Central Valley Daily

August 3: New Report Shows California’s Public Defender System Is In Crisis

By Soreath Hok,

Published August 3, 2026 at 4:45 AM PDT

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California’s public defense system is in chaos. A new report documents the counties in the state where caseloads are sky-high and where questions abound over financial conflict of interest, including in the Central Valley. We speak to Josh Schwartz, a researcher with the Wren Collective, about his findings.

Today’s episode is hosted by Soreath Hok and produced by Jonathan Linden.

Central Valley Daily

Soreath Hok

Soreath Hok is a multimedia journalist with experience in radio, television and digital production. She is a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award winner. At KVPR, she is currently the local host of KVPR's Central Valley Daily podcast.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden