Prominent Philadelphia Attorney and Republican U.S. Senate Candidate George Bochetto is an American Success story. As an infant, Mr. Bochetto was left on the doorsteps of a Catholic orphanage, where he was raised until the age of six, when he entered the foster care system, where he bounced around until he was finally adopted. George worked his way through college and decided to become an attorney. He has had a successful legal career for the last five decades. This podcast will explore Mr. Bochetto's journey from orphan to a lawyer, how his conservative and cultural values shaped his life and why he has decided to run for public office during some of the most politically polarizing times this country has seen in recent memory. Mr. Bochetto explains why he believes that being a conservative is not at odds with wanting to provide better opportunities for everyone, the most pressing issues that Republican voters are concerned with, and answers whether he believes that we as a country can find common ground.  

Reggie Shuford became executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania in September 2011. Before joining the ACLU-PA, he served as the director of law and policy at the Equal Justice Society (EJS), a national strategy group heightening consciousness on race in the law and popular discourse. From 1995-to 2010, Reggie served as senior staff counsel in the national ACLU's Racial Justice Program. During his tenure there, he helped pioneer legal challenges to racial profiling practices nationwide. He was the ACLU's chief litigator in challenges to racial profiling, leading national litigation efforts and consulting with ACLU state affiliates and others in cases of "driving while black or brown," airport profiling, and profiling related to the war on terror.

This podcast discusses Reggie's upbringing in North Carolina, his experience as the first black graduate in 1984 from Cape Fear Academy, which was a school created as a "segregation academy" so white children would not have to attend school with black children, and his graduation from The University of North Carolina's School of Law in Chapel Hill. We discuss how these life experiences have fueled his passion for civil rights, equality, and social justice. We also discuss some of today's most talked-about issues like Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Law, Critical Race Theory, and the role that organizations like the ACLU play in creating opportunity and fairness for all people. The recent nomination of the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court and how political polarization hurts the country, especially those in marginalized communities.  

Keisha Hudson is the new Chief Public Defender for Philadelphia and has spent nearly eighteen years as a public defender, first with the Defender Association of Philadelphia and then as a capital appellate defender with the Federal Defender-Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Capital Habeas Unit), representing people on death row in their state post-conviction and federal habeas appeals. As a seasoned trial and appellate defender, Ms. Hudson has an in-depth understanding of what it means to be a public defender. At the Capital Habeas Unit, Ms. Hudson was the Director of Training. 

In 2016, Ms. Hudson left the Federal Defender and joined the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender Officer to become the Deputy Chief Defender. Ms. Hudson joined the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender with the goal of building and strengthening advocacy in the courtroom. Along with former Chief Defender Dean Beer, Ms. Hudson addressed systemic issues regarding policing, pretrial detention, sentencing, and probation in the county. In four years, Chief Defender Dean Beer and Ms. Hudson built one of the best public defender offices in the state.

In 2020, Ms. Hudson worked with The Justice Collaborative and The Appeal, developing and leading advocacy and media campaigns on criminal justice issues- campaigns specifically aimed at looking at creative and thriving community alternatives that truly create public safety. From 2020 to the present, Ms. Hudson has been a visiting professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.

Ms. Hudson talks about what she believes to be the root causes of crime, why we are seeing a sharp increase in the crime rate, and what can be done to create an equitable system while maintaining public safety. Some of the hot button issues in criminal justice reform like reduced probation terms and no cash bail and why the role of Public Defender is so important. Ms. Hudson discusses her journey as an immigrant from Jamaica to advocate for those who end up in the criminal justice system.

Christine Flowers is a proud Philadelphian, accomplished immigration attorney, conservative writer, and controversial political commentator. 

Christine discusses her journey from Democrat to Conservative and the challenges of espousing a very different political philosophy than many who live in her beloved Philadelphia. Christine has been vocal in her opposition to abortion, critical race theory, and Black Lives Matter. She is equally vocal about what it means to be a good Catholic.

We talk race, crime, and cancel culture. Hear Christine's thoughts on political figures President Joe Biden and progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner

Join us for an honest yet respectful conversation that touches on many current hot-button issues. We try to answer the question -  how do you find common ground with such divergent viewpoints, and, more importantly, is it even possible in today's divisive political climate?

In January 2010, Seth Williams was elected the first African American District Attorney in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During his time in office, there was a significant decrease in gun violence. His office also aggressively prosecuted Catholic Church sex abuse cases. Seth Williams was a trail-blazing district attorney in criminal justice reform. Unfortunately, he would be indicted on 23 counts of bribery, extortion, and fraud within seven short years. He was forced to resign and pleaded guilty to one charge in June 2017. After spending three years in Federal Prison, Seth Williams is back working in Philadelphia with recently released inmates helping them obtain the necessary skills to succeed in life after prison. This conversation will discuss Seth Williams's rise, fall, and hopeful redemption. As a former District Attorney, he shares his thoughts on the increasing crime rate and what he believes we can do to provide a fair and equitable criminal justice system while preserving public safety. 

State Representative Donna Bullock is a Pennsylvania House of Representatives member representing the 195th Legislative District in North and West Philadelphia. State Rep Bullock is undeniably an American Success Story. Raised by a single mother, she overcame a childhood of poverty and food and housing insecurity to become the incredible leader she is today. A fierce advocate for those living in poverty, she used her passion for helping others to become an attorney for Community Legal Services before serving as special assistant to Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke. A wife and mother to two boys, State Rep. Bullock has taken on the fight for access to quality public education for all and criminal justice reform. State Rep Bullock has recently been making headlines as an outspoken critic of the Philadelphia School District's new lottery process for placing students in some of the best public high schools in the city. A move the Philadelphia School District believes will provide better opportunities for disadvantaged students, but State Rep. Bullock believes will hurt many of the students it's intended to benefit. I hope this discussion will answer how do you best help disadvantaged students find educational opportunities?

On January 6th, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump believing that the 2020 Presidential Election had been stolen by then President-Elect Joe Biden attempted to overturn the election by interrupting the joint session of Congress that was set to count the electoral votes which would certify that Joe Biden would become the 46th President of the United States. There is a dispute about what the intent was of the Trump supporters marching over to the U.S. Capitol but it quickly devolved into a riot which saw one of the protestors shot and killed by the Capitol Police, numerous people injured, including 138 police officers, looting, vandalism and included members of Congress being locked down for their safety.

President Trump’s claims of election fraud and his failure to call off his supporters who had taken over the Capital, for hours was the basis in which he was impeached for incitement of insurrection. Hear from the attorneys who represented President Trump, prominent Philadelphia attorneys Bruce Castor and Michael Van Der Veen who defended the case on behalf of President Trump. In February 2021, the Senate acquitted President in a vote of 57–43. 

The attorneys will share how it felt to be part of one of the most significant cases in American History, what treatment they received for representing President Trump while living in a Blue State, how they feel that we can lessen the political divide and what Former Donald Trump is really like?

The discussion ends with Bruce Castor who was the District Attorney in the Cosby case who made the original deal talking about how he feels about Bill Cosby going free and what he thinks about the women who accused Bill Cosby of assault.