Public Defenseless
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.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 68 minutes
- Episodes
- 401
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
20: Representing Mothers in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Aisha McWeay
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…
19: How Pennsylvania's Failure to Fund Public Defense Hurts Everyone w/Keisha Hudson
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.
S…
18: Data-Driven Public Defense Policy with Stephen Hanlon
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…
17: Public Defenseless 202
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 fe…
16: Can Assigned Counsel Public Defense System Work? w/Tim Rensch & Bob Pesall
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 st…
15: Was a Lawsuit Enough to Fix Missouri Public Defense? w/Anthony Rothert
Meet Anthony Rothert, one of the individuals behind those lawsuits.
Anthony is the Director of Integra…
14: West Virginia Public Defense with Dana Eddy & Stacey Fragile
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 Dire…
13: How Florida Disregards the Right to Counsel w/Rex Dimmig
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…
12: Why Are Virginia Public Defenders Only Paid to Work on a Case for Two Hours? w/Amari Harris
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 ch…
11: Is the Cannabis Industry Falling Short in its Fight? with Steve DeAngelo
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 fathe…
10: How did Colorado Build one of the Best Public Defense Systems? w/Doug Wilson
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 defe…
09: What Can Cannabis Reform Teach us About Criminal Justice Reform with Christian Sederberg
Today’s guest, Christian Sederberg, is here to teach you the truth.
Christian …
08: Why Did Indiana's Public Defense System Fail? w/Larry Landis
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 th…
07: The Power of Creating an Independent Public Defense System w/Ben Baur
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 fig…
06: How the Louisiana Public Defenders are Paid to Lose w/Derwyn Bunton & Trisha Ward
Louisiana holds one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.
And with a lack of funding, public defenders can only handle 21% of open cases at a time.
In today’s episode, I speak to two…
05: What's Causing the Crisis in Maine's Public Defense System w/Justin Andrus
Meet Justin Andrus: Executive Director of the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services.
In this week’s episode, I speak with Justin about how he is massively improving the indigent defense syste…
04: Why is Public Defense Failing Nationwide? with David Carroll
04: Public Defense w/ David Carroll
This week, Executive Director of the Sixth Amendment Center, David Carroll walks us through how he got into public defense, the issues with public defense, and sol…
03: Texas Public Defense with James McDermott and Scott Ehlers
In a country that lacks legal representation for all, some people are fighting for change.
James McDermott, Chief Public Defender of Far West Texas, and Scott Ehlers, Director of Public Defense Im…
02: Why is it Common for People to be Held for a Year With No Attorney in Mississippi? w/Andre De Gruy
The Mississippi indictment process is known as the “black hole.” But out of that darkness comes some light: Andre De Gruy, State Public Defender of Mississippi.
This week, Andre walks us through ho…
01: Public Defense 101
If you are new to Public Defenseless or the topic of public defense, here’s where you should start!
In this special solo episode, host Hunter Parnell introduces himself, describes the background of…