Criminal INjustice

Denver Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez never lets go of her last job. Now, as an at-large councilwoman representing all Denver residents, she breaks down barriers she encountered in her previous roles: As an advocate for kids in trouble with the system, for victims of family violence, and for her own kids growing up in Denver. She is one of three councilwomen pushing a municipal court refor...

JoyBelle Phelan spent seven years incarcerated in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Today she runs Unbound Authors, a writing center active in 13 Colorado state prisons. She joins host Casey Krizman to make the case that the most important reentry skill isn't vocational training or a GED. It's communication. How to write a professional email. How to take feedback. How to work on a team. In t...

Personal injury attorneys play an important role in fighting the INjustice system. If not for them, people injured by corporations and/or fighting an insurance company would be at the mercy of deep-pocketed corporations with armies of lawyers. In this episode, Casey Krizman sits down with Sean Olson, whose firm helps people injured in hospitals, oil fields, and roadways get their bills paid and re...

In this bonus episode of Criminal Injustice, Casey Krizman breaks down a historic win for criminal justice reform in Colorado. For the first time in 25 years, the Joint Budget Committee denied the Department of Corrections' request for 788 new prison beds—a direct result of advocates and lawmakers demanding smarter solutions. Casey explores what's really driving overcrowding, from underfunded paro...

In this episode of Criminal INjustice, defense attorney Casey Krizman sits down with fellow trial lawyer Eric Faddis to unpack one of Colorado’s most shocking wrongful prosecution cases. Eric shares the story of a father falsely accused of killing his infant daughter — and how the truth, buried under bias and bureaucracy, finally came to light. Together, Casey and Eric expose the human toll of the...

In this episode, we sound the alarm on Colorado politicians' trend toward ineffective "tough on crime” laws. Defense attorney Casey Krizman speaks with Kyle Giddings, a lobbyist for the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. They unpack how punitive ballot measures and parole maneuvers cause unnecessary caging of humans. For the first time in 22 years, Colorado is faced with having to build m...

Criminal Defense Attorney Casey Krizman says Gov. Jared Polis gives weak reasons for vetoing HB 1147. The bill that would rein in municipal courts that have run amok ensures that sentences handed down in those courts are equal across the state. But Polis relies on phony reasoning put forth by city councils that want to criminalize poverty. Rather than address the root causes of homelessness, they...

Host Casey Krizman interviews Representative Javier Mabrey about House Bill 1147, which addresses Colorado's inconsistent municipal court system. Mabrey explains how location determines sentencing severity, with poverty-related offenses receiving harsher penalties depending on jurisdiction. The bill aims to standardize sentencing guidelines and protect due process rights for all Coloradans. Mabrey...

Veteran defense attorney Mary Claire Mulligan says the state Legislature should shut down the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and “rebuild from scratch.” The lab where crime evidence has been mishandled for more than 10 years has not responded adequately to the scandal and lawmakers have not done enough to rectify the problems it created, Mulligan said in an interview on the podcast “Criminal INj...

In this episode of Criminal INjustice, Trial Attorney Casey Krizman interviews Immigration Attorney Andrew Younkins. They cover a lot of ground, including what people concerned about getting caught in the ICE dragnet should do. Key point: Immigrants who have attorneys are many times more likely to win their right to stay in the country and to be released from ICE prison. Unfortunately, very few pe...

In his debut podcast, Criminal Defense Attorney Casey Krizman starts with the basics: Control that which you can control. People caught up in the criminal INjustice system feel overwhelmed and helpless. Casey advises his clients to start gaining control step-by-step -- starting with taking care of yourself physically and mentally. In Episode 1, Casey talks with Oliver Vaughn of REVO Physiotherapy...