On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took the upsetting subject of our country’s overworked public defenders, or, as he referred to them, “the only people who have been to court more frequently than former child stars.” In the above segment, our intrepid host guides us through the overcrowded nature of our public defense system which, in New Orleans, finds these lawyers stuck with only seven minutes — on average — to spend on each case.
“If I only had seven minutes to prepare this show, I definitely would not be talking about public defenders right now. I’d be desperately trying to fill time by listing the Muppets in order of f*cbility.”
The sad truth Oliver proceeds to explore is the rate in which these cases end in plea bargains, which is upward of 90 to 95 percent. The overburdened nature of our public defense system spans throughout the country, which has New Orleans resorting to crowdfunding to maintain its budget, while an office in Augustus was forced to shut down due to a roach infestation. And let’s not forget the street-fighting judge of Florida!
To temporarily fix the issue, Oliver brought in Dennis Quaid and a bunch of TV cops including Southland‘s Regina King, Law & Order‘s Jeremy Sisto, and The Wire‘s Sonja Sohn to fix the inaccuracy of those Miranda rights that law enforcement loves to shout at their victims on the small-screen. And yes, before you ask, the changes in question are “constitutional as f*ck.”
(Via Last Week Tonight)