Libsyn Directory

RE-RELEASE: Secrets of the Killing State: How the Truth of Lethal Injection Could End the Death Penalty w/Corinna Lain

Release Date: 04/23/2025

362 | Is Illinois Taking the First Step to Establish State Wide Public Defense? w/Elisabeth Pollock and Stephanie Kollmann

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again Elisabeth Pollock and for the first time Stephanie Kollmann. On today’s episode, the three discuss the Fair Act in Illinois. This pending piece of legislation is set to be the first step for the state of Illinois to provide statewide support to Public Defense. Will it happen? Why is it necessary? All that and more on today’s episode. Guest Elisabeth Pollock, Chief Public Defender, Champagne County, Illinois Stephanie Kollmann, Policy Director, Children Family Justice Center, Northwestern University School of Law Resources: Sixth...

361 | How a New Bail Law and Immigration Enforcement is Impacting Public Defense in Charleston, South Carolina w/Cameron Blazer

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again by the Chief Public Defender for South Carolina’s 9th Circuit, Cameron Blazer. This time, we discuss workload issues in her Circuit and how a new bail laws and immigration enforcement are making matters worse. Guest Cameron Blazer, Circuit Public Defender, 9th Circuit, Charleston and Berkley, South Carolina Resources: Email Cameron Here [email protected] SCCID Bond Laws Contact Hunter...

360 | Is There a Better Way to Teach Criminal Law Part II w/Andrew Crespo

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Andrew Crespo to continue the conversation about how we can improve how criminal law is taught. On this episode, we dive into the new criminal law text book that Andrew and his co-author, John Rappaport, recently published to learn a better way to teach criminal law. Guest Andrew Crespo, Professor of Law, Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law Executive Faculty Director, Institute to End Mass Incarceration, Harvard University Resources: Andrew’s Faculty Page Andrew and John’s Book Contact Hunter...

359 | Is There a Better Way to Teach Criminal Law? Part I w/Alice Ristroph

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Alice Ristroph for the first of a two-part focus on how and why we teach Criminal Law the way we do. On today’s episode, Hunter and Alice explore the historical roots of criminal law teaching, critique it, and discuss ways in which we can improve how criminal law is taught to law students. Guest Alice Ristroph, Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School Resources: Contact Alice Here Read Alice’s Law Review Article Contact Hunter...

358 | Why has the San Francisco Public Defender Stopped Taking New Cases One Day a Week? w/Mano Raju

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again by Mano Raju, the Elected Chief Public Defender in San Francisco. In the past couple of weeks, Mano made the difficult decision to stop accepting new case assignments one day a week. Thanks to the tough on crime policies of DA Brooke Jenkins and Prop 36, the workloads for San Francisco Public Defenders have reach unsustainable numbers. How did we get here, what comes next, and will this be a harbinger of things to come in California? All that and more on today’s episode. Guest Mano Raju, Chief Public Defender, San Francisco, California ...

357 | Why are Minnesota Public Defenders Trying to Form an Independent Union? w/Bob Kolstad, Maggie Bott, Olivia Henstein

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Bob Kolstad, Maggie Bott, and Olivia Henstein to discuss why they are pushing Minnesota Public Defenders to create a new, independent union. In the past few years, the current union, organize under Teamsters, was able to secure massive salary raises for Public Defenders around the state. However, that strike threat was built without much help or support from the leadership of the Teamster’s union. As a result, rank and file members, public defenders and the staff of the offices, are considering starting their own public defender lead union. Guest Bob...

356 | How the Chief Public Defender of Louisiana is Retaliating Against Public Defenders who Oppose his Power Grab w/Jim Boren

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by longtime Louisiana Criminal Defense Lawyer and President of the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer, Jim Boren. Over the past year, Hunter has discussed the erosion of public defender independence since Remy Starns became the chief public defender of the state. Now, Remy Starns is slated to fire five chief public defenders from around the state who opposed some of the policies that consolidated power into his hands. Today’s episode is all about how this has happened and what the criminal defense bat should do in response. Guest Jim Boren,...

355 | How Missouri Public Defenders are Leading the Nation In Statewide Holistic Defender Services w/Missouri Public Defenders

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by a whole host of characters from the Missouri Public Defender System. When Hunter last looked into Missouri Public Defense, he spoke with Annie Legomsky to discuss the remarkable project of implementing Holistic Defense statewide. As one of the only statewide systems with holistic defense, Missouri stands as a great example of how finding creative sources of funding can allow Public Defenders to demonstrate to legislators the potential Public Defense has to improve the community once it has the funding to work outside of the four corners of the court room....

354 | With so Many Good Things Happening in Massachusetts, When Will Public Defenders Finally Get They Pay Raises they Deserve? w/Anthony Benedetti

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again by Anthony Benedetti, Chief Counsel of the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services. This time, Hunter and Anthony dive into what can be done about the low hourly rates for CPCS’s contract counsel and how recent courage from the bench and the state house gives them hope that those pay increases are in fact possible. Guest Anthony Benedetti, Chief Counsel, Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services Resources: CPCS Website Listen to my first episode with Anthony Here Contact Hunter...

353 | After 18 Years in Prison, How One Man is Still Fighting to Prove his Innocence w/Ivery Dorsey

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Ivery Dorsey, a man who for the last 18 years was incarcerated for a homicide he did not commit. On a previous episode on the show, Hunter spoke with one of the students, Kerrie Liang, who have been fighting to prove Ivery’s innocence, but today, Ivery joins the show to tell his story. From the representation he received, the conditions of his confinement, and how he hopes to pursue his dreams of shoe design and music production, Ivery's hope for a better future is contagious. Guest Ivery Dorsey, Musician, Shoe Designer, and Formerly Wrongfully...

More Episodes

Today, Hunter is Re-Releasing his episode with Professor of Law Corinna Lain becuase her book, Secretes of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection, is now available! If you haven't listened already or picked up a copy of the book, now is great time to remember the hisotry of lethal injection and what that history means for the death peanlty today!

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Killing-State-Untold-Injection/dp/1479832960

Today, Hunter spoke with Law Professor Corinna Lain to discuss her career of research around the death penalty and lethal injection. While it may seem strange to hyper focus on lethal injection, there is something to be said about understanding how and why lethal injection became the defacto method for state sanctioned murder. When lethal injection was offered to the American people, it was designed to do one simple thing: hide the reality of state sponsored murder. So long as people could look away from the violence of the state, they could place execution out of mind. In doing so, the practice could continue in relative secrecy. Today’s episode is about lifting the shroud on that secrecy to examine the way the lethal injection is just as, if not more, violent, cruel, and unusual and any other form of execution.

Guests:

Corrina Lain, SD Roberts and Sandra Moore Professor of Law, Richmond School of Law

Resources:

Can Europe end the Death Penalty? https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/02/can-europe-end-the-death-penalty-in-america/283790/

US Botched Executions

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/botched-executions

Execution of Clayton Lockett

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/13/botched-oklahoma-execution-clayton-lockett-bloody-mess

Corinna Lain Faculty Page

https://law.richmond.edu/faculty/clain/

Contact Hunter Parnell:

[email protected]