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Public Defenseless
30 episodes
506 | Pink Crime: How to Fight the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity w/Valena Beety
Ep 506 · Aug 13, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
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/ Cont…
505 | Will Automation Make it Harder to Keep Junk Science out of Court? w/Lisa Waters
Ep 503 · Aug 11, 2026 · 56 min
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 R…
504 | By Helping Victims and Perpetrators, Domestic Violence can Be Solved Without Relying on the Criminal Legal System w/Liz Ortenburger
Ep 504 · Aug 6, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
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,…
503 | Why is the NDS Union on Strike? UPDATE THEY WON!! w/Ashley Munger, Katherine Shamsie, and Samantha Rudelich
Ep 503 · Aug 4, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
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, C…
502 | How a Not Guilty Verdict in a Homicide Case Shows the Promise of Idaho's Statewide Public Defense System w/Eric Fredericksen and Doug Nelson
Ep 502 · Jul 30, 2026 · 52 min
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…
501 | Why Public Defenders Need the Insights and Expertise of Formerly Incarcerated People in Their Offices w/Jennifer Jennison and Sammy Provencio
Ep 501 · Jul 28, 2026 · 58 min
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, Stanisl…
500 | Public Defense is Underfunded, but by How Much? Putting a Conservative Number on the Cost of the Right to Counsel w/Ben Polk
Jul 23, 2026 · 56 min
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…
499 | When Delays in the Appointment of Counsel Violate the Constitution w/Eve Primus
Ep 496 · Jul 21, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
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/ev…
498 | How the Allegheny County Public Defender is Getting their Clients Out of Custody and into Care w/Alena Chulick
Ep 495 · Jul 16, 2026 · 54 min
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/Publ…
497 | How Did the Tribal Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Build a Model Holistic Defender Service w/Ann Miller, Susette Billedeaux, and Josh Cahoon
Jul 14, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
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 Koote…
496 | Why the Lawyers Handling 80% of Massachusetts's Public Defender Cases Stopped Taking New Cases Part 2 w/Shira Diner
Jul 9, 2026 · 56 min
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 Update…
495 | Will a Severe Budget Deficit in Santa Clara County Require the Public Defender to Stop Taking New Cases? w/Damon Silver
Ep 492 · Jul 7, 2026 · 1 hr 17 min
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-caseloa…
494 | Why did the Spokane County Public Defenders Sue the County Over New Workload Requirements? w/Colin Charbonneau and Victoria Blumhorst
Ep 494 · Jul 2, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
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/1j9QTRxm6VXpiZQTmvdkgY9HHw…
493 | Two Oregon Public Defenders Sued the Oregon Public Defense Commission and Won. Now What? w/Shannon Wilson and Stacey Lowe
Ep 493 · Jun 30, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
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 requ…
492 | How Will Pennsylvania Respond to its Supreme Court Striking Down Mandatory LWOP for Felony Murder Convictions? w/Nia Holston and Sean Damon
Ep 492 · Jun 25, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
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…
491 | The Hidden Punishments in Pre-Trial Detention That Disproportionately Impact LGBTQ People w/Deborah Lolai
Ep 491 · Jun 24, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
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 Reso…
490 | How the Civil Rights Corps Secured a Massive Victory in the Fight Against Cash Bail w/Salil Dudani and Carson White
Ep 490 · Jun 23, 2026 · 59 min
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…
489 | Why did a 35 Year Career Prosecutor Walk Away from the DOJ Under the Second Trump Administration? w/John Haried
Jun 18, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
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: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdef…
488 | How Public Defenders Can Fight for Our Clients and for Funding by Engaging with the Media w/Maggie Shepard and Bob McGovern
Jun 16, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
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/offi…
487 | Iowa Public Defender Secured a Major Victory for Workload Controls, but will New Tough on Crime Policies Send the System into a Crisis? w/Eric Tindal
Jun 11, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
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: Contac…
486 | How to Ensure Local Governments Cannot Cooperate with Federal Immigration Enforcement w/Alex Kornya
Ep 486 · Jun 9, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
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.o…
485 | Will Utah Force Homeless People to Move to a Camp Outside of Salt Lake City? w/Nate Crippes
Ep 485 · Jun 4, 2026 · 59 min
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, U…
484 | How the Hamilton County, Ohio Public Defenders are Holding Police and Prosecutors Accountable w/Angela Chang and Sean Vicente
Ep 484 · Jun 2, 2026 · 57 min
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:/…
483 | How Progressive Politics can Abolish ICE and Build a More Humane Immigration System w/Senator Julie Gonzales
May 29, 2026 · 45 min
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://…
482 | How the Colorado State Public Defender's Policy on Workloads Might Violate a Lawyer's Ethical Obligations w/Jim Castle
Ep 482 · May 28, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
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. <!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--> 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 Forma…
481 | Was a Former Colorado Public Defender Fired for Raising Concerns over his Workload? Part 2 w/Travis Weiner
Ep 481 · May 27, 2026 · 2 hr 12 min
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. <!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--> Guest: Travis Wein…
480 | Did the Colorado Public Defender Retaliate Against Me for My Speech on the Podcast?
Ep 480 · May 26, 2026 · 1 hr 31 min
Today, Hunter shared the results of unfair labor complaint against the Colorado State Public Defender system. <!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--> Guest: Resource: Google Drive with Relevant Documents https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1poeBD8pjrxLaMDTaCgN1lX12n3NKE0h5?usp=drive_link Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefensele…
479 | What Data Tells Us About the Public Defender Well Being Crisis Part 2 w/Jenny Andrews, Matthew Thiese, and Sara McCarthy
Ep 479 · May 21, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
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 Cla…
478 | The Effect of Public Defender and Support Staff Caseloads on Incarceration Outcomes for Felony Defendants w/Aaron Gottlieb and Melissa Mahabir
Ep 478 · May 20, 2026 · 51 min
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/a…
477 | What Data Tells Us About the Public Defender Well Being Crisis Part 1 w/Jenny Andrews and Jon Jachimowicz
Ep 477 · May 19, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
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. <!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--> Guest: Jenny Andrews, Director, Be Sustained Jon Jachimowicz, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School Resource: Find Everything About…
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