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.

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.

I am a chief public defender and this podcast has been extremely helpful to me. Well done

Required listening for anyone interested in America’s criminal processing system.

Hunter- thank you for this amazing source of inspiration, creativity, and community. You are so important.

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.

Hunter thanks for sharing with the world the continued shenanigans of zavonek and jurinsky on Aurora city council. And Atkinson the court administrator. These attempts to get rid of one of the best muni PD offices in the country, if not so very serious, would make a nice sequel to huxley’s 1984.

I listen to this podcast regularly. Really great guests!

Great podcast that is thoughtful and helpful. Public defenders need better funding and a limit on clients that need help.

After ten years of working for “the good guys” team I quickly found out that there are certain things that do NOT matter in the Criminal Justice system. Spending seven years collecting evidence as a whistleblower against the largest nonprofit in the area/state that thrives off Federal & State money you would have thought my findings, efforts, and sacrifices would have been applauded if not - then at least respected. Unless the nonprofit has good ol’boys rights with the local and state District Attorneys office, Courts, and Police. I suddenly find myself on the “other side” of the law with a multitude of false accusations that create a narrative against me that any person who has worked one day with me would never buy in to. So how did it escalate to the point where my entire life has been destroyed, my freedom hangs in the balance, and I’ll never get back what I have lost? Easy… they had the DAs office in their pocket and there is NO oversight on the DAs office. The criminal justice system is designed to simply move “criminals” along to their own mile markers and anyone that could stop the insanity cannot LISTEN to - by law - until you finally reach a court room years later. After all the damage has been done and there will be no consequences for those that played along with this disgusting game of bury the whistleblower. This pod cast has highlighted so many insider aspects that I never knew from getting my criminal Justice degree, from working in the court system for ten years, or from any where else I was and it’s pretty clear that’s intentional by the powers that be. My eyes have been opened and my mind blown away beyond what I was aware of by others stories, by intentionally taking the steps to learn about the much needed criminal Justice reform and restorative Justice movement. I’m so happy to see that this podcast allows knowledgeable, brave, and passionate people a space to air problems and offer potential solutions in a manner available to the public. I pray every participant never experiences backlash, it’s the most hurtful and life threatening thing the “good guys” can do to silence the truth. I look forward to every episode!

Criminal defense attorney here. More specifically, an Iowa private defense attorney who accepts court-appointed indigent defendants at the state and federal levels. I just started this podcast, and in fact, am writing this review after pausing midway through the first (full) episode. Notwithstanding, I’m already overly impressed with the volume of information critically relevant to understanding the criminal ‘justice’ system faced by millions of Americans every year. Excited to explore the next 40+ episodes, and will be sharing this gem with non-attorney friends and family as well as colleagues.