JRE 1774 · June 27, 2024

Josh Dubin

crimepoliticsphilosophypsychologyhistory

Who is Josh Dubin?

Josh Dubin is a criminal justice reform advocate and civil rights attorney.

Topics and Timestamps

01Josh Dubin discusses his work as a criminal justice reform advocate and civil rights attorney
02Conversation covers systemic issues within the American criminal justice system
03Discussion of wrongful convictions and how innocent people get trapped in the system
04Dubin explains the role of legal representation in criminal cases and access to justice
05Topics include reform efforts and what needs to change in law enforcement and courts
06Joe and Josh explore real cases and outcomes that highlight criminal justice failures
▶Josh Dubin introduces his background and work in criminal justice reform0:00:00
▶Discussion of how the criminal justice system fails innocent people0:08:00
▶Dubin explains the reality of public defenders and case overload0:20:00
▶Conversation about wrongful convictions and exonerations0:35:00
▶Discussion of systemic racism and bias within law enforcement0:55:00

The Show

In JRE 1774, Joe sits down with criminal justice reform advocate and civil rights attorney Josh Dubin to dive deep into one of the most broken systems in America. This isn't some abstract policy debate either. Dubin comes with actual cases, real people whose lives got destroyed by a system that's supposed to protect them.

The conversation centers on how the criminal justice system chews people up and spits them out, particularly those who can't afford decent lawyers. Dubin breaks down the reality of being accused of a crime in America. You've got police who are incentivized to close cases, prosecutors who care more about conviction rates than truth, and a legal system that moves so fast most defendants don't stand a chance. It's a machine, and if you're poor, you're the grist.

What really comes through is how many innocent people are actually in prison. Not alleged innocent. Actually innocent. Dubin has worked cases where exonerations happened years or decades later because someone finally had the resources to actually investigate properly. The system assumes guilt before innocence, especially if you're poor or from certain communities.

Joe and Josh get into the specifics of how public defenders are overwhelmed, how plea deals basically force innocent people to admit to crimes they didn't commit, and how DNA evidence has started exposing just how many convictions were based on nothing but bad cops and worse lawyering. The conversation doesn't shy away from how race plays into all this either.

It's heavy stuff, but it's the kind of conversation that matters. Dubin isn't some armchair theorist. He's actually doing the work, fighting cases, and trying to fix a system that's fundamentally broken. By the end, it's clear that real criminal justice reform isn't some radical idea. It's just basic fairness.