Public Defender

Restoring humanity, one relationship at a time

Heather Shaner, a feisty, blue-haired defense attorney in Washington, DC, has spent over 45 years representing people who can’t afford a lawyer. But her empathy is tested when a violent mob supporting outgoing President Donald Trump storms the U.S. Capitol.

She is assigned to represent Jack Griffith, a social media influencer, and Annie Howell, a single mother and painter. As Heather gets to know her clients, she discovers Jack and Annie were deceived by misinformation and thought they’d joined a righteous defense of democracy, not an authoritarian wave.

PUBLIC DEFENDER explores the delicate state of U.S. democracy, the forces threatening to tear it apart, and the people dedicated to protecting it. When trust is lost amidst a growing political divide, the unlikely bonds between Heather and her clients reveal how people can rise above the fray to find each other’s humanity.

The Participants

Heather interview outside courtroom production still

Heather Shaner

Washington, DC

Heather Shaner is well known within the Washington, DC legal community as the septuagenarian who sports blue bangs, eschews suits, hugs prosecutors, and babysits for her clients. But being asked to defend Americans who engaged in acts of insurrection forced her to reckon with her own anger and hurt over what had happened in her hometown on January 6, 2021. Heather is passionate about prompting her clients’ curiosity and deepening their understanding of history, not just to influence a judge's verdict but to open their hearts and minds long after their trials and sentences.

Annie Howell

Wilkes-Barre, PA

A whip-smart Pennsylvanian with a knack for politicking, Annie Howell's world fell apart when she joined the Capitol attack. She lost her job and her home after serving 60 days in jail for her role in the insurrection. She divides her time between a motel room and the library, fighting for custody of her son and trying to rebuild her life. In the months leading up to January 6, Annie says she was driven by fear. Between right-wing media, friends and family, she was convinced that America was becoming a socialist dystopia. Emerging from the political trance is painful but rewarding as Annie sheds old relationships and makes new ones, including with herself.

Jack Jesse Griffith

Gallatin, TN

Charismatic and eccentric, Jack Jesse Griffith is an aspiring musician, video game developer and social media influencer who goes by the pseudonym Liberty Dragon. Decorated with red and blue dyed hair, large hanging dragon earrings and a colorful wardrobe, Jack stands out in a crowd. After being sentenced to three months of home confinement followed by three years of probation, he still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and hopes to seize on his January 6th notoriety to market a Trump action video game he’s producing.