Podcast
Public Defenseless
Hosted by Hunter Parnell · EN
Anyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system is perpetuating cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day.
Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system.
Like so many of you, Hunter is not an attorney, simply tired of a news cycle and talking heads that offer no real solutions to the ever-growing list of problems we face. Hunter hopes that with this information, you will share his belief that ordinary people still can make a difference.
40episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
BONUS EPISODE: Another Not Guilty Podcast: Murder-ring The Prosecution's Theory w/David Moore and Hillary King
Aug 21, 2023Tap to summarizeRecently, Hunter was a guest host on the Another Not Guilty Podcast, and he is happy to share that episode today as a bonus show! The Another Not Guilty Podcast details true crime's forbidden stories of the criminal system from the insiders' perspective of public defenders told with a little humor, drama, and passion for criminal justice reform. Visit them at www.anothernotguiltypod.com In this week's episode we have Hunter Parnell from the Public Defenseless podcast as a co-host. And also our guest PD is Hillary from Salt Lake City who shares her story of walking her client out the front door on a murder charge stemming from when he was 16 years old and being in the car when the driver shot and killed someone and blamed him. You subscribe to Another Not Guilty Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TxGjq1zzMh5F6bHG8wvEE Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/murder-ring-the-prosecutions-theory/id1395439829?i=1000625073790 Or Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnotherNG_pod
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145: What Led to the Unionization of Maryland Public Defense w/Edie Fortuna and Jose Teneza
Aug 8, 2023Tap to summarizeCrushing workloads. High Turnover Rates. Low Pay. This is not the first time these topics have been brought up on the show, but today, Hunter spoke with two Maryland Public Defenders, Edie Fortuna and Jose Teneza, to discuss how those factors drove the Public Defenders to unionize. Guests: Edie Fortuna, Assistant Public Defender, Maryland Jose Teneza, Assistant Public Defender, Maryland Resources: Prepare Parole Maryland https://prepare-parole.org/ Maryland Public Defender https://www.opd.state.md.us/ Annual Reports https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/html/61pubdr.html 2005 National Center for State Courts Workload Report https://silo.tips/download/maryland-attorney-and-staff-workload-assessment-2005 Listen to Jose's Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watch-skip/id1640540726 Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patron www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
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134: The Colorado Bond Law Enriching the Bail Bond Industry w/Katie Yens
Jul 6, 2023Tap to summarizeIt's no secret that the Public Defenseless Podcast firmly stands in the "abolish cash bail" camp. On today's episode, Hunter is joined by criminal defense attorney, Katie Yens, to demonstrate yet another reason why the practice must cease to exist. Despite, perhaps, good intentions of judges and prosecutors, the bond laws in Colorado allow for the bail bond industry to enrich themselves off the backs of those that can least afford it. Today's conversation is all about this obscure, but deeply influential practice of bond forfeiture and revocation. Guests: Katie Yens, Criminal Defense Attorney, LFM Defense Resources: Email Katie Katie@lfmdefense.com Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patron www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN
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122: How the Municipal Public Defenders of Aurora, Colorado Fight Back Against Incompetence, Corruption, and Malpractice
May 26, 2023Tap to summarizeOn today's bonus show, Hunter provides updates on the plans for the show and what he learned from his internship at the Aurora Municipal Public Defender Office. Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on Pay Pal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FC6UYEFLAMBTE Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/cN26pR5IbaFY9I46oo
Transcribe →115: Is There a Better Way to Provide Public Defense w/James McDermott and Paul Chambers
May 4, 2023Tap to summarizeToday, Hunter spoke with James McDermott and Paul Chambers, two Public Defenders from the Far West Texas Office, to discuss their vision for a better model for Public Defense Delivery. According to the ABA and basically every Public Defender organization, vertical representation is what all offices should strive for. Under this model, attorneys handle every aspect of the case from first appearance to disposition, but is this really the best model available? In their office, James and Paul have moved towards something they refer to as "ensemble representation". With more of a flat power dynamic, their model deemphasizes the role of the attorney in an effort to truly put the client at the center of the representation. Guest: James McDermott, Chief Public Defender, Far West Texas Public Defense Paul Chambers, Deputy Chief Public Defender, Far West Texas Public Defense Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com
Transcribe →92: The Important Role Public Defense Played in New Jersey Bail Reform w/Joseph Krakora
Feb 16, 2023Tap to summarizeFor some reason, people forget that long before New York or Illinois ended cash bail, New Jersey successfully eliminated cash bail. As Joseph Krakora shares on today's episode, that initiative came, in part, because Public Defense was valued enough by local politicians to be a major voice in shaping criminal justice reform. With more than a decade as the head of the New Jersey Public Defender System, few are better situated to share the story of bail reform and Public Defense in the state of New Jersey. Most importantly though, this story highlights why it is so important for Public Defenders to make themselves heard when policy is being crafted. Guest: Joseph Krakora, Public Defender of the State of New Jersey Resources: Office of the New Jersey Public Defender https://nj.gov/defender/ NAPD Conference Sign Up https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com
Transcribe →84: How Anne Arundel County, MD Prosecutors Over Incarcerate the Community w/Felipe Gonzalez
Jan 19, 2023Tap to summarizeOver the last year of Public Defenseless, Hunter spent a lot of time speaking with Chief Public Defenders from commissions and state-wide offices around the country. This top down view of Public Defense is extremely valuable and will be something that you hear more of on the show, but Hunter also realized he neglected to get the voices of line public defenders on the show. Over the course of the year, more episodes with line public defenders, like the one today, will be coming your way! Today, Hunter spoke with Felipe Gonzalez, a felony public defender in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. His story, like many line defenders around the country is impossible to tell without discussing crippling caseloads, staffing shortages, and prosecutors who religiously advocate for no bail for most accused of a crime. Yet despite this, Felipe is able to rely on the tight knit office community to weather the storms inherent in the work. We hope you enjoy the first of many conversations with the line defenders who serve as the back bone of public defense around the country! Guest: Felipe Gonzalez, Felony Public Defender, Anne Arundel County Maryland Resources: Anne Arundel County PD Office https://www.opd.state.md.us/anne-arundel Contact Hunter Parnell: hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com
Transcribe →Andrea Lyon on the Need for the Defender General
Oct 14, 2022Tap to summarizeEvery minute of the full conversation with Andrea Lyon is available to listen to, but Hunter wanted to make sure everyone had an easy time accessing the last 30 minutes of the conversation where the discuss a potential Office of the Defender General at the Federal Level! Guests: Andrea Lyon, Capital Defense Attorney, Former Capital Public Defender, Author, Educator, and Former Dean of Valparaiso Law School Resources: Andrea Lyon Website Follow Andrea on Twitter Check out Andrea's Book Office of Defender General Website Contact Hunter Parnell: hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com Instagram Twitter www.publicdefenseless.com
Transcribe →17: Public Defenseless 202
Apr 13, 2022Tap to summarizeIn 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 Twitter Instagram www.publicdefenseless.com
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Welcome to Public Defenseless
Dec 14, 2021Tap to summarizeAnyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal justice system is broken, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day. Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system. Like so many of you, Hunter is not an attorney, simply tired of a news cycle and talking heads that offer no real solutions to the ever-growing list of problems we face. Hunter hopes that with this information, you will share his belief that ordinary people still can make a difference.
Transcribe →