Why Our Public Defense Systems Are Collapsing

For over half a century, our public defense systems have struggled to provide people with adequate representation. It is no secret that these systems have been chronically underfunded. Full-time public defenders often lack the time necessary to provide the type […]

The Many Ways Alabama Denies People a Second Chance After Leaving Prison w Stacey Fuller and Kathleen Henderson

Today, we return to once again to the state of Alabama to speak with Stacey Fuller and Kathleen Henderson. If you will recall, Stacey joined Hunter in his conversation with Leah Nelson to discuss the fines and fees that keep […]

How a Vicious Union Busting Campaign Could Cripple Louisville Public Defense w Cat Vining and Morgan King

In last week’s show, Hunter spoke with Babatunde Aremu and demonstrated the ways in which a Public Defender Office could be unionized without causing strife between leadership and line public defenders. Unfortunately today’s episode demonstrates the worst possible scenario for a unionization effort. […]

50 Shades of Grey Goes to Court: How to Present BDSM and Non-Monogamy in Court w Jill Weinberg

Today, Hunter spoke with Jill Weinberg, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tufts University, to discuss the difficulties and strategies of discussing BDSM and other alternative sexual practices in the court room. For many, 50 Shades of Grey is the only exposure to alternative sexual […]

The Bronx Defender’s Transformation from Scabs to Unionization w Babatunde Aremu

When most in the Public Defender world think about the Bronx Defenders, they think of an office at the forefront of imagining a new path forward for Public Defense. Despite this, the Bronx Defenders sat as outlier amongst the New York City […]

Representing Youths is Just as Important as Representing Adults, and It’s Time Public Defense Acted Like it w Mary Ann Scali and HyeJi Kim

Today, Hunter sat down with Mary Ann Scali (Executive Director, Gault Center) and HyeJi (Senior Youth Defense Counsel, Gault Center), to discuss the legacy of the Supreme Court Case in re Gault and how it impacts youth representation today. Much […]

When Student Loan Payments Get Turned Back on, What Will Happen to Public Defense? w Jane Fox and Kyle Morris

Today, Hunter was joined once again by Jane Fox (Legal Aid Society New York) and Kyle Morris (Nashville Public Defender Office) to discuss all things student debt forgiveness. Last time they were on the show, Jane and Kyle walked Hunter […]

Overworking Public Defenders.

Most U.S. criminal defendants are represented by government-employed public defenders (PDs). PDs consistently face higher caseloads than recommended by professional guidelines, but systematic evidence of the impacts of excessive workloads on defendants is lacking. This paper uses novel case-level data […]

How the King County Public Defender Union is Becoming a Player in Washington Politics w Elbert Aull

Today, Hunter spoke with Elbert Aull, a Public Defender from King County Washington and chairman of the Public Defender Union’s Political Action Committee to discuss the vital role the union played in bringing attention to the horrid conditions of jails […]

The Promise and Problems of Progressive Prosecution w Keisha Hudson, Mano Raju and Ricardo Garcia

Across the country, a movement of so called progressive prosecutors has become a focal point of political commentary around the criminal legal system. Today, Hunter spoke with three Chief Public Defenders, Mano Raju, Keisha Hudson, and Ricardo Garcia to discuss […]