Government

Public Defenseless

by Hunter Parnell

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Latest episodes

527 | Why it is so Important for Public Defenders to Expand the Right to Counsel to Family Defense w/Kelly Driscoll

October 20, 2026 · 1 hr 0 min

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 the defense of parents and kids in the family legal system. She joins…
Bonus: Vote No on Proposition 132, the Colorado Fentanyl Measure From a Conservative Dark Money Group, with Kyle Giddings

October 16, 2026 · 38 min

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 132. These two sat down to discuss the Colorado Ballot Initiative…
526 | How Public Defenders can use New Second Amendment Supreme Court Case to Win Self-Defense Claims w/Jacob Charles

October 15, 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

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 cases of Bruen and Rahimi. This time, Jacob sat down to examine the two…
525 | Will Police Soon be Deploying Armed Autonomous Drones to a Neighborhood Near You? w/Matthew Guariglia

October 14, 2026 · 43 min

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 sounding the alarms about the proliferation of mass surveillance technology…
524 | How Police and Their Unions Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in American Politics w/Stuart Schrader

October 13, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

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 walks readers through the long history of how police departments…

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523 | How the Number One Tool for Mass Deportations Might be Unconstitutional w/Eric Fish

October 8, 2026 · 57 min

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, expedited removal has become the number one tool for deportations in…
522 | After Nearly Two Decades as an Immigration Judge, Why Did She Decide to Leave Under the Second Trump Administration? w/Judge Mimi Tsankov

October 6, 2026 · 57 min

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, she served under five administrations and led the association that…
521 | How the Media is Missing What is Really Causing Alaska's Legal System to Fail w/Amanda Harber and David Case

October 1, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

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 Century, the Alaska Legal System has been in a crisis. Too few…
520 | Can Prisons be Reformed? What History Tells Us About the Failed Attempts w/C.J. Ciaramella

September 30, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

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 and failed reform. In their discussion, Hunter and C.J. explore…
519 | How the Maryland Defender Union is Organizing for Better Working Conditions, Pay, and Workloads w/Rachel Kiefer, Alexis Rossetti, and Kalia Woods

September 29, 2026 · 1 hr 20 min

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 victory the union secured to enforce their current contract and how the…
518 | Did the Supreme Court Finally Ensure the Fourth Amendment Protects Our Data? Part 2 w/Andrew Ferguson

September 24, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

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 of the Fourth Amendment Center to discuss the recent Supreme Court…
517 | Did the Supreme Court Finally Ensure the Fourth Amendment Protects Our Data? Part 1 w/Jumana Musa

September 22, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

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 discuss the recent landmark case of Chatrie vs United States. In that case…

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About the show

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 Hunter Parnell talks with defense attorneys, advocates, scholars and journalists from across the country as they pull apart the system's convoluted web. Disclaimer: Hunter Parnell hosts Public Defenseless in his personal capacity. The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the Aurora Municipal Public Defender or any guest's employer. Nothing on this show is legal advice, and listening does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are facing criminal charges, talk to a lawyer.