Today, Hunter spoke with Travis Weiner the former Colorado Public Defender suing the State Public Defender for wrongful termination. As a Colorado Public Defender, Travis reached a point where he estimated he would need more than 4,000 hours to complete the cases assigned to him. At that point, Travis believed he had an ethical obligation to withdraw from a newly assigned case. Unfortunately, the Colorado State Public Defender did not support him. Instead, they fired him. Now he is suing the state for alleged retaliation.

Guest

Travis Weiner, Former Colorado State Public Defender and Current Public Defender, Taos, New Mexico

Resources:

Articles about Travis's Law Suit

https://www.denverpost.com/2024/11/26/colorado-public-defender-retaliation-caseload-lawsuit-travis-weiner/

https://denvergazette.com/news/courts/colorado-public-defender-whistleblower-lawsuit/article_5dc51520-a908-11ef-8c41-9795a3756d99.html

https://www.cpr.org/2024/11/26/former-colorado-public-defender-files-whistleblower-suit-high-caseload/

Read Travis's Motion, Compliant and My Complaint and Affidavit Here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oz0-_Yi6EMqoh7s6f2a7xdrW-_28L1dv?usp=sharing

I have reached out for comment from OSPD in regards to Travis and my complaints. At this time, OSPD did not respond for comment. Last year, they sent me the following comment on Travis's complaint

"On behalf of OSPD, thank you for the invitation and concern regarding public defense in Colorado. Rules governing confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and employee privacy prevent us from discussing individual cases, particular motions, or a defender's practice. We are committed to ensuring that our clients receive high quality representation and will continue to support the defenders who do that work."

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