Project

Broken Justice

In 1997, Ricky Kidd was sentenced to life without parole for a double homicide he says he didn’t commit. And he says his court-appointed lawyer is the reason. From the PBS NewsHour, a look inside Missouri’s public defender system at a crisis point and what it means for serving justice in America.

November 07, 2019 | PBS NewsHour

Broken Justice, Episode 1: 'Triage'

Vika Aronson, Frank Carlson, Amna Nawaz, Emily Carpeaux, and Erica R. Hendry

Can an attorney handle more than 100 criminal cases at a time? That's the reality for a public defender like Jeff Esparza, who represents defendants unable to afford their own lawyers in Kansas City.