Trail Blazing Justice

 Eric is back from his PD flurry of work, so Bobbin and Eric kick it and catch up on the past two weeks in news to talk the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and…choose not to weigh in on the Oscars. Eric and Bobbin continue the conversation on public defense backlog and crisis, while talking about pay gaps and disparities in the legal system. Eric talks conservative attorney...

As Eric attends to public defense duties, Bobbin is joined by Youth Justice Project Director & Managing Attorney Gabe Newland to talk about youth justice in Oregon. Bobbin and Gabe catch up on this week’s news with the Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, Ted Cruz’s buffoonery, and the theater of fear & anger politics. Gabe dives into talking about the adultification of youth...

Our cohost Eric was not able to join us for today’s podcast episode, but tune in for a spirited conversation between Bobbin and Franz Bruggemeier, Associate Director of the Civil Rights Project. This week in news, we discuss the indictment of the former Coffee Creek Women’s Prison nurse for sexual assault and political prisoner Eric King’s case. Franz and Bobbin look back at the nightly police vio...

This week in news, Bobbin & Eric debrief the Legislative Short session, the failure of ODOC to protect women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility from sexual abuse, and The Who-Cares-If-You’re-Innocent-Project article that discusses federal judicial nominations/appointments and nominees who have backgrounds as public defenders or working on wrongful convictions...and, one political party is b...

This week, Bobbin and Eric host DA Matt Ellis (Wasco County) and DA John Hummel (Deschutes County) to talk about what DA’s do, what it’s like to navigate the criminal justice system as a progressive DA, and what makes district attorneys some of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. Matt and John unpack ODAA’s bad polling done on community perceptions of crime and why tough-on-cr...

 Catch up with Bobbin and Eric on the week in news around the Normandale Park shooting and the City of Portland's failure to protect protestors for racial justice, how Colin Kaepernick launched an initiative for free autopsies to families who lost loved ones to police violence. Eric and Bobbin also discuss the importance of public defenders as a check on police misconduct. Our guest Athul Ach...

This week in news, Bobbin and Eric discuss what the heck is going on with public defense in Oregon. Alice Lundell, Director of Communication at Oregon Justice Resource Center joins us as our guest to unpack how the media reports on crime, to take a look back on the tough-on-crime backlash after the protests for George Floyd, and discuss how Portland became a national lightning rod for fear-mongeri...

We are back! After a year off, Bobbin and Eric return with their podcast to discuss criminal justice, public defense, and civil rights. In this episode they talk about the past year and hopes for the podcast moving forward.  The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week in news, Bobbin and Eric discuss the recent Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Federal Judge Beckerman compelling the State of Oregon to provide vaccines to all Adults in Custody in Oregon prisons and a recent news segment on Koin 6 featuring pro-carceral, anti-racial justice public officials such as John Foote, which prompted the question: are John Foote, ODAA and other pro...

Bobbin and Eric are back after a month off! This week's episode is a bit more informal as they discuss COVID and the prisons and the events of January 6th.  Next week, they will return to their conversation about sentencing in Oregon and what opportunities exist in the upcoming legislative session for change!!  *There were some technical issues with the sound while recording.  The Trail Blazi...

This episode, Bobbin and Eric walk through the history of sentencing in Oregon. This is the third part  of their series on sentencing.  Please see the the previous two episodes for Part I and Part II. This episode was recorded on 12/18 and is the last episode of  2020.  Trailblazing Justice looks forward to returning in 2021 with new episodes, picking back up with sentencing and discussing in more...

This week, Bobbin and Eric continue their discussion of sentencing in Oregon. They review basic concepts in sentencing - probation, suspended sentences, sentencing guidelines, presumptive sentences, mandatory minimums, and others. This episode is part of a month long series on sentencing in Oregon. Next week, they will review the history of sentencing policies in Oregon. In news, Bobbin and Eric d...

Trailblazing Justice is back! After taking some time off, Eric and Bobbin return to a regular schedule. This week in news they discuss Measure 110 - the historic ballot measure that decriminalized drugs in Oregon - and the federal death penalty.  Eric and Bobbin then begin their month long conversation about sentencing in Oregon; in this episode, they provide an introductory conversation about how...

This week, Bobbin and Eric speak with Raj Jayadev as part of OJRC's Bending Toward Justice (BTJ) series (recorded earlier in the week).  Visit OJRC's website for a full listing of  BTJ conversations: https://ojrc.info/bending-toward-justice From the MacAruther Foundation website: Raj Jayadev is a community organizer creating a model of grassroots collective action that gives individuals...

This week, Bobbin and Eric share some thoughts about the upcoming election. Democracy and so many of our rights hang in the balance. Across the country, we are paying attention to it all! Follow races/issues from around the country by using Daniel Nichanian's (@taniel) election tracker: https://whatsontheballot.com/ https://whatsontheballot.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Elections-tracker-202...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss the news about Purdue Pharma (OxyContin) and the conversations about Multnomah County Sheriff's Office taking over Portland Police. They then continue their discussion about power dynamics and incentives (perverse) in the criminal legal system, and why we must understand them in order to change the system. And, finally, they talk about how voting and the new...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss Measures 110 and 109 (decriminalization and War on Drugs), the killing of Michael Forest Reinoehl; asymmetrical power dynamics  in our criminal legal system (law enforcement contact and pre-trial/trial); and, why cats and voting provide them hope this week. Plus Bobbin's 4.5 year old daughter makes an impromptu cameo in the background!  The Trail Blazing Jus...

This week, Bobbin and Eric open the episode by discussing the NBA and social justice, stimulus checks for incarcerated individuals, and voting rights. They then continue their review of Oregon courts by focusing on the role and function of Oregon appellate courts. Bobbin and Eric then conclude the episode by talking about what gives the hope: faith and the Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground! The...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss the presidential debate and federal rhetoric around the criminal legal system and the federal deputization of local Oregon law enforcement (federal power grab) in the response to local protests. They then continue their conversation and introduction of Oregon courts focusing on the Oregon Court of Appeals. And, finally, Eric talks about how President Jimmy Carter...

This week, Bobbin and Eric begin the episode by discussing two big news items from the past week - Breonna Taylor and the death of RBG. And, then they provide an introduction to the Oregon courts by talking about how the courts are structured and what a trial court does. Importantly, Eric helps describe what it is like walking inside of a courthouse. Next week, Bobbin and Eric will continue the co...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss the Oregon wildfires and its impact on prisons, vigilante/militia roadblocks, and the structure of public defense in Oregon. And, they conclude with what gave them hope this past week. The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week, Bobbin and Eric begin this episode discussing the devastating Oregon Wildfires and its impact on the system, including recent evacuations of four Oregon prisons; and, also discuss IPO as a follow-up from last week's discussion. They then explain the difference between a misdemeanor and felony, and introduce how these cases look in the criminal legal system. The Trail Blazing Justic...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss the events in Portland around the protests and how law enforcement has responded. They discuss DA Schmidt's protest policy and why it is a common sense policy that protects free speech and keeps the public safe, and breakdown an Interfering w/Peace Officer (IPO) case (a common reason for why law enforcement arrest protestors) and why despite what it sounds l...

This week, Bobbin and Eric discuss the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin and the racial justice issues that we are confronting as a country and a state. Trailblazing Justice will continue its introduction and review of the criminal legal system next week. The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week, we introduce the criminal legal system discussing what happens after initial law enforcement contact through arraignment.  The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.