We were excited to share an advanced screening of the first episode of our new documentary series called Time Saved at this year’s San Francisco Justice Summit. The Summit is a gathering of criminal defense attorneys, justice advocates, and more, who convene to discuss the most pressing challenges to the public’s rights and liberties in the context of the courts. The event is hosted by the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, and this year they featured two of our videos. One was a social biography video we produced for a San Francisco Public Defender client. The video, which was shown during sentencing, helped secure a mitigated sentence, and helped beat a strike prior. We are aired the first pilot episode of Time Saved. The series focuses on how family, community, and attorney collaborations have impacted the outcome of cases. The pilot episode featured the only woman in Santa Clara County who was eligible for resentencing through Proposition 36. The episode will be released to the larger public this summer. Stay posted, and if you have a story or case that you think should be featured, let us know!

Thanks to Professor Cohen and the Harvard Law School students who participated in our ACJP/De-Bug skype training on our model last week! We shared our social biography video concept, and really appreciated the insightful and illuminating dialogue with the new generation of legal eagles at Harvard. It was a late night for them to be doing the session, so appreciated their commitment, and was great being able to introduce them to our community and space at De-Bug. Looking forward to more opportunities to discuss how family, community, and innovation can transform the courts! If you’re a law school, firm, organization, or public defender office, and are interested in learning more, just send us an inquiry about trainings at svdebug@newamericamedia.org.

We recently had the honor to join the Gideon’s Promise camp in Atlanta, and share our Social Biography Video tool, and other concepts to ensure family and community voice can be included in the court process. This school for young public defenders practicing in the South was featured last year in the HBO aired documentary Gideon’s Army. (Read Raj Jayadev’s piece about the film entitled, “Gideon’s Army Deserves Back Up.”)

Gideon’s Promise is an incredibly inspiring movement of public defender’s that is no doubt a game-changer when it comes to re-imagining indigent defense in this country. We look forward to continue to build with them! Here are a couple flix:

The keynote speaker for the graduation of the recent class of Gideon’s Promise attorneys was Anthony Graves. He did 18 years for a crime he didn’t commit, and had his execution date set twice. Since winning his freedom in 2010, he has dedicated his time to ensuring others do not fall victim to wrongful convictions. (Read the Grio’s coverage of Mr. Graves and Gideon’s Promise here.)

De-Bug’s ACJP shared examples of our Social Biography Video tool. The defender’s were very appreciative, and we are trying to identify ways we can start these in the South!

Much thanks to the good people at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association for inviting us to participate in their annual conference in Los Angeles. We got a chance to meet some amazing movement makers from all across the country, and share our model of how families and communities can impact cases, be important resources for defenders trying to even the scales of justice, and change the landscape of power in the criminal court system. Here’s a shot of organizers Gail and Blanca after they presented!