In this special solo episode, I share some thoughts on the first 16 episodes, thoughts from my interactions with people who have reached out, and the direction the show will be going over the next few points

I wanna first thank all the people who have gone through the system who have reached out for help/advice/or to share your story. This project is designed to correct the system so that it helps people like yourself, so thank you!

In light of the nomination hearings for soon to be Justice Jackson, I was yet again struck by the fear of being soft on crime. As I discusss in this episode, the Constitution, the bedrock of the American legal system is incredibly soft on crime. I talk a lot about how we manage our desire for justice and the obligations to protect the rights of people.

Lastly, I cover the danger I see in our legal system continuing to march away from jury trials and instead towards plea deals.

Key Topics and Takeaways:

Difficulties in building Trust between PDs and clients [1:43]
Soft on crime policies. [9:55]
Why jury trials are so important. [13:03]
The issues with plea deals. [19:09]
What Hunter has learned from each episode to date. [25:44]
The importance of supervision. [33:45]
The intersection of race and class. [45:32]

Memorable Quotes:

"The most consistent thing I hear from people who reach out to me is the mistrust in the indigent defense with public defenders." (1:49, Hunter)

"If our founding fathers wanted to make a harsh on crime policy, a pro-police constitution, I'm going to tell you they couldn't have done a worse job of doing it." (9:55, Hunter)

"The theme is so clear, ladies and gentleman, that we are no longer a system of trials. We are a system of plea deals, and I do not think that bet drives us in the correct direction." (21:29, Hunter)

"If you want public defenders to be better, it's good to have supervision in a lot of cases and have supervising attorneys who have that guiding hand and the knowledge to help people make more informed decisions." (34:48, Hunter)

"If you actually look at the living wage standard in most states and most communities, we don't come anywhere close to giving attorneys to all the people who cannot actually afford them." (46:41, Hunter)

Contact Hunter Parnell:

hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com

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