusticewatch.org/projects/denying-innocence/   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 David Seligman, a civil rights, workers' rights, consumers' rights lawyer and candidate for Attorney General in Colorado. David joined the show to discuss why he decided to run and the ambitious plans he has to use the office of the Attorney General to fight for working class Coloradans.       Guest: David Seligman, Candidate for Attorney General, Colorado   Resource: Find David's Campaign Here https://www.seligmanforag.com/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Professor John Gross. This time, the two discuss a recent article published by John that offers public defenders another strategy to deal with excessive workloads.       Guest: John Gross, Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin   Resources: Read John's Article Here https://www.uclalawreview.org/caseload-transparency-a-new-approach-to-the-ethics-of-excessive-caseloads/ Contact John Here https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/john.gross   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 five former public defenders, all running for a judicial position in Multnomah County, Oregon. Hunter and the candidates discuss how they view the role of a judge to solve various issues that might come before the court.       Guest: Kristine Almquist, Full Time Judicial Officer, Candidate for Judicial Position 14, Multnomah County, Oregon Peter Klym, Deputy Public Defender, Appellate Division, OPDC, Candidate for Judicial Position 12, Multnomah County, Oregon Joanna Perini-Abott, Professor of Law, Lewis and Clark School of Law, Candidate for Judicial Position 5, Multnomah County, Oregon Chris Behre, Public Defender, Candidate for Judicial Position 2, Multnomah County, Oregon Joe Hagedorn, Referee/Judge Pro Tem, Juvenile Court, Candidate for Judicial Position 14, Multnomah County, Oregon   Resources: Learn More About the Candidates Here: https://www.almquistforjudge.com/ https://www.peterforjudge.com/ https://behreforjudge.com/home https://jpaforjudge.com/ https://www.hagedornforjudge.com/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Jennifer Doleac, Executive VP of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures and author of the book, The Science of Second Chances. Throughout the episode, Hunter and Jennifer discuss the evidence that supports rehabilitation as a purpose of punishment, the lack of evidence to support retribution as a purpose of punishment, and get into their disagreements about the role of policing in public safety.       Guest: Jennifer Doleac, Executive VP of Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures, Author, Science of Second Chances   Resources: More from Jennifer Here https://jenniferdoleac.com/       Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Lucy Frick and Tim Smith of the Marion County Public Defender Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the past two years, Lucy, Tim and the rest of the office fought hard to unionize their office. This episode aims to help people understand why they fought so hard and why others should unionize their offices.       Guest: Lucy Frick, Attorney, Major Felony Division, Marion County Public Defender Tim Smith, Social Worker, Major Felony Division, Marion County Public Defender   Resources: Contact Lucy [email protected] Learn More About the Office https://www.indy.gov/agency/marion-county-public-defender-agency       Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Dawn Deaner, Executive Director of the Choosing Justice Initiative and a candidate for Davidson County Judge Criminal Court Division III. Dawn and Hunter discussed some major changes to the legal system in Tennessee that make it easier for the state to incarcerate people pre- and post-trial. As these policies have come into effect, Dawn has vocally opposed these practices because she understands the harms they do to the community, and that is part of why she hopes to join the bench in Davidson County.       Guest: Dawn Deaner, Executive Director of the Choosing Justice Initiative and a candidate for Davidson County Judge Criminal Court Division III   Resources: Learn More About Dawn's Campaign https://www.dawnfornashville.com/   More from CJI https://cjinashville.org/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Jennifer Sellitti, the Public Defender for the state of New Jersey. This time, Hunter and Jennifer discussed a slew of topics including her efforts to expand holistic defender services across the state and how her office is leading the way in integrating AI tools into their practice.     Guest: Jennifer Sellitti, The Public Defender for the State of New Jersey   Resources: Learn More About NJ Public Defense https://www.nj.gov/defender/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/89256782/ https://www.facebook.com/njopd https://www.facebook.com/njopd https://x.com/opd_nj     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Professor Terence Keel to discuss his book Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence. Hunter and Terrance discussed the history of the coroner's office and how they are able to use the five categories of death classification to make it impossible to hold people accountable for death's in custody.       Guest: Terence Keel, Professor, UCLA, Author, Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence   Resources: Contact Terence and Pick up a Copy of the Book Here https://www.terencekeel.com/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Maureen Hanlon and Anita Tabb, two people fighting to change how Missouri treats people with mental illness in the states jails and prisons. Under Missouri law, a person who is found incompetent to stand trial is to have a competency evaluation conducted within 60 days of the court ordering it. Yet, people are often waiting 6 months just to be evaluated, and on average, people are spending 14 months in custody before they get the mental healthcare they are owed. Today, we are talking about the lawsuit aiming to change this practice.     Guest: Maureen Hanlon, Attorney, Arch City Defenders Anita Tabb, Nurse and Mother of M, a Class Member in this class action law suit   Resources: Read More About the Suit Here https://www.macarthurjustice.org/advocates-sue-missouri-department-of-mental-health-for-failing-to-treat-pretrial-detainees-living-with-mental-illness-and-disabilities/ https://www.macarthurjustice.org/advocates-seek-preliminary-injunction-to-order-dmh-to-remedy-harms-caused-by-egregious-competency-waitlist/ https://missouriindependent.com/2026/02/05/more-than-500-missourians-await-court-ordered-mental-health-services-languishing-in-jails/ https://www.macarthurjustice.org/case/darrington-et-al-v-missouri-dmh/   Learn More About Arch City Defenders Here https://www.archcitydefenders.org/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 two amazing guests from the Fines and Fees Justice Center, Dylan Hayre and Emily King. They joined the show to discuss incredible campaigns in Arizona, North Dakota, and Oklahoma that have started to eliminate the fines and fees that keep people trapped in debt for decades.     Guest: Dylan Hayre, National Advocacy and Campaign Director, Fines and Fees Justice Center Emily King, Senior Advocacy and Campaign Specialist, Fines and Fees Justice Center   Resources: Learn More About FFJC Here https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/ Arrests as Guilt https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/faculty_publications/217/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Vichal Kumar. On previous episodes, Vichal joined to discuss the incredible work he has accomplished with Partners for Justice. Today, he joins the show to discuss how the lessons he has learned as a line PD and with PFJ are driving him to run for Congress in New York's 7th Congressional District.     Guest: Vichal Kumar, Candidate for New York's 7th Congressional District   Resources: Learn More About His Campaign Here https://www.kumar4ny.com/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Lilah Thompson and Maria Thomson from the Defenders Association of Philadelphia. These two work in the office's immigration unit, and they joined the show to detail how their office has stepped up to resist Trump's plans for mass deportation.       Guest: Lilah Thompson, Chief of the Immigration Unit, Defenders Association of Philadelphia Maria Thomson, Immigration Attorney, Defenders Association of Philadelphia   Resources: Defenders Association of Philadelphia's Website https://phillydefenders.org/immigration-law-practice/ Temple University Report https://law.temple.edu/csj/2024/09/04/moshannan-valley-processing-center/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Amanda Carrasco a restorative justice advocate and author of Becoming the Brave One. Throughout her life, Amanda has dealt with tremendous trauma from surviving multiple sexual assaults and the murder of her close family friends. Despite those experiences, Amanda is a champion for different approaches to the criminal legal system in the form of restorative justice practices.     Guest: Amanda Carrasco, Author and Advocate for Restorative Justice Practices   Resources: Find Amanda's work and Book Here https://amandacarrasco.com/   Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Kay Edwards from the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender Office. There, Kay is the Mental Health Supervisor and she joins the show to discuss how her office has implemented a new organizational structure and way of thinking that empowers social workers to take more active roles in cases.     Guest: Kay Edwards, Mental Health Supervisor, Far West Texas Public Defender   Resources: NAPD Social Workers https://publicdefenders.us/audiences/social-worker/ Contact the office or Kay https://www.farwesttxrpd.org/ [email protected]     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Tracie Olson the Chief Public Defender of the Yolo County Public Defender Office. Tracie joins to discuss the recent Deason Center report about the dramatic underfunding of Public Defense in California and the impacts of Prop 36 on her community.     Guest: Tracie Olson, Chief Public Defender, Yolo County, California   Resources: Read the Report Here https://scholar.smu.edu/deasoncenter/19/ Learn More About Yolo County Public Defense https://www.yolocountypublicdefender.com/     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Matt Sanders, Director of King County's Department of Public Defense. Matt joins to discuss Washington's millionaire tax and the impact Public Defense will face because of the tax revenue no longer going to fund Public Defense.     Guest: Matt Sanders, Director, King County Department of Public Defense, Washington   Resources: Learn more about DPD here https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dpd       Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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 Anat Rubin, an Investigative Journalist with Cal Matters. This time, Anat joins to discuss her reporting about the "Wal-Mart" of Public Defense. Coined decades ago, these private law firms who accept contracts to provide Public Defender services to rural parts of California have long faced scrutiny for their cost cutting practices.     Guest: Anat Rubin, Investigative Journalist, Cal Matters   Resources: Read Anat's Reporting Here https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/the-walmart-of-public-defense/       Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 [email protected]  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  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****