Libsyn Directory

365 | How San Francisco Public Defenders Used the Racial Justice Act to Combat Implicit Racial Bias in the Legal System w/Sujung Kim and Lilah Wolf

Public Defenseless

Release Date: 06/17/2025

380 | How Washington is Helping People Who Have been Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity w/Tim Ray Johnson, Dennis Calhoun, and Amanda Ulrich

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Dennis Calhoun, Tim Ray Johnson, and Amanda Ulrich to discuss how Washington is helping people who were found not guilty by reason of insanity. Guest: Tim Ray Johnson, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Washington Dennis Calhoun, Student, Washington Amanda Ulrich, Public Defender Washington Resources: WA PD NGRI Email Amdanda and Tim [email protected] Contact Hunter...

379 | How Washington is Trying to Recruit and Keep Lawyers in Rural Parts of the State w/ Nat Jacob, Elizabeth Mustin, Rachel Cortez

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Nat Jacob, Elizabeth Mustin, and Rachel Cortez to discuss new efforts by the Washington to recruit and retain Public Defenders. Guest Nat Jacob, Recruitment and Retention Managing Attorney Western Washington, Washington Office of Public Defense Rachel Cortez, Recruitment and Retention Managing Attorney Eastern Washington, Washington Office of Public Defense Elizabeth Mustin, Supervising Attorney, Youth Criminal Defense Project, Washington Office of Public Defense Resources: WA PD Fellowship Emails Contact Hunter...

378 | Why is Oklahoma Going to Execute a Man who Didn't Kill Anyone? w/Amanda Bass Castro Alves

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by federal public defender Amanda Bass Castro Alves to discuss the wrongful conviction of Tremane Wood. In 2004, Tremane was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to death in the State of Oklahoma. Just after that, his brother, who admitted to pulling the trigger and who stated Tremane was not responsible for the death, was given a life sentence just after Tremane’s trial. So how is it that a person who did not kill anyone ended up on death row? All that and more on today’s episode. Guest Amanda Bass Castro Alves, Assistant Federal Public Defender, District of...

377 | How Was a Man Convicted of Murder When He Wasn't in the State When the Crime Occurred? w/Erica Nichols Cook

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again by Erica Nichols Cook, the head of the Iowa State Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Unit. On today’s episode, Erica walks us through the case of Jerry Mark. In 1976, he was convicted of the murder of his brother, sister-in-law and their two children, but as you will hear, all the evidence points to the fact that Jerry Mark wasn’t even in the state when the murder happened. Guest Erica Nichols Cook, Director, Wrongful Convictions Unit, Iowa State Public Defender Resources: More About Jerry’s Case Contact Erica ...

376 | How a Law School Clinic is Trying to Prevent Gun Violence Through Litigation w/Megan Walsh and Anthony Benz

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Megan Walsh and Anthony Benz from the University of Minnesota. As we did on Tuesday, Hunter sat down with these two to highlight the work of a law school clinic. This clinic focuses on combating gun violence through both offensive and defensive litigation. Guest Megan Walsh, Director, Gun Violence Prevention Clinic, University of Minnesota Anthon Benz, Student Attorney, University of Minnesota Resources: Contact Megan Jacob Charles Article Contact Hunter...

375 | The Law Clinic Helping Public Defenders Fight Back Against New Police Technology w/Megan Graham

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Megan Graham to discuss how her law an technology clinic is helping Public Defenders deal with technology issues in their client’s cases. Guest Megan Graham, Associate Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Technology Law Clinic, University of Iowa College of Law Resources: Contact Megan Contact Hunter Parnell: ...

374 | How were Incarcerated People Impacted by the NY Correctional Officers' Illegal Wild Cat Strike? w/Emily Napier Singletary and Derek Singletary

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors of Unchained Emily Napier-Singletary and Derek Singletary. Unchained is a non-profit organization based out of New York that seeks to “empower those currently and formerly incarcerated in the state of New York through policy development, community organizing and advocacy, research, and liberation education.” On today’s episode, Derek and Emily discuss what happened both inside and outside of New York prisons during the New York Correctional Officer Illegal Wild Cat Strike. Guest Emily Napier Singletary,...

373 | How a Public Defender Investigator Unsolved a Murder w/Anat Rubin

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by investigative journalist Anat Rubin to discuss her recent reporting on Public Defender Investigators in California. At times, investigators are the single most important person in a criminal defense case, and yet around the country, nearly all public defenders do not have access to necessary investigative resources. Today, Anat joins the show to discuss how the systemic underfunding of public defense investigators increases the risk of wrongful convictions by highlighting the story of an investigator who unsolved a murder. Guest Anat Rubin, Investigative...

372 | The Community Organizers Helping Detroit Reach its Lowest Crime Rate in 60 Years w/Dujuan "Zoe" Kennedy

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Dujuan “Zoe” Kennedy of Force Detroit a Community Violence Intervention organization in Detroit. For decades, Detroit was known around the country for being the poster child for the decaying state of U.S. manufacturing. With this reputation as a decaying city came a reputation for high rates of violent crime, but over the past few years, Detroit has seen some of the lowest rates of homicides, gun crimes, and violent crimes it has in 60 years. Zoe joins the podcast to explain how through community interventions, and not policing, the city has provided a model...

371 | The Cruelty Kids Face at the Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law w/Claire Valentin and Hayley Upshaw

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined Claire Valentin and Hayley Upshaw to discuss how the intersection of criminal and immigration law impacts kids. So far on the show, Hunter and various guests have explored the “Crimmigration” intersection as it pertains to adults. Now, Hunter, Hayley, and Claire unpack the ways this already cruel system is especially cruel for kid. Guest Hayley Upshaw, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco Public Defender Officer Claire Valentin, Managing Director of Innovation and Advocacy, Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts Resources: US Citizen...

More Episodes

Today, Hunter was joined by two San Francisco Public Defenders, Sujung Kim and Lilah Wolf, to discuss their recent Racial Justice Act Victory. This California law was designed in part to give public defenders the tools to get explicit and implicit racism out of the criminal legal system. Today, we discussed how it came to be, why it needs to be in place, and how public defenders in California and around the country could be using it.

Guest

Sujung Kim, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco, California

Lilah Wolf, Deputy Public Defender, San Francisco, California

Resources:

Contact the SF Public Defender

ttps://sfpublicdefender.org/

https://www.facebook.com/sfpublicdefender

https://x.com/sfdefender

https://www.instagram.com/sfpublicdefender/

Exhibits from the Trial

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qd5HC8wB7HuV_xoh6fHLQwRMmybJWShD?usp=sharing

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