AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Indigent Defense Commission on Aug. 29 voted to approve a grant application establishing a Public Defender Office in Travis County.
“Today, the Texas Indigent Defense Commission recognized Travis County’s deep commitment to improving quality indigent defense by approving our grant application for the creation of a Public Defender Office," said Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt. "Now that we have approval, the hard work to create and establish the office begins. As we move forward, I will continue to seek guidance to make sure Travis County creates a Public Defender Office that will make our community proud. It will not be easy and it will not happen overnight. However, as long as we work together, I am confident we will continue to be successful and we will do right by our community.”
Travis County criminal court judges voted on May 9 to approve the grant proposal to the state that would bring about $15 million to offset start-up costs for a public defender's office, according to our partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
Back then, Judge Eckhardt released the following statement in response to the judges signing off on the grant application:
“With today’s approval by the criminal court judges, I am proud to announce Travis County has completed the first step in a much longer process to create its very own Public Defender’s Office. The submission of this grant application would not have been possible without the commitment of the Commissioners Court and input from representative stakeholders, including advocates for and clients of subsidized legal defense, private and public defense attorneys, and judges. By working together, we are reaching common ground and progressing the culture of Travis County. We thank everyone who shared their experience and input."
Earlier that week, Travis County Commissioners voted 4-1 to apply for the grant. The office is expected to cost more than $20 million over a period of four years.
Grassroots organizers gathered outside Travis County headquarters on May 7, asking for a public defender's office.
Travis County currently uses the Capital Area Private Defender Service. Under this model, judges appoint private defense attorneys to defendants.
Jackie Wood is an attorney who represents indigent people. She said she worked for the district attorney's office for 12 years.
“I was astounded when I left of how little this system is funded,” she said. "How much we've been neglected, how much we've been ignored.”
Wood said she would only get $175 per misdemeanor case.
“If you're not being paid enough, I just ended up doing so much pro bono work that I could just not sustain a practice,” said Wood.
Community groups said they want a holistic oversight committee.
“Our concern is that you have an implementation committee that's made up of judges and private defense attorneys from Travis County,” said Amanda Woog with the Texas Fair Defense Project. “Then you're going to kind of see the same old in this new public defender office."
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