Libsyn Directory

224: How the DVSJA Gave Two Survivors of Domestic Violence a Second Chance w/Assia Serrano and Trinity Copeland

Release Date: 04/04/2024

237 | Galit Lipa: The Fight to Get California to View Public Defense as a Public Good and not a Private Luxury

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined by the newest State Public Defender of California, Galit Lipa. As discussed on previous episodes, California has a county based public defender system. As such, Galit and her office sit in a limited role to help train public defenders around the state. Following a law suit and several reports highlighting the failings of public defense in California, Galit and her team could prove to be a pivotal voice in rethinking the delivery of California public defense. Guests: Galit Lipa, State Public Defender, California Office of the State Public Defender ...

236 | Molly Gilbert and Jason Schwarz: How Washington is Implementing Public Defender Workload Standards

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined by Molly Gilbert and Jason Schwarz to discuss the plan to implement Public Defender workload standards across the state of Washington. Despite not being a centralized Public Defender system, the Public Defenders of Washington, spurred by the State Supreme Court, figured out how to work with the state bar to get workload standards. As they sit on the verge of getting enforceable standards approved by the State Supreme Court, Hunter, Molly, and Jason explore how these workload standards came to be and what other states can learn from this process. Guests: Molly...

235 | Taylor Herbert: The Many Ways Oregon's Civil Commitment System Fails so Many

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined by Taylor Herbert, a Public Defender in Lan County Oregon to discuss civil commitment. As is often talked about on the show, the divide between the civil and criminal legal system is far smaller than many are willing to admit. Civil commitment is the process by which a person can be confined in a mental health facility against their will. Unlike a criminal process, which does not allow for you to be deprived of liberty unless you’ve been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, civil commitment allows for a deprivation of liberty after only reaching clear and...

234 | Stephen Hanlon: Case Withdrawals, Federal Funding, and the Five Year Plan to Fix Public Defense in Oregon

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined once again by Public Interest lawyer Stephen Hanlon. This time, Hunter and Stephen are breaking down the five year plan that he hopes will fix Public Defense in Oregon. While it is surely an ambitious plan, this plan gives urges public defenders to do all that they can to force the powers that be to take the crisis seriously: case withdrawals. Guests: Stephen Hanlon, Public Interest Lawyer Resources: Oregon Report 5 Year Plan Contact Hunter...

233 | Lee Wachocki: With Almost 3k People Unrepresented, Why is Oregon adding More Cases to the Public Defender Crisis

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is once again joined by Lee Wachocki, a Public Defender and union leader in Portland, Oregon. As the Public Defender crisis continues in the state, this week is about figuring out how the state is responding. At the front line level, Lee reveals that little has functionally changed at his level to demonstrate the state is close to solving the problem. In fact, with Oregon recriminalizing drug possession, the state appears primed to super charge the issue. Guests: Lee Wachocki, Public Defender, Multnomah County Resources: Multnomah County DA Debate DA Schmidt...

232 | Robin Bernstein: The New York Prison that Started our For Profit Prison Industry

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined Professor Robin Bernstein to discuss her newest book, Freeman's Challenge: The Murder that Shook America's Original Prison for Profit. When many of us think of the for-profit prisons, we think of the post slavery south at places like Parchman. However, that is not where the story started. Today, Robin joins the show to discuss Auburn State Prison and what we can learn from the history of for profit prisons. Guests: Robin Bernstein, Dillon Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies and of Studies of Women, Gender, &...

231 | Dorsey Nunn: From Banning the Box to Restoring the Right to Vote, One Man's Struggle for the Rights of the Current and Formerly Incarcerated

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined by the powerful Dorsey Nunn. At 19, Dorsey was given a life sentence. Over the next 11 years, Dorsey would be exposed to violence, abuse, and the political education that would awaken in him a lifelong desire to fight our prison system. Today, Hunter talks with Dorsey about his new book, What Kind of Bird Can’t Fly to discuss his lifetime of organizing for the rights of the current and formerly incarcerated. Guests: Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Co-Founder All of Us or None, Co-Founder Formerly...

230: The Voices of Victims and Survivors that Alabama Ignores and Neglects w/Leah Nelson and Callie Greer

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is joined once again by Leah Nelson of Alabama Appleseed. This time, they are joined by Callie Greer, a Community Navigator at Appleseed, to discuss Appleseed’s Afterward. This powerful report sought out to hear from victims and survivors of violence. As is often said on the show, the criminal legal system does a poor job of providing for the needs of all survivors of violence. In fact, the system often perpetuates the harm of those who need help following the tragic events in their life. By going to communities across Alabama, Appleseed hoped to capture the voice of so many...

229: From a 25% Vacancy Rate to Nearly Zero, How the Montana Public Defender System Came Back from the Brink w/Brett Schandelson

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter is once again joined by Brett Schandelson, the Director of the Montana Office of the State Public Defender. Last time he was one, we discussed his efforts to make Public Defense policy in Montana driven by data. Today, we discuss how those efforts have drastically turned the state system around. Specifically, Brett details how doing a better job of tracking cases and sticking to a workload standard has reduced turnover and helped retain Public Defenders throughout the state. Guests: Brett Schandelson, Director, Montana Office of the State Public Defender Resources: ...

228: Why is this Vitally Important Forensic Science so Rarely Used by Defense Attorneys and the Legal System? w/Dr. Shameka Stewart

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter sat down with Dr. Shameka Stewart, a juvenile forensic speech language pathologist. While speech language pathologists have long been around, Dr. Stewart is the first person to take the field and apply it to juvenile forensics. The promise of the field was on display as she served as an expert witness for the defense team during the trial of Nikolas Cruz. For those in the criminal defense community, this under utilized forensic science could prove to be one of the most important pieces of evidence against guilt or during mitigation. Guests: Dr. Shameka Stewart,...

More Episodes

Today, Hunter concludes the three-part series on criminalized domestic violence survivors by speaking with two women who survived, endured years of incarceration, and utilized the DVSJA to get a second chance at life. Trinity Copeland was sentenced to 25 years to life for 2nd degree murder and resentenced to time served and released in March 2023 under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA), after serving approximately 11 years. She is currently a full-time college student majoring in Chinese Studies with a double minor in Spanish and French.

Assia Serrano was sentenced to 18 years to life for felony murder and was resentenced and released in April 2021 under the DVSJA, after serving 17 years. Shortly after, she was deported to Panama where she currently resides. Assia is a member of the Survivors Justice Project Advisory Group and an Osborne Speakers Bureau member who uses her personal experiences to advocate for criminal justice reform. She is a proud mother of two teenagers and a fierce advocate for her own and other children who have experienced parental incarceration.

Through their stories, Hunter hopes for people to understand what our legal system must change to stop perpetuating cycles of harm.

Guests:

Assia Serano, Survivors Justice Project Advisory Group and Osborne Speakers Bureau

Trinity Copeland, Full Time College Student

Resources:

NYILS Website

https://www.ils.ny.gov/

Survivors Justice Project

https://www.sjpny.org/

Background Material on the DVSJA

·
Video: Background on DVSJA passage (somewhat dated)

· Some Legislative History (attached):

o 2017 sponsor memo

o Opposition letter by District Attorney Association of the State of New York

o NY Correctional Association response to DA opposition letter

· SJP DVSJA Resource Guide – we wrote this with incarcerated survivors/applicants as the primary audience

· SJP/Sentencing Project Report

· Abby Van Buren article on temporal nexus problem

· Favorable decisions:

o Brenda WW decision (“mutually abusive” relationship did not foreclose DVSJA relief; abuse history must be considered cumulatively; considered applicant’s extensive criminal history in context of her substance abuse, which was related to victimization)

o Patrice Smith decision (court must look at the “full picture” and contemplate cumulative impact of abuse)

o Liz L. decision (the fact that DV history was “factored in” to previous man 1 plea bargain did not make DVSJA resentencing inappropriate)

· Not so favorable:

o People v. Williams (abuse or abusive relationship must be “ongoing” at the time of the offense)

o People v. Fisher (adopting Williams’ temporal holding in case where trans-identifying young person had assaulted her parents, and no expert was called to attempt to explain connection between earlier physical abuse and offense)

o People v. B.N. (many bad holdings/antiquated approach to DV and trauma)

· People v. Addimando – a study in contrasts (note that Nicole Addimando was finally released from prison last week):

o Trial court decision (denying DVSJA relief at initial sentencing for murder 2 in a case with extensively documented abuse; sentencing Nicole Addimando to 19-to-life)

o Appellate decision (reversing and resentencing her to 7.5 years)

· Critique of the DVSJA by Survived & Punished

Some very optional reading, but good-to-know-about resources created by the DVSJA Statewide Defender Task Force:

· Best Practices Manual for DVSJA Investigations

· Guide to Working with Experts in DVSJA cases

· Introduction Guide to Coercive Control for the DVSJA Attorney

Contact Hunter Parnell:

[email protected]

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