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Colorado\u2019s 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!

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Colorado has one of the best models of public defense and Doug is one of the people responsible for that success.\xa0

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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.\xa0

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You\u2019ll also hear about Colorado\u2019s weaknesses\u2014poor determination standards, court fees, and a lack of community outreach.\xa0

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However, Wilson continues to advocate for an improved public defense system in Colorado.\xa0

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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.\xa0

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Key Topics and Takeaways:

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• Why Colorado\u2019s 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\u2019s determination standards [32:09]
• Colorado\u2019s struggle to provide adequate mental health services [50:30]
• The negative impacts of horizontal representation [1:04:06]

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Guests:

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Doug Wilson, Chief Public Defender of Aurora Municipal Defender Office and former Chief Public Defender of The Colorado Office of the State Public Defender\xa0

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Resources:

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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?

Colorado Workload Study

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Memorable Quotes:

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\u201cIndigent clients must be given the same constitutionally effect and officiant counsel as folks who can afford to pay for their attorney. That\u2019s huge. You don\u2019t see that level of independence or those mandates in very many systems around the country.\u201d (6:38, Doug)

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\u201cWe'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\u2026 that protects the public.\u201d (12:45. Doug)

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\u201c50% of the bill of rights is there to protect the individual against the government.\u201d (22:00, Doug)

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\u201cSo 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.\u201d (38:07, Hunter)

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\u201cThere are only five dedicated, municipal structured public defender offices in the country. Think about that.\u201d (49:59, Doug)

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\u201cWhen 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.\u201d (46:34, Hunter)