Missouri's public defender system fails to protect the poor

Kansas City Star reporter Katie Moore and editorial board member Dave Helling traveled more than 1,000 miles across the state to tell the stories of poor defendants' rights being trampled by Missouri's justice system. On this week's podcast, we look at their project which found Missouri's underfunded public defender system fails to uphold peoples' constitutional rights.

Read the series:

Defenseless: Missouri justice system violates the Constitution every day - https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article237130749.html

Before their day in court, poor people charged with crimes can spend years in jail - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article237036709.html

With overloaded Missouri public defenders, you only get a ‘sliver of an attorney’ - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article237036919.html

Missouri judge says: Represent yourself in court or plead guilty to save time - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article237037159.html

Public defenders ordered to violate ethics to keep defendants moving through court - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article237037079.html

Missouri prosecutors hold all the cards. Public defenders and vulnerable clients fold - https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article237037239.html

‘Constant injustice’: Missouri must fund and fix its broken public defender system - https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article237131144.html

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