Public Defenseless 10: How did Colorado Build one of the Best Public Defense Systems? w/Doug Wilson
Colorado's Doug Wilson has worked in the public defense system for over 40 years, so to say he holds a boatload of knowledge is an understatement!
Colorado has one of the best models of public defense and Doug is one of the people responsible for that success.
In this episode, Doug explains how he worked with the Colorado legislature to create a system built on independence and increase their budget by over 40 million dollars.
You'll also hear about Colorado's weaknesses—poor determination standards, court fees, and a lack of community outreach.
However, Wilson continues to advocate for an improved public defense system in Colorado.
In a world where not everybody gets access to representation and public defenders are overworked and underpaid, Doug Wilson is tenaciously working to change that.
Key Topics and Takeaways:
- Why Colorado's public defense system so well and how Doug laid that foundation [4:05]
- Public defense is a part of public safety [12:35]
- Defining recidivism [13:58]
- Doug and I dive deep into The Colorado Project, a recent workload analysis [28:16]
- Doug breaks down Colorado's determination standards [32:09]
- Colorado's struggle to provide adequate mental health services [50:30]
- The negative impacts of horizontal representation [1:04:06]
Guests:
Doug Wilson, Chief Public Defender of Aurora Municipal Defender Office and former Chief Public Defender of The Colorado Office of the State Public Defender
Resources:
NLADA Aurora Public Defender Assessment
ACLU Report on Colorado Municipal Courts
Office of the State Public Defender of Colorado
Aurora Office of the Public Defender
Do You Qualify for a Public Defender in Colorado?
Memorable Quotes:
"Indigent clients must be given the same constitutionally effect and officiant counsel as folks who can afford to pay for their attorney. That's huge. You don't see that level of independence or those mandates in very many systems around the country." (6:38, Doug)
"We're part of the public safety discussion as well, because for every person that we can keep out of the system or keep from coming back into the system, by our intervention or our representation, or our alternative sentencing plan… that protects the public." (12:45. Doug)
"50% of the bill of rights is there to protect the individual against the government." (22:00, Doug)
"So for my listeners, indigent does not mean just the homeless person on the side of the road with two pennies to rub together. It is the family next door struggling with medical debt, it is the family across the street who just got into a fender bender, it is the guy at work who just got laid off to no fault of his own. It is every ordinary people who will face the brunt of the legal system without an attorney." (38:07, Hunter)
"There are only five dedicated, municipal structured public defender offices in the country. Think about that." (49:59, Doug)
"When a person's livelihood is dependent upon them not realizing they're doing something bad, they will very rarely realize they're doing something bad." (46:34, Hunter)