Welcome to the Public Defenseless Podcast w/Hunter Parnell. Join me each week as we speak with Public Defenders and criminal justice reformers to uncover how our legal system works, where it is failing, and how together we can fix it!

We cannot fix what we refuse to measure. Workloads, staffing shortages, & unequal resources directly undermine the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. AB 2605 advances the vision of ACR 159 by bringing much-needed transparency to CA’s public defense system & helping ensure fair and equitable resources across the state. But transparency alone is not enough. Meaningful reform will require sustained, ongoing state investment in 2026 & beyond.

READ: A short story that's happening right now. Something deeply dangerous in SF. A waste of taxpayer dollars. A decision driven by greed. One that will undermine community health & safety. No one knows about it. Please read & share. There's still time to change how it ends.

I also hear this with a bit of a “will shamelessly do bad work for enough money” connotation, but not so! I do the work you think is bad out of pure, stubborn, borderline irrational love of the game.

Multnomah County! Catch this @PDefenselessPod episode that interviews 5 former public defenders running for Judge in 4 separate Multnomah County judicial races: open.spotify.com/episode/7HC…

"We cannot continue to expect public defenders to uphold constitutional rights while funding them at a fraction of prosecutors and law enforcement. The disparity puts human lives and the Sixth Amendment at risk." State Assembly Member @Ash_Kalra 's presentation of ACR 159 spotlights a fundamental truth: providing constitutionally effective defense requires meaningful resources. I am here in Sacramento alongside the California Public Defenders Association, my fellow chief public defenders, and advocates from across the state to support the growing momentum towards comprehensive reform and renewed commitment to building a more compassionate and equitable legal system across California. Today’s presentation is accompanied by a call for $45 million in funding over three years for public defense offices across the state.

Most Americans have very high levels of distrust toward the government, but high levels of trust for police and prosecutors. Decades of propaganda has people convinced the only government actor they can trust is the one that can surveil, incarcerate, and kill them. It's bizzare

So many prosecutors/former prosecutors are responding to this with a version of “I mean *I* never put an innocent person in jail,” and the fact that they are so sure of that without questioning it is exactly the thing I’m pointing out.

When courts impose fees to generate revenue, they perpetuate an infrastructure built on crime and fundamentally inhibit true public safety. Last week on @PDefenselessPod, FFJC’s National Advocacy and Campaigns Director Dylan Hayre discussed the inhumanity of court fee practices.

To anyone thinking prosecutors don’t routinely overcharge to the point of absurdity, an example: My client, charged w/ assault. Robbery (higher charge) is tacked on. Why? DA alleges he stole victim’s watch. Watch is found 5 feet from victim. Charge stays. (There’s more) … 👇

This week, FFJC’s National Advocacy and Campaigns Director Dylan Hayre and Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Strategist Emily King joined @PDefenselessPod , where they shared their experiences advocating for fine and fee reform across the country.

A core part of being a prosecutor is blaming someone else for your failings.

New case for Defenders on Brady Violations: The Fourth Circuit held in Moore v. Maryland, that the State violated Brady v. Maryland by disclosing material impeachment evidence too late for the defense to use it effectively. 🧵

When Nadia Reed refused to work while incarcerated in Colorado, she was put in solitary, not allowed to talk to her family, handcuffed, shackled, & moved to a more punitive section where she was sexually assaulted. A judge has now ordered changes. boltsmag.org/colorado-ruling…

Here’s an amazingly awesome example of why more public defenders need to be involved in legislative advocacy: - This was Ashley Shapiro’s idea. - Ashley is a Deputy Public Defender in Richmond who was totally fed up with her “progressive” prosecutor and local police department’s total indifference to the rights of her clients to be free from unlawful searches & seizures. - 2 1/2 years ago, at @JusticeFwdVa’s annual legislative priorities meeting, Ashley said we needed to add a ban on 4A plea waivers to our list. - We did, and @rpogge drafted the bill - We tried in two previous sessions to no avail. - Sen. @salimforva stepped up, became as outraged as we were, and rode damn hard for this important legislation. - Add to it that Dems now control both chambers, and this year the bill enjoyed tons of support, and is now headed to the Governor for her signature. Please note the lack of public policy degrees, professional lobbyists, or insider knowledge in the foregoing narrative. Rather, a group of public defenders convened, said “WTF” about a policy they hated, found an excellent bill patron, and voila—thousands of vulnerable people’s rights will be vindicated. Democracy may be on the ropes elsewhere, but it’s alive and well in Virginia.

Saw a LIVE segment on KPTV announcing Marion County Public Defender has prevailed in it's lawsuit against the Oregon Public Defense Commission!! Congrats to MCPD exec director Shannon Wilson & SOPD exec director Stacey Lowe! #orleg #orpol Will add link when its available!

ICE SHOOTING OF U.S. CITIZEN COVERED UP FOR A YEAR "Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was shot by an @ICEgov Homeland Security Investigations (#HSI) officer in South Padre Island, Texas, on March 15, 2025, after what ICE described as a failure to follow law enforcement instructions during a traffic incident" "While Martinez’s death was reported in local media at the time, the reports did not identify HSI involvement or disclose that a federal agent fired the shots through the driver-side window." newsweek.com/ice-agent-fatal…

Trial starts this morning in Clackamas County. Marion County Public Defender & Southwest Oregon Public Defender v. Oregon Public Defense Commission(OPDC). #orleg confirmed OPDC director Ken Sanchagrin 28-2 on Tuesday 2/17/26 #orpol kgw.com/article/news/local/j…

Today, I spoke w Stacey Lowe, Exec Dir of the Southwest Oregon Public Defender Services. We discussed why she felt she had no choice but to join the lawsuit against the Oregon Public Defense Commission.

Today, I was joined by Shannon Wilson and Stephen Hanlon to try and answer one question: Why did an Oregon Public Defender sue the Oregon Public Defense Commission?

New episode of @PDefenselessPod out today with Shannon Wilson, executive director of Public Defender of Marion suing the Oregon state agency for public defense (OPDC) over attempts to force illegally high caseloads on public defenders. Trial starts Thursday Feb 19th #orleg #orpol