how are my justice fighters doing out there? today is invigorating and enlighten you to make sure we have social justice everywhere. i represent bay view and porter hill. so today i really want to share with you in the celebration and recognition of the 50th anniversary, i'm going to ask you to come up here, jeff. look at him. this is amazing, everyone. but today is march 18, 2013. today marks the 50th anniversary united states court's decision that someone should be defended at no cost. where journalist and concerned citizens will gather at the san francisco public defenders 2013 justice summit on march 19 to discuss ways to better fulfill gideon's promise justice for all where clarence combid gideon convicted to be stealing change at a pool hall. he wrote a petition to the supreme court from his jail cell arguing that his rights had been violated. he presented a victory for civil rights and justice. san francisco one of the first cities in the united states to establish a public defenders office opened it's doors in 1921. wher

as justice o'connor was and justice kennedy clearly is? >> well, i think i may have been on a fair number of cases too. >> rose: the swing justice? >> yes. like i mentioned in the book, i know there were cases when i first came on the court and told rehnquist statistic on by right and brennan statistic on the left and they all voted four to four and i would like to say i agree with bill. >> the most important power of the chief justice is what? >> the authority to assign the opinion. the chief justice goes first at conference to discuss, but i am not sure that makes a great deal of difference. >> rose: why not? >> well, you know, i will say something -- state my views of conference, and other people have different views. some people who free with -- i am not at all sure that the fact that i said something, even though to say they agree with me, agree with me because i said it. they may have reached that conclusion just on their own. >> rose: justice black man, harry blak man his papers have garnered first page coverage. >> yes. >> rose: wh

clarence gideon was involved in the justice system since he was a kid. he had been getting in trouble. >> trouble seemed to find gideon. literally small change had gone miss ing from this cigarette machine, maybe $5 total. that's the pool hall there on the bottom. some wine, some beer and a few bottles of coca-cola were gone. the witnesses saw gideon that night with pockets full of change. gideon found himself facing serious time in prison. >> i have no council >> why do you not have council? >> i would like someone to represent me. >> i would have to deny you request to a point you council in this case. >> gideon,000 this was unfair. >> by asking the court to appoint a lawyer, gideon thought he had the right to counsel. >> this right is a basic right to in in in the constitution because the threat that is presented by imprisonment and even execution is a threat that the government should allow to have. >> gideon had to represent himself because the state of florida denied a lawyer. the entire trial lasted a day before he was found guilty and sentenced t

that is why the justice department is working through a ogram called the justice reinvestment initiative to bring state leaders, local stakeholders, private marns, and federal officials together to comprehensively reform corrections and criminal justice practices. in recent years no fewer than 17 states, supported by the department and led by governors and legislators of both parties, have directed funding away from prison construction and toward evidence-based programs and services, like treatment and supervision that are designed to reduce recidivism. in kentucky new legislation has reserved prison beds for the most serious offenders. as a result, the state is projected to reduce its prison population by more than 3,000 over the next 10 years, saving more than $40400 million. in texas investments in drug treatment for nonvie leant leapt offenders and changes to parole policies brought about a reduction in the prison population of more than r5,000 inmates last year alone. in the same year, similar efforts helped arkansas reduce its prison population by more than 1,400. from georgia, nor

and that's the justices. and i don't know, those of you who have covered the court longer than i have, we had a huge case about whether you can pat sent genes. we had a huge number in the obama care case last time but we've had cases in the past where there were a lot of them too. >> my sense is that as people start to consume media in a kind of eco chamber way where they go to hear from their own partisan affiliation, those sources are likely to present the courts actions in raw political terms. and i think that partly accounts for the recent dip in the courts approval rating. the dip is consistent with a lack of trust of the government generally. so i don't think it's supreme court specific. i do think those moments in time when the person who casually follows the court hears that there might be politics involved, which is to say the health care decision was a big instance of that. confirmation hearings, citizens united, bush v. gore, some of the ethics criticisms of the some of the justices. all of that pa

in criminal justice panel number 2. we have only really looked at the tip of the iceberg today. there is a lot more i wanted to talk about. i wanted to talk about the media and fear mongers and women in the system. and the lot of other issues in this time frame. and in the legal symposium on this question so that we can really dig deeply and not only talk about the problems that do what we are doing now and talk about solutions and i want to turn it over to daryl parks to answer that question. you can do two but you have one or two solutions what would they be? >> it is a tough question. economics and politics of those who affect up week of a big role of every uninhabited country and the criminal-justice system, those things improved and the numbers changed dramatically in criminal justice. that is my take on it. >> i am going to check in here. we see reports that the prison population has been going down for three years and those reports in the federal system, just a small part of the overall incarceration issue in the

justice and just one opinion. o social media as a source of news isn't really for something who cover the supreme court. a reporter for a wire service or a radio station covering the court on decision 43 years ago to talk by contrast, you would be the you would edge, provide the first word to the outside world. more than likely, you'd find sitting not in the courtroom but below it on a tiny cubicle on the first floor under the justices. one of your confederates would be up in the courtroom near the bench. when the decision was handed decision, take the roll it up, stick it in a pneumatic tube, you'd get it down below. decision you would get the back half first because you thing in it the whole the tube and you'd write your story and hope it wasn't the part decisions and takes all of the puzzle pieces. on the ago if you were outside keenly interest in what the supreme court was going to do, you would hear it on the radio. yes, before social media, there coverage. you might read about it in the afternoon newspaper a

that is why the justice department is working through a program called the justice reinvestment initiative to bring state leaders, local stakeholders, private marns, and federal officials together to comprehensively reform corrections and criminal justice practices. in recent years no fewer than 17 states, supported by the department and led by governors and legislators of both parties, have directed funding away from prison construction and toward evidence-based programs and services, like treatment and supervision that are designed to reduce recidivism. in kentucky new legislation has reserved prison beds for the most serious offenders. as a result, the state is projected to reduce its prison population by more than 3,000 over the next 10 years, saving more than $40400 million. in texas investments in drug treatment for nonvie leant leapt offenders and changes to parole policies brought about a reduction in the prison population of more than r5,000 inmates last year alone. in the same year, similar efforts helped arkansas reduce its prison population by more than 1,400. from georgia, nor

there is a place for the criminal justice system as well as the criminal bail industry. now we have testified along with catherine, our lobbying effort are basically this is what we look like. this is the lobbyist. we are not a high paid, i represent the mom and pop businesses throughout the state of california and certainly although hopefully our assurity companies employ their lobbyist. this is what it looks like. it not the chico's bail bonds. we are mom and pop and the majority of our agencies are owned by women. i'm eye i want to have the opportunity to say what we mean. legislator coming this year is what we are looking at at high cost of bail. yes it has to be locally controlled. we have nothing to do with this. i'm from los angeles county and let me tell you bail schedules are very high out there. but we work with the families, co-workers, and employers that want that person out of jail where they can continue to flourish in their society. the issue of -- well the pretrial is there is a misconception about which is fair and which isn't fair. i have to say for the

interfacing the criminal justice system.people that were in one america and went to the other, what do you come back, what do you want to tell people who are living in the america that don't think that criminal justice system has anything to do with them? >> i think that first of all, there are communities which are generally our most vulnerable communities which contend with the criminal justice system in incredibly intense ways every single day. as you describe, huge swaths of those communities who may by directly affected, may have been incarcerated, themselves, or may have a loved one who's in prison or in jail. what i have found in the course of talking about my own experience, though, with folks who in theory don't touch the criminal justice system at all, when you peel things back just a little bit, people say, oh, you know, when my cousin, my brother -- >> that's a really good point. >> -- my stepfather, my neighbor's son. so the criminal justice system affects far more americans than i think everyone realizes or rec

are we going to establish justice? we going to have to fight to establish justice?e sure that we all stand side-by-side. i am going to ask you again, who are the people? wax we are. >> god bless you all, thank you. >> our next speaker is the national youth rupture of a national action network. she is 15 years old, standing with her , mary pat the effort hector. >> the fact that i am here means that young people are tired of what the headlines read. come havingion experienced a series of highly publicized crime, voter suppression, and unlawful -- our children are graduating with myually being educated. question for you is what are you waiting for? are we waiting for another doctor came? you already knew him. what if there isn't anyone else? what if it is up to us. i encourage you all is the part of that movement. it is us to crop also show an -- socioeconomic lines. stop believing the media stereotypes. i am here to say we are not who they say we are. we are more than what they ever could have imagined and more than what they ever could have expected. every time you

it's why the justice department is working through a program called the justice reinvestment initiativeto bring partners together to comprehensively reform corrections and criminal justice practices. in recent years no fewer than 17 states supported by the justice department and led by governors and legislators of both parties have directed funding away from prison crubs and toward evidence based programs like treatment and supervision that are designed to redoes residvism. in kentucky they have reserved prison beds for the most serious offenders and use evidence based alttive programs. the state is going to reduce prison population by more than 3,000 over the next ten years saving $400 million. in texas investment in treatment for non-violent offenders brought about a reduction in prison population of 5,000 inmates last year alone. the same year similar efforts helped arkansas reduce its opulation in prison by 1400. reinvestment in serious reforms are improving public safety and saving precious resources. let me be clear. these measures have not compromised public safety. many states h

no freedom and no justice.on. let's start by demanding high- quality early childhood education for every child. let's start by demanding equitable funding for all schools in all neighborhoods. let us demand for qualified teachers in every classroom. we are here today to honor history. we are focused on what dr. king called "the fierce urgency o now.' now is the time to protect voting rights. now is the time to open the doors of opportunity for all children in america. thank you. [applause] >> good afternoon. my name is clayola brown and i am the first female president of the abe philip randolph institute. as such i stand on the shoulders of a very strong man, not one but two. and i am leaning on the shoulders of norman who helps lead this organization. as i walked to the podium, i came across an inscription that said "i have a dream" with the name martin luther king . all night long i wondered what to say in two minutes. the answer came very quickly. i thought of randolph in 41, when he was going against the go

once again, the department of justice was able to stop the change. in 2007 the texas legislature amended the eligibility requirements for supervisors of water district so that only landowners could serve. the department of justice blocked enforcement of the new rules, noting they were -- they would disqualify a number of incumbent hispanic supervisors and there was a significant us wordy -- disparity in rates between eight and minorities. -- disparity in land ownership rates between whites and minorities. unless the hole open up by the ruling is fixed, future cases will end very differently. citizens will be victimized by the law and disenfranchised and that progress toward a more perfect union will go backwards instead of forward. what can we do and why am i talking to you, the members of the house of delegates? about what can happen and what you can do? i think we need an approach that moves on multiple fronts at once. stepped up enforcement by the department of justice, new legislation from congress, and grassroots action by citizens and lawyers a

major after all, and injusticm for justice.of those who stood up for freedom, who stood up for us, whose shoulders we now stand on. d as the bells toll today at ask ourselves how will the dream live on in me, in you, in all of us? as the bells toll, let us remind ourselves, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. as the bells toll, we commit to a life of service because dr. king, one of my favorite quotes will the dream live on major m is, not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service. so we ask ourselves, what are we doing for others to live others up? and as the bells toll, we must recommit so that the love that applies and connects each of us to shine through and let freedom ring. [cheers and applause] >> please welcome the king family, welcoming the honorable john lewis of georgia. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome president jimmy carter, president bill clinton, first lady michelle obama, and the president of the united states, barack obama. [cheers an

justice. justice shall you pursue so that you may live in the promised land. >> our next speaker is the the president of youth build u.s.a. please welcome dorothy stone man. >> good morning. i am happy that we are back calling with one voice for the creation of the beloved community that reverend king named as our goal. many of us have spent 50 years marching quietly toward that dream. i want to first honor all the millions of unsung heroes at the grass roots who have given their lives and hearts to help other people. let me name just one. leroy looper, my mentor in the movement. a great man who passed away in 2011 having done good. but his complete dream was unfulfilled. reverend king's core message was about the power of love. we sang, if we had a hammer, we would hammer out love, between our brothers and our sisters all over this land. well, we have been hammering out that love. my colleagues in the network have hammered out hundreds of safe owe acees for young people who grab that hammer a

he presented a victory for civil rights and justice. san francisco one of the first cities in the united states to establish a public defenders office opened it's doors in 1921. whereas gideon's promise lives on in the san francisco public defenders office which service 25,000 indigent people every year. whereas city of the san francisco joined with the public defenders and the legal aid lawyers to celebrate the right to counsel. therefore be it resolved the san francisco -- march 18th as gideon versus wayne right day as acknowledgment for the 50 years of the united states landmark decision as well as the work of the public defenders who continue to fulfill the rights. [ applause ] >> thank you very much. i would like to thank the board of supervisors and the mayor's office as well. i would like to share with the public defenders. ken is here and as well as dave from the public defenders office. [ applause ] >> i'm sorry. ron from the santa clara's office. key note speaker. this came out yesterday on the anniversary. she's a contributin

airways by the department of justice. hear next from chris in massachusetts, independent line. go ahead. caller: thank you for taking my call. i want to touch on the first caller's comment about bankruptcy. there's a saying i've heard, which is that the safest airline is a bankrupt airline. that's because the airline no longer has to focus on profits and can actually focus on safety and so on. i want to get jack's thoughts on whether or not this industry should just go back to federal regulation. because when you look at the cost for the cost-conscious consumer to fly, you step back and look at the actual pricing, it is -- it's ridiculously low. you know, if i'm paying just a couple hundred dollars to fly from massachusetts to florida, and let's say they forget my -- they lose my luggage. they're going to pay $80 to deliver that luggage to my hotel. there's no profit in this at all. there's no potential for profit. without any profit, safety becomes -- gets sacrificed. i just don't see long-term viability of the industry.

we know they lag far behind other justice programs. they constitute about 3 percent of all criminal justice expenditures in our nations largest counties." i'm going to skip ahead. we interview lawyers, who fire appropriate motions and do many other things that attorneys should be able to do as a matter of course. finally we know there are numerous challenges in the public defense system like budget shortfalls. he acknowledged the challenges the system faced were not new and quoted justice hugo black when gideon came before the supreme court. there can be no equal justice when a trial a man gets can be a pile of money he has. what can be do? he asked the audience. the question resonates, echoing and bouncing off the walls where a player knows what needs to be done to fix the problem but no one can generate the political will necessary to change things. 50 years after combid gideon rights e eludes us. i want to a break from the reading and talk about why that issue is so hard for people to grasp and why reform efforts have been stymied.

criminal justice system. that, assistant editor of education week talking about the common core standards initiative and how it plays into the overall education policy in the u.s. plus your e-mails phone calls, and tweets. "washington journal" live at 7 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> ♪ if we turn away from the needs of others, we align ourselves with those forces which are bringing about the suffering. >> white house is a fully pulpit and you ought to take advantage of it. >> obesity in this country is nothing short of a public health crisis. there is so much influence in that office. it seems a shame to waste it. >> they serve as a window on the past to what was going on with american women. >> she becomes the chief confident. really the only one in the world he can trust. >> many of the women who were first ladies, a lot of them were journalists and writers. they wrote books. >> they were more interesting as human beings in many cases than their husbands if only because they are not first and foremost defined a

for justices at the highest level.lof whether or not you agree with wht court is deciding, all of us want it know that process of justice is fair and that our justices live up to the highest standards. >> do you think at the time we are having this conversation about transparency, how about that, i think one of the most egregious examples that is really continuing to come to light is jenny thomas. >> yeah. >> talk to us about, because for her, the organization she is part of and legislation here husband happens to be or laws her husband happens to be ruling on at about the same time. >> yeah and mother jones piece is constructivive of that. there are right wing journalists -- >> all funded by a lot of same people, right? >> funded by major money organizations that pour money into messaging. she is sort of the chairperson, pivot person, every week they come up with talking points. it is not just, well jenny thomas is involved with activism or political, what is wrong with that? this group, mother jones, is talking about

now we live in a justice preemptive justice, but they will commit other crimes in the future. i would say if we all now agree or at least many of us agree with justice kennedy that the result has been a prison system that is barbaric that doesn't belong in a civilized society and serious atonement and i think you would recognize in the california prisons to meet that. let me say why it's a risk. it's always so reasonable to see risk as a way on out of these. i don't think i need to remind those in the room that an entire population were incarcerated for risk. nobody was held accountable for it either. if you look at the way this is a risk, you see racial class is at the end of the day the right kind of community ties and is risk reduction. professor simon, let me ask a follow-up. i want to get an idea of what a system you are advocating would look like. let's say you have arraignment for somebody in a case alleging violence. maybe an armed robbery or sexual assault of some kind. are you comfortable with someone having a right to be released on their own recognizant under the t

for a just justice system.e must let our voice for the value of our votes and have our votes counted without interference. as we stand here today, dr. king myld know and meister -- dear colleague john lewis does know, today is not just a commemoration or celebration. it is a call to action for the work that remains undone and the communities that remain unchanged. our foremothers and for others closed the book on the last century. when the book closes on the 21st century and civil rights, which chapter will you have written? what fight will you have fought in the halls of congress or on the town halls of your community? for men and women, black and white, latino and asian, gay and straight, i hope this book includes you. we need you to act. the final chapter must include your voice to achieve dr. king's dream. they cannot be written without you. [applause] ceo.ease welcome the >> 50 years ago, a rabbi shared these steps with dr. king and began his remarks by saying, i speak to you as an american jew. my name is

it was a call for equality, but it was also a demand for justice. >we are far from justice.stice when 11 million immigrants work every single day without her texans and a pathway to citizenship. whene are far from justice a gay, lesbian, or transgender person can be fired for their job simply because of who they are. we are far from justice when we accept the fact that the rich are getting richer and the poor keep having poor and when we go to bed each night, allowing anti-american child to go to bed hungry. the moral arc of the universe is long and it does, in fact, bend towards justice but it does not bend on its own. it tends because of people like baird rustin and andrew goodman, and james chaney, and mickey schwerner. it bends because of you and me. we make the arc bend and for many of us, it's not bending fast enough. every year we recall how moses led his people out of slavery and to the promised land but the desert came first. jews believe the only way to the promised land is through the desert. there is no way to get from here andhere without marching organizing tog