Anyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system perpetuates cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people just trying to get through another day.
Public Defenseless explores the rot in the system and what we can do about it. Host and public defender Hunter Parnell talks with defense attorneys, advocates, scholars and journalists from across the country as they pull apart the system's convoluted web.
Views are the host's and guests' own, not their employers'. Not legal advice.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
534 | How the Bail Project is Fighting to Abolish Cash Bail and Free People from Pre-Trial Incarceration w/Erin George
On this episode, Hunter talks with Erin George, National Director of Policy at The Bail Project. Few topics in criminal legal policy have drawn more attention in recent y
Nov 5 1 h 05 min
533 | The Former Public Defenders Trying to Expose the Truth of the Criminal Legal System to the Masses w/Eliza Orlins and Thea Johnson
On this episode, Hunter talks with two former public defenders, Eliza Orlins and Thea Johnson, about their podcast, Criminally Online. From their years as public defender
Nov 4 1 h 08 min
532 | How American Samoans in Whittier, Alaska, Fought a Prosecution ... and Won w/Alex Burness
On this episode, Hunter welcomes back Alex Burness, staff writer for Bolts. Last time Alex was on the show, he shared the gut-wrenching story of a community of American S
Nov 3 43 min
531 | What Does the Los Angeles County Public Defender Union Think of Their New Workload Study? w/Karl Fenske
On this episode, Hunter is joined by Karl Fenske, a long time Los Angeles County Public Defender and lead steward for Local 148. On this episode, Hunter and Karl discuss
Oct 29 1 h 16 min
530 | What Will it Take to Abolish the Death Penalty in California w/Diane Lozano
On this episode, Hunter speaks once again with Diane Lozano, the former Chief Public Defender for the State of Wyoming and current Executive Director of Full Picture Just
Oct 28 1 h 05 min
529 | How Does the Leadership of the Los Angeles County Public Defender Plan to Use Their New Workload Study? w/Ricardo Garcia and Traci Blackburn
On this episode, Hunter is joined once again by Ricardo García and for the first time, Traci Blackburn. On September 10th, 2026, a new workload study of the Los Angeles P
Oct 27 1 h 01 min
528 | Will Utah's Tough-on-Crime Policies Force Salt Lake's Public Defenders to Stop Taking New Cases? w/Richard Mauro.
On this episode, Hunter welcomes back Richard Mauro, executive director of the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association. Richard explains how his office built Project Rio, a
Oct 22 1 h 04 min
527 | Why it is so Important for Public Defenders to Expand the Right to Counsel to Family Defense w/Kelly Driscoll
On this episode, Hunter speaks with Kelly Driscoll. As the Bureau Chief for the Family Defense Unit of the Montana Public Defender, Kelly is responsible for overseeing th
Oct 20 1 h 00 min
Bonus: Vote No on Proposition 132, the Colorado Fentanyl Measure From a Conservative Dark Money Group, with Kyle Giddings
On this episode, Hunter is joined once again by Kyle Giddings, the Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition and the Campaign Chair for Vote no on
Oct 16 37 min
526 | How Public Defenders can use New Second Amendment Supreme Court Case to Win Self-Defense Claims w/Jacob Charles
On this episode, Hunter was joined once again by Professor Jacob Charles. Last time Jacob was on the show, he and Hunter discussed the groundbreaking Second Amendment cas
Oct 15 1 h 05 min
525 | Will Police Soon be Deploying Armed Autonomous Drones to a Neighborhood Near You? w/Matthew Guariglia
On this episode, Hunter is joined once again by Matthew Guariglia. At his work at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Matthew has become one of the leading voices soundin
Oct 14 42 min
524 | How Police and Their Unions Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in American Politics w/Stuart Schrader
On this episode, Hunter is joined by Professor Stuart Schrader to discuss his book Blue Power: How Police Organized to Protect and Serve Themselves. In his book, Stuart w
Oct 13 1 h 11 min
523 | How the Number One Tool for Mass Deportations Might be Unconstitutional w/Eric Fish
On this episode, Hunter speaks once again with Professor Eric Fish about a law review article he published about our immigration system. Since it was implemented in 1996,
Oct 8 56 min
522 | After Nearly Two Decades as an Immigration Judge, Why Did She Decide to Leave Under the Second Trump Administration? w/Judge Mimi Tsankov
On this episode, Hunter speaks with Judge Mimi Tsankov, former president of the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ). Over nearly two decades on the bench, s
Oct 6 57 min
521 | How the Media is Missing What is Really Causing Alaska's Legal System to Fail w/Amanda Harber and David Case
In this episode, Hunter speaks with two criminal defense lawyers and former Public Defenders from the state of Alaska, Amanda Harber and David Case. For the entire 21st C
Oct 1 1 h 00 min
520 | Can Prisons be Reformed? What History Tells Us About the Failed Attempts w/C.J. Ciaramella
On this episode, Hunter is joined by C.J. Ciaramella of Reason. Recently, C.J. authored an article for Reason that provides an overview of different eras of prison policy
Sep 30 1 h 05 min
519 | How the Maryland Defender Union is Organizing for Better Working Conditions, Pay, and Workloads w/Rachel Kiefer, Alexis Rossetti, and Kalia Woods
On this episode, Hunter speaks with three members of the Maryland Defender Union, Rachel Kierfer, Alexis Rossetti, and Kalia Woods. They join to explain the recent victor
Sep 29 1 h 19 min
518 | Did the Supreme Court Finally Ensure the Fourth Amendment Protects Our Data? Part 2 w/Andrew Ferguson
On this episode, Hunter speaks once again by Professor Andrew Ferguson to discuss the Fourth Amendment and the right to privacy. Previously, Hunter spoke with Jumana Musa
Sep 24 1 h 03 min
517 | Did the Supreme Court Finally Ensure the Fourth Amendment Protects Our Data? Part 1 w/Jumana Musa
On this episode, Hunter speaks once again Jumana Musa, Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer's Fourth Amendment Center. Hunter and Jumana discus
Sep 22 1 h 02 min
516 | Will a New Commission Finally Get California to Fund Public Defense? w/Chesa Boudin
On this episode, Hunter speaks once again with Chesa Boudin. This time, the two discussed a new commission in California tasked with studying the best path forward for a
Sep 17 47 min
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Where Public Defenseless ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 8, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I’m a California law student interested in working in the criminal justice system, unsure on which side but learning about and listening to various public defender issues is really eye opening. Hunter does a great job with all of his interviews.
Person24 · May 2026
Public Defenseless details how the presumption of innocence is fiction in courtrooms across the country.
While we supposedly have the right to a trial by a jury of our peers, defendants who are largely Black and Latino men, are compelled to take pleas or face lengthy, painful incarceration.
The American justice system as revealed by Public Defenseless is so deeply broken and must be reformed.
rachelm1972 · Mar 2025
As a former Colorado public defender (and still indigent criminal defense attorney), I’m biased in favor of the excellent coverage of issues in Colorado, including the crisis in our state public defender system and the horrors unfolding in municipal courts.
But I also love every episode from elsewhere in the country. It’s so easy for us to be in our silos and forget that there are hundreds of other offices out there facing similar challenges and coming up with innovative solutions. This podcast is a wonderful way to help bring us together and share ideas.
A true public service.
drewmm10 · Mar 2025
If you support the Death Penalty, believe that the US justice system is largely fair, and think that stories of failings are scant exceptions to the rule, this should be your next podcast to listen to. Example after example of the capriciousness of US crime law is presented. Powerful! and Needed. Listening feels like having a backstage pass to monumental court proceedings. Thank you! Highly recommend.
Luckyluckylucky5 · Jan 2024
Great podcast that is thoughtful and helpful. Public defenders need better funding and a limit on clients that need help.
Usernamesux · Jun 2023
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