Public Defenseless

On the night of September 15, 1992, in the Nashville Tennessee area, teenager Christopher Luckett was shot and killed.   Two days later, another teenager Cyrus Wilson was arrested for the crime. Even though there was only circumstantial evidence and many witnesses later admitted they were coerced into lying, Cyrus was found guilty and spent over 20 years in prison.   Today, he is 48 years old and...

In this episode, I speak with Mark Stephens, the former chief public defender of Knoxville Tennessee. Tennessee public defense has been stuck in neutral, if not reverse for a long time. In fact, almost everything was established in the 90's and hasn't changed much since.   Rutherford county incarcerated approximately 48% of children referred to juvenile court in 2014, and the statewide average for...

Today, you'll hear about public defense from the judge's point of view. Tom Boyd is a former Michigan District Court Judge who currently works in the court administration office.  At one point one of the weakest systems in the United States, his work to improve the indigent system has driven forward the future of Michigan public defense and has left a positive precedent for other states.   The 6th...

Today, I speak with David Kaplan and Sara Hildebrand, two former Colorado public defenders and current members of the Aurora Public Defender Commission.   The three of us dive deep into Public Defense Commissions, how they function, and the important work they do in advocating for public defenders.    The commission side of public defense offers a unique insight into how policy is made and the typ...

In 1994, Barry Jones was arrested for the rape and murder of his girlfriend's four-year-old daughter. Even though his innocence is obvious to all who would look, he sits on Arizona's death row, waiting to be executed for a crime he did not commit.   Sylvia Lett and Andrew Sowards are the former federal public defender and Investigator who worked on the case and join us for this special two-hour ep...

Like most people, shows like CSI, Law and Order, or even Dexter, may have you convinced that the science used to convict people is airtight. Everything from bite marks, blood spatter, and even finger prints, must be scientifically valid...right?    What if I told you, almost all of it is predicated on junk science and the failings of the legal system to catch it? Today's guest is on the show to hi...

In 1976, Ed Monahan was hired as a Kentucky assistant public defender. He would eventually go on to be the state's Public Advocate for an impressive 9 years.   Although he no longer fills that position, today Ed comes on Public Defenseless to talk about the impactful work he did in that role and the advocacy he continues to do today.    He'll also give you a good overview of the public defense sys...

Scott Hechinger is the founder and executive director of Zealous. Through his work, he is fighting hard to challenge injustice through the media and topple the imbalance of power within the criminal justice system.    As a former public defender in the Bronx system, he comes on today's episode to talk all about New York Public Defense and his work to make it fairer for all. He explains how he coll...

Jon Rapping is a former public defender dedicated to changing the system and advocating for true equality.    The founder of Gideon's Promise, this nonprofit organization is on a mission to build a movement of public defenders that can drive transformative change within the criminal legal system.   In this episode, Jon talks about the challenges of shaping the culture of a public defender office t...

In a profession steeped in tradition, technological advances can come slowly to the legal world. Given the strapped for cash nature of Public Defense, it is essential that PDs break from the tech aversion prevalant in the legal world. That's where my guests for today's show come into play. Rocky Ramirez, Managed Assigned Counsel in Bexar County, Texas, and Paul Chambers, Public Defender at the Far...

Ready to hear about a different type of law? So far, we've spoken to many public defenders who have done work on the trial level, but today I talk to someone who can take you into the nuances of appellate law. In this episode, I speak with Frances Brown: a former appellate public defender, former Chief Administrative Officer of the Colorado State Public Defender Office, and a current member of the...

Aisha McWeay is a former public defender and the Executive Director of Still She Rises, the first holistic defense office in the country dedicated exclusively to the representation of mothers in both the criminal and civil legal systems. Today's episode brings to light the unique challenges that mothers face as they navigate the complicated legal world they face in the greater Tulsa community.  St...

In Philadelphia, a whopping 70% of people arrested are represented by public defenders.   In this episode, I speak with Keisha Hudson, the Chief Defender of the Philadelphia Defender Association.   She walks me through the ins and outs of the indigent defense system in Pennsylvania, and how she deals with the lack of funding and support from the legislature.    Pennsylvania stands as one of the on...

In today's episode, I speak with Stephen Hanlon, who has been working for over 30 years to drive forward public interest law.   With the depth of his experience to back him up, he'll explain how data is the key to pushing forward legislation and law suits that can help to reshape and empower public defense. When advocating for a change to any system, there has to be mutli-faceted approaches. Some...

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...

16: South Dakota Public Defense w/ Tim Rensch & Bob Pesall   South Dakota is like many states around the country in that there are some public defender offices in the "cities," but the rest of the state is served through an assigned council system.   Today, I talk to two incredibly experienced and knowledgeable assigned councils in the state: Tim Rensch and Bob Pesall.   Each shares a different pe...

The Missouri public defense system has been shaped by lawsuits that the ACLU has brought forth.  Meet Anthony Rothert, one of the individuals behind those lawsuits. Anthony is the Director of Integrated Advocacy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and is here today to give you the inside scoop on the cases. You'll learn the ins and outs of the indigent system in this state, from long...

West Virginia Public Defense with Dana Eddy & Stacey Fragile   When it comes to the public defense system, simple human connection is more important than you might think.    Dana Eddy, Executive Director of West Virginia Public Defender Services, and Stacey Fragile, Chief Public Defender of the 10th Judicial Circuit, are here to prove just that.    In this week's episode, Dana and Stacey speak abo...

From Gideon to Argersinger, much of the legal framework for the public defense came about because of the flaws in Florida public defender system. As one of the only places in the country with elected public defenders, it offers up several quirks that should worry people about the status of public defense in the state.   Today, I speak about this complicated system with Rex Dimmig, Chief Public Def...

In the American conversation, there is a large overlap between class and race. Yet very often, we underplay the role that class plays in the dynamics of our legal system In today's episode, Hunter chats with Amari Harris, the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Attorney for Virginia Public Defenders to discuss those dynamics and more. He describes his much-needed position within the Virginia public def...

Right now, approximately 40,000 people are incarcerated for cannabis-related charges, while others are making millions of dollars in the legal industry.    Steve DeAngelo, often considered "the father of the legal industry," has been fighting for reform since the 1970s.   In today's episode, Steve is here to talk about his work to reform both the cannabis industry and state laws through his organi...

Colorado's Doug Wilson has worked in the public defense system for over 40 years, so to say he holds a boatload of knowledge is an understatement!   Colorado has one of the best models of public defense and Doug is one of the people responsible for that success.    In this episode, Doug explains how he worked with the Colorado legislature to create a system built on independence and increase their...

Marijuana legalization is a hotly debated subject, so it's no wonder there's so much misinformation surrounding it.    Today's guest, Christian Sederberg, is here to teach you the truth.   Christian is a founding partner at Vincente Sederberg LLP, a national law firm that tackles drug reform.   This week, he will walk you through the complicated subject of marijuana legalization, from lobbying eff...

When it comes to public defense, Larry Landis is a legend.   As the former Head of the Indiana Public Defender Council, Larry has been in public defense since the 1970s and has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.   As the architect of the current Indiana indigent defense system, he explains how the reimbursement model Indiana runs on came to be and how it affects people trapped...

Today, I speak with Bennet Baur, the Chief Public Defender of New Mexico. With the power of the people behind them, Ben Baur and the New Mexico Public Defenders were able to find independence and fight for desperately needed reforms.  Yet a decade after gaining independence, the Law Offices of the Public Defender can handle only one-third of the cases they carry. This week, join us as we uncover w...