Libsyn Directory

500 | Public Defense is Underfunded, but by How Much? Putting a Conservative Number on the Cost of the Right to Counsel w/Ben Polk

Public Defenseless

Release Date: 07/23/2026

515 | How Public Defense is Failing in Rural California w/Rio Scharf and Josh Schwartz

Public Defenseless

In this episode, Hunter speaks with Rio Scharf and Josh Schwartz to discuss a report detailing the incredible failing of public defense in rural California. Guest: Rio Scharf, Staff Attorney, UC Berkeley Law's Criminal Law and Justice Center Josh Schwartz, Principal, Wren Collective Resource: Read the Report Here: Contact Hunter Parnell: Instagram: @PublicDefenselessPodcast YouTube: @publicdefenselesspodcast Facebook: Public Defenseless Podcast Bluesky:...

514 | How the Prison System fails to Offer Second Chances w/Jesse Crosson

Public Defenseless

In this episode, Hunter speaks with Jesse Crosson about his book The Best Part of Prison: The Power of Second Chances and Reclaiming Life Out of Darkness. Jesse spent nearly 20 years incarcerated for a robbery and non-fatal shooting. Now, he is describing his journey through the legal system, how he was able to get back on his feet, and how our current approach to giving people a second chance is woefully failing. Guest: Jesse Crosson, Author, The Best Part of Prison: The Power of Second Chances and Reclaiming Life Out of Darkness Resource: Pick up a Copy of the Book Here ...

513 | How to Teach Kids to Think like a Public Defender w/Emily Galvin Almanza

Public Defenseless

In this episode, Hunter speaks once again with Emily Galvin Almanza about a new book she is publishing. While her last book sought to teach adults about the failings of our criminal legal system, Emily’s newest book, Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt, is aimed at teaching kids about legal principles through a public defender’s lens. In doing so, Emily hopes to instill a different type of civic education in schools around the country. Guest: Emily Galvin Almanza, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Partners for Justice Resource: Pick up a Copy of the Book Here ...

512 | How Public Advocacy Secured Missouri Public Defenders Pay Parity and Much More w/Matthew Crowell and Jet McDonald

Public Defenseless

In this episode, Hunter revisits with Matthew Crowell, Director of the Missouri State Public Defender, and for the first time Jet McDonald, MSPD’s newest Comms Strategist. They discussed how Matthew was able to use public and private advocacy to secure desperately needed pay raises for the system and their plans to continue expanding their public advocacy to fight for even more improvements to the system. Guest: Matthew Crowell, Director, Missouri State Public Defender Jet McDonald, Communications Strategist, Missouri State Public Defender Resource: Learn More about the Office...

511 | God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood w/Jasper Craven

Public Defenseless

On this episode, Hunter spoke with Jasper Crave, author of the book God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood. While this episode takes us away from the world of Public Defense, this conversation is an illuminating look at how military education like JROTC, ROTC, and the Service Academies help shape American masculinity. By understanding the culture inculcated at these institutions, we are better able to understand how that hyper violent culture spreads to police departments and other young men around the country. Guest:...

510 | What are a Defense Lawyer's Ethical Obligations When They Use A.I.? w/Mason Clark

Public Defenseless

On this episode, Professor Mason Clark joins to discuss a new white paper he authored for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers titled Parity in Practice: The Defender's Duty to Ethically Use AI. Guest: Mason Clark, Associate Professor of Law, St. Mary’s School of Law, Texas Resource: Read the Report Here Contact Mason Here Contact Hunter Parnell: @PublicDefenselessPodcast...

509 | How to Create Workload Standards for Public Defenders w/Malia Brink

Public Defenseless

Since the release of the National Public Defender Workload Study, Malia Brink travelled the country helping Public Defenders create and implement workload standards. Now, she joins the show to discuss the new tool the Deason Center created to help Public Defenders create their own workload standards. Guest: Malia Brink, Policy Director, Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, Southern Methodist University Resource: Deason Center Website Access the Workload Tool Here Contact Hunter Parnell: @PublicDefenselessPodcast...

508 | Will Underfunding Push the Defenders Association of Philadelphia to Stop Accepting New Cases? w/Keisha Hudson

Public Defenseless

In the last budget cycle, Keisha Hudson, Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, asked the city for $5 million. Instead, the city council and the mayor gave her office $0. Now, Keisha is looking at cutting back client services and even potentially refusing to accept new DUI and drug possession cases. On this episode, you will hear Keisha explain how this all happened and what comes next for the office. Guest: Keisha Hudson, Chief Public Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia Resource: Defender Association of Philadelphia’s Contact ...

507 | Robin "Rocky" Myers was Wrongfully Convicted of Murder. Was his Defense Lawyer in the Ku Klux Klan? w/Leah Nelson

Public Defenseless

The State of Alabama sentenced Robin “Rocky” Myers to death after he was convicted of murder in 1994. Over the next 30 years, Rocky fought to prove his innocence, and with each passing year, the evidence of his innocence continued to grow. There was a lack of DNA evidence. Inconsistent witness testimony. Police and Prosecutorial misconduct. On top of all that, there were serious problems with the verdict itself. Taken together, these factors pushed Governor Kay Ivey to commute Rocky’s death sentence. Yet, Rocky is still serving a life sentence. Now, our guest, Leah Nelson, is here to...

506 | Pink Crime: How to Fight the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity w/Valena Beety

Public Defenseless

Hunter is joined once again by Professor Valena Beety. Valena joins the show to discuss her new book, Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity. In it, she discusses the cognitive biases, junk sciences, and the systemic policies used to surveil, police, and incarcerate women and queer communities. Guest: Valena Beety, Professor of Law, Indiana School of Law Resource: Pick up a Copy of the Book Here Contact Valena Contact Hunter Parnell: : @PublicDefenselessPodcast :...

More Episodes

Hunter is joined by Ben Polk, Director of the Transformative Justice Project at New York University School of Law, Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights to discuss a recent law review article he authored where he conservatively estimated it would cost $28 billion to fund Public Defense nationwide.

Guest:

Ben Polk, Director, Transformative Justice Project and Research Scholar, New York University School of Law, Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights,

Resource:

Read the Article Here

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6359060

Ben’s Faculty Page

https://www.law.nyu.edu/centers/bernstein-institute/team

Contact Hunter Parnell:

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Twitter: @PDefenselessPod

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