Tucked into the footnotes of studies, deep inside the petitions of prisoners asking the courts for another chance, reporter Anat Rubin found one of the biggest failings in the American justice system hiding in plain sight: In California and across the nation, poor people accused of crimes were routinely convicted without a defense investigator to look into their side of the story.

Defense investigators, often the greatest protection against wrongful convictions, are largely missing from public defender offices.

The Investigations

A foggy, empty street runs through a small rural town lined with wooden buildings and power lines. A pickup truck loaded with firewood is parked near a feed and hardware store with a faded sign. Trees with bare branches and forested hills are visible in the misty background.
Part 1

The Man Who Unsolved a Murder

A courtroom in San Diego on Oct. 8, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters
Part 2

California is failing to provide a vital safeguard against wrongful convictions

A collage-style illustration, in blue and yellow tones, that shows a gray statue statue of lady justice holding scales with a large yellow sticker on it that says "sale!"
Part 3

The WalMart of public defense: How justice gets sold to the lowest bidder in rural California

The Reaction

A white binder filled with sheets of paper sits on a book stand at a judge's desk inside a courtroom. The back of a person can be seen in the foreground of the frame.

California has a public defender crisis. A new bill seeks to force the state to confront it

A person with short brown hair looks to their left while their right hand rest behind their ear, as they sit in front of a desk. Other people can be seen in the blurred foreground

New commission takes aim at California’s broken public defense system

The entrance to the Kings County Superior Court building is shown in late afternoon light. The courthouse name is mounted on a concrete wall beside a walkway leading to the modern courthouse entrance.

CA’s privatized public defense leads to caseloads 3x the most basic standards, report finds

Andrew Donohue is the investigative editor at CalMatters. Previously, he served as executive editor of projects at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, where he helped lead digital, audio...