Far too often, the injustices of our legal system go without media attention. This is exceptionally true when it comes to media coverage of the failings of Public Defense. Thankfully, there are a few intrepid investigative reports trying to bring to light the Public Defender Crisis. Today, I spoke with Emily Hamer, Investigative Reporter for Lee Enterprises’ Pubic Service Journalism, to discuss her coverage of the Public Defender crisis in Western States in the seven part series “Broken Defense”. As is so often the case, the severe limitations of Public Defender data collection make it so we only have a partial picture. Thankfully, the picture that Emily was able to paint with the resources available to her shows us enough to definitively state that Public Defense in Western states is failing.

 

Guest:

Emily Hamer, Investigative Reporter, Lee Enterprises’ Public Service Journalism

 

Resource

• Part 1: ‘Unconstitutional’ public defense systems upend lives, freedom across West 
• Part 2: Montana lawmakers examine public defense, ‘gap between reality and justice’ 
• Part 3: On the brink of ‘crisis’: Arizona’s public defense system hit hard with staffing shortages 
• Part 4: ‘America’s dirty little secret’: Thousands of misdemeanor defendants don’t get attorneys 
• Part 5: Staffing shortages, crushing workloads make public defenders’ jobs ‘impossible’ 
• Part 6: ‘Undue influence’: Public defenders work can be undermined by judges, local officials 
• Part 7: Upcoming ‘watershed’ moment in public defense could spark nationwide solutions 

 

 

Contact Hunter Parnell:

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