“Critical Race Theory, Ethnic Studies, and the Criminal Legal System: A Conversation on Justice with Black Public Defenders” is a panel that aims to expose students to issues of mass incarceration, criminal legal system reform, and advocacy for Black communities and other people disenfranchised by state-sanctioned violence. The panel will feature Ericka J. Wiley and George A. Turner, Jr., two prominent Black public defenders in Los Angeles. The event is intended to center Black perspectives on issues related to mass incarceration and in context of the nationwide attacks on critical race theory and Ethnic Studies. Ms. Wiley and Mr. Turner are distinguished by their ability to break barriers as Black public defenders who are community and social justice advocates first. In a political climate that necessitates strong community engagement, Ms. Wiley and Mr. Turner will share with students how justice can and should guide one’s personal and professional journeys.

With the election nearing, public defenders Ericka J. Wiley and George A. Turner Jr. led a panel discussion at CSUN on Oct. 21, addressing issues of race in the criminal justice system and potential reforms. Titled “Critical Race Theory, Ethnic Studies, and the Criminal Legal System: A Conversation on Justice with Black Public Defenders,” the event was moderated by CSUN Asian American Studies professor Tracy Buenavista and held in the Thousand Oaks Room of the University Student Union.

“I just thought it was great, the level of engagement everyone showed, and I think the guest speakers were also really inspired by that.” said Buenavista. “It felt really heartfelt that folks are really interested in what they are doing, and how they could join them in their efforts to be more equitable in the criminal legal system.”

The panel was co-sponsored by several CSUN departments, programs and initiatives, including Civil Discourse and Social Change, the CSUN Council for Ethnic Studies, the Black Faculty and Staff Association and more. Co-sponsors provided snacks for attendees, sign-language interpreters and assisted with event organization.

During the panel, Wiley and Turner Jr. shared personal insights, reflecting on their journeys to becoming attorneys as Black professionals in law and explained what critical race theory means to them in their line of work.

Wiley, who graduated with honors from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, earned her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in Ohio. She has worked for over 24 years as an attorney with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.

“…What I’ve experienced working as a public defender in LA County, just from a logistical standpoint, is that most of the people who I represent are people from black or brown communities… unfortunately, there’s a lack of– I guess– cultural knowledge from the bench,” said Wiley.

Turner Jr., a first generation college graduate, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UCLA and a Juris Doctor graduate degree with a concentration in Critical Race Studies from UCLA School of Law. He has worked as an attorney at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office for 15 years.

“You should be able to, in theory, look at the rulings of past criminal or past legal cases and kind of guess what the future is going to hold… It’s hard to look at jurisprudence in America. And if you take the idea of the concept of race out of it, [it] doesn’t quite make any sense, right? It is not objective unless you have a clear understanding of the impact of race, and the impact of sort of white supremacy and race,” said Turner.

After ending the panel students lined up to speak with Wiley and Turner regarding the presentation, take extra credit pictures and share how they are navigating their own personal journeys in law.

Wiley and Turner Jr. are both candidates in the 2024 general election for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, with Turner running for seat no. 39 and Wiley for seat no. 48.