Public Defenseless 39: The Power of Public Advocacy in Alameda County Public Defense with Brendon Woods
This Week, Hunter spoke with the awesome and powerful, Brendon Woods. As Chief Public Defender in Alameda County, Brendon is one of the loudest and strongest advocates for criminal justice reform in the entire country.
On this episode, Brendon and Hunter discuss how Brendon was able to cultivate the culture both in and out of his office that enabled wide sweeping success at crafting meaningful reforms. From his work in the state house to his work in the Oakland community, Brendon has seen success after success because of his ability to show the local community the essential role that Public Defense places in community health. From his voter registration program to his high school, his team has helped to demonstrate for all the extent to what Public Defense could be.
Brendon's vision and drive to implement a truly holistic model of public defense is one that all public defenders should strive to meet.
Key Topics and Takeaways:
Brendon's path to becoming a Chief Defender [11:12]
Developing a Positive Reputation in Alameda County [13:44]
VOICE and LYRIC Programs [15:15]
Immigration Representation Work [21:00]
How to Keep Getting Resources to Grow [25:00]
Public Defender Funding Disparities [27:00]
Battle with The Alameda DA's [31:30]
The Recall of Chesa Boudin and the Role of DAs [37:50]
Policy Victories in the State [46:10]
Pushback To Policy Reform [51:50]
Discussion on California Public Defense [57:00]
Guests:
Brendon Woods, Chief Public Defender, Alameda County, California
Resources:
Alameda Public Defender Office
Establishing Immigration Representation
SB310 – which allows people with felony convictions to serve on juries. Brendon published an op-ed about this bill.
AB3070 – which made it more difficult for racist prosecutors to kick black people off juries. He also wrote an op-ed on this.
Battles with the DA
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- Last year, one of our lawyers moved to recuse the entire DA's office from a murder case because of extensive misconduct in other cases.It was a crazy, innovative motion.
- The DA's office retaliated against us by refusing to engage in any informal plea discussions.
- Within days, the DA's office stops its illegal retaliation.
- The recusal motion was denied and the client was acquitted at trial.
Contact Hunter Parnell:
hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com