Libsyn Directory

402 | Defense Lawyering in the Progressive Prosecution Era w/Jenny Roberts

Release Date: 10/07/2025

419 | Why did The CJA Panel in New Mexico Stop Accepting New Cases? w/Ryan Villa

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by the CJA Panel Rep for New Mexico, Ryan Villa. The last time Hunter talked about CJA panels on the show he discussed how the federal government stopped paying the panels back in July. After months of not getting paid, Ryan and the rest of the New Mexico panel decided that enough was enough. They wrote a letter stating they would no longer be accepting new cases. With the future funding of this system in doubt, this could be a preview of what is in store for federal public defense in the near future. Guest: Ryan Villa, CJA Panel Rep, Federal District...

418 | The Organization Trying to Help More than 195,000 Afghan Allies Find Safety w/Shawn VanDiver

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was the President and Founder of #AfghanEvac, Shaw VanDiver. During our two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, America made a promise to hundreds of thousands of Afghans who helped our cause: work with us, and we will provide you safety from the Taliban. Yet when Kabul fell back into the hands of the Taliban, America left behind more than 195,000 of our allies in harms way. Shawn and his team at #AfghanEvac aim to fulfil the promise we made to our Afghan allies by assisting them in claiming asylum in the United States. Guest: Shawn VanDiver, President and Founder,...

417 | How a Jailhouse Lawyer Challenged Louisiana's Mass Incarceration from Inside Angola Prison w/Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull, Co-authors of the book, Jailhouse Lawyer. In this book, Sophie and Calvin tell the story of Calvin’s life. As a teenager, Calvin was wrongfully charged with and ultimately convicted of a homicide. He faced a life sentence in Angola State Prison. For the nearly three decades that Calvin was wrongfully incarcerated, he worked as a jailhouse lawyer. In that role, he helped countless men, in hopeless legal situations challenge the conditions and legality of their confinement. Now, Calvin and Sophie are here to share the power that a...

416 | How Louisiana Built the Project of Mass Incarceration w/Nick Weldon and Eric Seiferth

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by Eric Seiferth and Nick Weldon of the New Orleans Historic Collection to discuss a historic exhibit they curated. The Captive State traces the story of mass incarceration to its historical roots to Louisiana’s colonial slave holding past. Guest: Eric Seiferth, Curator/Historian, New Orleans Historic Collection Nick Weldon, Senior Editor, New Orleans Historic Collection Resources: Buy the Book Here Contact Hunter...

415 | How the Detroit Justice Center is Helping People Eliminate Their Court Fines and Fees w/Nancy A. Parker and Rubina Mustafa

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined by two guest from the Detroit Justice Center, Nancy A. Parker and Rubina Mustafa. As they did on Tuesday, Hunter and his guests are exploring court related fines and fees, how fines and fees are impacting communities in Michigan, and the policies that have started the slow fight to eliminate court fines and fees. Guest: Nancy A. Parker, Executive Director, Detroit Justice Center Rubina Mustafa, Senior Staff Attorney, Detroit Justice Center Resources: Detroit Justice Center FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES: FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES: ...

414 | How California Built a Database to Track Police Misconduct w/Katey Rusch

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter was joined once again by journalist Katey Rausch. Last time Katey was on the show, she discussed her bombshell reporting on the non-disclosure agreements law enforcement was using to hide the misconduct of law enforcement officers. Now, Katey is here to describe how that reporting has turned into a ban on those agreements and a state wide data base to allow people to track law enforcement misconduct. Guest: Katey Rusch, Record Requests Manager and Data Journalist, California Reporting Project, UC Berkeley School of Journalism Resources: Contact Katey ...

413 | How New Mexico Joined in On the Fight to End Harmful Court Fines and Fees w/Joanna Weiss

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter spoke with Joanna Weiss, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center. Today, the two sat down to discuss FFJC’s campaign to end court fines and fess the automatically revoke a person’s driver’s license nationally and in New Mexico Guest: Joanna Weiss, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Fines and Fees Justice Center Resources: FFJC Reform in New Mexico Documentaries Contact Hunter...

412 | How Pre-Trial Services Can Reduce Incarceration w/David Bennett

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter spoke with David Bennett, a veteran in the field of pretrial services. They discuss the evolution of pretrial services, the challenges of jail overcrowding, and the misconceptions surrounding pretrial programs. David shares insights on the importance of community support, risk assessment, and the need for effective alternatives to electronic monitoring. The conversation highlights the critical role of rehabilitation and support services in the criminal justice system, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach punishment and pretrial release. Guest: ...

411 | How Private Criminal Defense Lawyers Are Trying to Solve Colorado's Rural Attorney Shortage Crisis w/Kristin Ladd, Mesa Anderson, and Blue Daniels

Public Defenseless

Today, Hunter spoke with three amazing guests from Colorado’s Office of Alternate Defense Counsel. Kristin Ladd, Blue Daniels, and Mesa Anderson joined the show to discuss the Greater Colorado Fellowship. This program aims to place lawyers in rural parts of the state to serve as private criminal defense lawyers who handle public defender cases. Guest: Kristin Ladd, Attorney Development Coordinator, Office of Alternate Defense Counsel, Colorado Mesa Anderson, Greater Colorado Fellow, Western Slope of Colorado Blue Daniels, Greater Colorado Fellow, Durango, Colorado ...

410 | How to Meet the Needs of Incarcerated Women w/Emily Salisbury

Public Defenseless

In this conversation, Hunter Parnell speaks with criminologist Emily about the unique challenges faced by justice-involved women. They discuss the importance of culturally competent tools and resources, the need for gender-specific risk assessment tools, and the impact of trauma and domestic violence on women's pathways to crime. Emily emphasizes the necessity of individualized approaches in the criminal justice system and the importance of listening to the voices of those affected. The conversation also touches on the rising incarceration rates of women and the need for diversion programs to...

More Episodes

Today, Hunter was joined by Dean Jenny Roberts of Hofstra Law School. On today’s episode, Hunter and Dean Roberts discuss a law review article that Dean Roberts published last year about how public defenders can/should respond to the progressive prosecutors.

Guest:

Jenny Roberts, Dean, Hofstra Law

Resources:

Contact Dean Roberts Here

https://law.hofstra.edu/jenny-roberts/

Read the Article Here

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4574381

Contact Hunter Parnell:

Publicdefenseless@gmail.com

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