Public defender Steve Harmon has been involved in Riverside criminal cases for more than 50 years.
In this interview he discusses memorable crimes and their impact on Riverside.
He talks about the city’s reputation as the death penalty capital of the nation, the shift in attitudes about what justice is and what future public defenders will deal with.
“It was a terrible, terrible struggle,” he said of one case early in his career, where his client confided he had committed a murder he was not a suspect for. Harmon described turning to a retired judge, who confirmed Harmon would have to do the hard thing and keep mum.
Now Harmon is the one young attorneys come to to ask, “What do I do?”
Harmon is driven by a desire to help and serve others.
He wraps up talking about volunteering with Riverside mock trial programs. Do you know which current judge was one of the winning mock trial students in the area’s history?
Don’t miss the frightening, inspiring and interesting memories Harmon shared in this video interview.
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