Tag Archives: Task Force on Indigent Defense

Endorsement watch: The Chron for Hampton

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron joins the DMN and the Star-Telegram in endorsing Keith Hampton for the Court of Criminal Appeals. We highly recommend that voters cast their ballots instead for Democratic challenger Keith Hampton. This endorsement is not merely a rejection of … Continue reading →

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Public defender’s office approved

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent! A state panel has awarded Harris County a $4.1 million grant to launch a public defender office, which is expected to start taking cases early next year. The county plans to roll out the office in phases over the … Continue reading →

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County redoes its public defender proposal

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Back in April, Harris County Commissioners Court voted to start a pilot public defenders office, contingent on getting a $4.4 million grant from the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense to help cover costs. That initial effort was subsequently criticized … Continue reading →

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The softer side of Sharon Keller

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib lets us know that there’s more to Sharon Keller than willful indifference to death penalty appeals and rigid fealty to the prosecutorial perspective. For nearly as long as she has led the state’s highest criminal court, Keller has … Continue reading →

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Ellis criticizes county’s public defender proposal

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, who authored the bill that allowed Texas counties to create public defender offices, is not pleased with the plan that Harris County currently has to establish one. Ellis and other critics of the system say it … Continue reading →

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Is the county’s public defender proposal good enough?

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This op-ed by Charlie Baird, judge of the 299th District Court in Travis County, and William Sessions, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, suggest that the start-up public defender’s office that Commissioners … Continue reading →

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Public defender office gets OK from Commissioners Court

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Harris County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to start a public defender office on an experimental basis, as long as the state covers the $4.4 million cost for the first year. The unanimous vote authorizes the county to apply … Continue reading →

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