Public Defenseless

Hunter Parnell

Anyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system is perpetuating cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day. Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system. Like so many of you, Hunter is not an attorney, simply tired of a news cycle and talking heads that offer no real solutions to the ever-growing list of problems we face. Hunter hopes that with this information, you will share his belief that ordinary people still can make a difference.

  1. 494 | Why did the Spokane County Public Defenders Sue the County Over New Workload Requirements? w/Colin Charbonneau and Victoria Blumhorst

    1d ago

    494 | Why did the Spokane County Public Defenders Sue the County Over New Workload Requirements? w/Colin Charbonneau and Victoria Blumhorst

    Today, Hunter was joined by Colin Charbonneau and Victoria Blumhorst, two Public Defender leaders from Spokane, Washington. They joined the show to explain why they decided to sue their county over the workload standards the county recently imposed.   Guest: Colin Charbonneau, Director, Spokane County Public Defenders, Washington Victoria Blumhorst, Director, Counsel for Defense, Spokane, Washington   Resource: Read the Complaint Here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j9QTRxm6VXpiZQTmvdkgY9HHwgauBt_L?usp=drive_link   Read more about the story here https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/11/public-defenders-sue-spokane-county-over-work-stan/ https://www.kxly.com/news/public-defenders-sue-spokane-county-over-excessive-caseloads/article_fc46807b-d0f0-4171-9533-0c5acdf2a59f.html https://www.inlander.com/news/spokane-county-public-defenders-challenge-their-caseloads-in-court-and-at-the-bargaining-table/article_e883ca3a-4f51-4373-959c-2684f35ccf31.html https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/6067 https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county-sued-public-defender-caseload-limits/293-568f4e4c-a03c-4671-a74f-d3c0fcf081ec https://www.spokanecounty.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6049 Contact Colin and Victoria Here CHARBONNEAU@spokanecounty.gov vblumhorst@spokanecounty.gov   Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 7m
  2. 493 | Two Oregon Public Defenders Sued the Oregon Public Defense Commission and Won. Now What? w/Shannon Wilson and Stacey Lowe

    3d ago

    493 | Two Oregon Public Defenders Sued the Oregon Public Defense Commission and Won. Now What? w/Shannon Wilson and Stacey Lowe

    Today, Hunter was joined once again by Shannon Wilson and Stacey Lowe. The last time these two Public Defender Leaders in Oregon were on the show, they discussed why they were suing the Oregon Public Defense Commission. Today, they join to discuss their victory in court and what it means for Public Defense in Oregon.     *** Note for the show: After recording, editing and publishing the show, Carl McPherson, the Executive Director of The Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, responded to my request for comment with the following statement: "Regarding the current contract, our office is already using an internal workload model and believe we have ethical caseloads.  So, the lawsuit is not impacting our current practice.  The lawsuit will impact negotiations for our next contract (and terms) that will begin on July 1, 2027." Please keep that in mind when you listen to the episode!    Guest: Shannon Wilson, Executive Director, Public Defender of Marion County Inc., Oregon Stacey Lowe, Executive Director, South West Oregon Public Defender Services, Oregon   Resource: Check out the Trial Transcript Here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LoISTUXKRJ8lO9W7uogBRW9l3bf_1UR9?usp=drive_link Contact Stacey and Shannon Here https://swopds.org/ https://www.pdmarion.org/   Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 13m
  3. 492 | How Will Pennsylvania Respond to its Supreme Court Striking Down Mandatory LWOP for Felony Murder Convictions? w/Nia Holston and Sean Damon

    Jun 25

    492 | How Will Pennsylvania Respond to its Supreme Court Striking Down Mandatory LWOP for Felony Murder Convictions? w/Nia Holston and Sean Damon

    Today, Hunter was joined by Nia Holston from the Abolitionist Law Center and Sean Damon of Straight-Ahead to discuss a case out of Pennsylvania. In Commonwealth v. Lee, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court  struck down mandatory life without the possibility of parole for felony murder convictions because those sentences violated the states prohibition on cruel punishments.     Guest: Nia Holston, Staff Attorney, Abolitionist Law Center Sean Damon, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Straight-Ahead   Resource: Read the Case Here https://statecourtreport.org/case-tracker/commonwealth-v-lee Contact ALC and Straight-Ahead https://abolitionistlawcenter.org/person/nia-holston/ sean@straight-ahead.org     Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 10m
  4. 491 | The Hidden Punishments in Pre-Trial Detention That Disproportionately Impact LGBTQ People w/Deborah Lolai

    Jun 24

    491 | The Hidden Punishments in Pre-Trial Detention That Disproportionately Impact LGBTQ People w/Deborah Lolai

    Today, Hunter was joined by Professor Deborah Lolai to discuss her law review article, Out of the Closet, in on Bail. In the article, Deborah details the systemic issues within the bail system, especially as they relate to LGBTQ+ individuals. She explores how pretrial detention disproportionately impacts queer and trans people and how Public Defenders can help get their clients the individualized considerations they deserve.   Guest: Deborah Lolai, Clinical Professor and Lecturer, Harvard Law     Resource: Read the Paper Here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5172965   Contact Deborah Here https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/deborah-lolai/     Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 1m
  5. 490 | How the Civil Rights Corps Secured a Massive Victory in the Fight Against Cash Bail w/Salil Dudani and Carson White

    Jun 23

    490 | How the Civil Rights Corps Secured a Massive Victory in the Fight Against Cash Bail w/Salil Dudani and Carson White

    Today, Hunter was joined by Salil Dudani and Carson White from the Civil Rights Corps. Since they were founded, the Civil Rights Corps has been one of the leaders in the fight to end cash bail. Today, Carson and Salil joined to explain the recent California Supreme Court Case, In re Gerald Kowalczyk, and what it means for the fight against cash bail.       Guest: Carson White, Supervising Attorney, Civil Rights Corps Salil Dudani, Senior Attorney, Civil Rights Corps   Resource: More from Civil Rights Corps Here https://civilrightscorps.org/case/kowalczyk-california-bail-pretrial-detention/   Read the Case Here https://courts.ca.gov/opinion/published/2026-04-30/s277910     Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    59 min
  6. 488 | How Public Defenders Can Fight for Our Clients and for Funding by Engaging with the Media w/Maggie Shepard and Bob McGovern

    Jun 16

    488 | How Public Defenders Can Fight for Our Clients and for Funding by Engaging with the Media w/Maggie Shepard and Bob McGovern

    Today, Hunter was joined by Maggie Shepard and Bob McGovern. Bob and Maggie serve as communications directors for Public Defender agencies, and they joined to discuss how they are helping Public Defenders better engage with the media.   Guest: Maggie Shepard, Director of Communications, Law Offices of the Public Defender, New Mexico Bob McGovern, Director of Communications and Special Counsel, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Massachusetts   Resource: New Mexico LOPD https://www.lopdnm.us/offices/ CPCS https://www.publiccounsel.net/   Contact Maggie and Bob rmcgovern@publiccounsel.net maggie.shepard@lopdnm.us   Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 3m
  7. 487 | Iowa Public Defender Secured a Major Victory for Workload Controls, but will New Tough on Crime Policies Send the System into a Crisis? w/Eric Tindal

    Jun 11

    487 | Iowa Public Defender Secured a Major Victory for Workload Controls, but will New Tough on Crime Policies Send the System into a Crisis? w/Eric Tindal

    Today, Hunter was joined once again by Eric Tindal, a criminal defense lawyer in Iowa. He joined to explain issues Public Defenders in Iowa are facing. While the contract system is on the verge of breaking, the Public Defenders secured a major win for the right to stand up against excessive workloads. With the challenges the system faces, the two discuss if new tough on crime polices will be the straw that breaks the camels back?   Guest: Eric Tindal, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Iowa   Resource: Contact Eric eric@keeganlegal.com   Read about the Supreme Court Case Here https://www.iowacourts.gov/courtcases/24301/embed/SupremeCourtOpinion   Contact Hunter Parnell:      Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

    1h 10m
4.7
out of 5
98 Ratings

About

Anyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system is perpetuating cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day. Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system. Like so many of you, Hunter is not an attorney, simply tired of a news cycle and talking heads that offer no real solutions to the ever-growing list of problems we face. Hunter hopes that with this information, you will share his belief that ordinary people still can make a difference.

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