Tag Archives: public defender

New criminal courts coming online

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Three new felony courts with a $9.2 million budget are expected to open next week, in what officials say is the final stretch in tackling a backlog of criminal cases that have piled up over the past six years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spending even more on court-appointed attorneys

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

But maybe there’s an end in sight. Harris County is on track to pay $95 million by the end of October to private attorneys for representing low-income people accused of crimes — about $35 million more than the county budgeted … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Commissioners Court supplements Public Defender budget and supports adding more courts

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good moves. Harris County Commissioners Court this week approved a package of public safety measures to support state legislation to create additional district courts, expand the county’s holistic assistance response team program and look at enlarging the public defender’s office. The measures are … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Commissioners Court supplements Public Defender budget and supports adding more courts

More on spending less on court-appointed lawyers

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good start. A Houston Chronicle investigation into how some private attorneys earn enormous sums to represent thousands of indigent people accused of crimes in Harris County – at a cost of $60 million to taxpayers last year – is prompting … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let’s spend less money on court-appointed lawyers

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my main takeaway from this. Harris County paid one private attorney just over $1 million last year to represent hundreds of low-income people accused of crimes, helping proliferate a system that critics say wastes taxpayer dollars and robs indigent defendants of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let’s spend less money on court-appointed lawyers

The independents

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Recently I got an email from a gentleman named Ted Wood, who wrote to inform me that he had successfully completed the requirements to be an independent candidate for Chief Justice of the First Court of Appeals on the November … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Debtors’ court, part 2

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Also not good. One day last September, while trying to pay for groceries, Leslie Alvarez got the shock of her life. All the money in her bank account had disappeared. The Houston single mother called her bank. An employee told … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Debtors’ court, part 2

Harris County approves its budget

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good priorities. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.3 billion general fund budget that includes new investments in pollution control, public health and attorneys for indigent criminal defendants. The $64 million in new spending represents a 2 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Another example of why bail reform is needed

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is troubling in a lot of ways, but fortunately there is a path forward. Since November, eight defendants fresh out of jail on bond have walked into state District Judge Ramona Franklin’s court and been sent right back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

DA dismisses charges against most protesters

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday dismissed almost 800 cases filed against protesters arrested during the George Floyd demonstrations last week in Houston. In total, prosecutors dropped 796 charges filed against 654 protesters, District Attorney Kim Ogg … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ogg continues to have problems with the bail settlement

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t like this. District Attorney Kim Ogg is rallying police officers across Harris County to show up in federal court en masse to oppose to a landmark bail reform agreement at a final hearing set for this month. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The visiting judge and the public defender

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I want to understand more about this. Commissioner Rodney Ellis is calling for a review of the process used to select substitute judges after fielding a scathing letter from the county’s public defender outlining two decades of allegations against ex-Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The visiting judge and the public defender

Commissioners Court approves bail lawsuit settlement

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. Harris County Commissioners Court approved a historic settlement Tuesday fixing a bail system a federal judge found unconstitutional and ushering in a new era for criminal justice in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. The deal resulted from … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Final bail settlement reached

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We are coming to the end of a very long road. A long-awaited settlement in Harris County’s historic bail lawsuit won tentative approval Friday from all parties, setting up a possible end to a contentious system that kept poor people … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Final bail settlement reached

Commissioners Court appoints a new judge

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Based on the motion from Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Commissioners Court on Tuesday appointed Genesis E. Draper – an assistant public defender in the Harris County Public Defender’s Office – to fill the judicial vacancy at … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Commissioners Court appoints a new judge

How many prosecutors do we need?

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Opinions differ, but it’s a big question in Harris County right now. Hanover is one of many prosecutors Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said are overburdened — the reason she has asked Commissioners Court for a budget that would … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Another reminder that the judicial elections are important

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: Across the country, many public defender’s offices are overwhelmed with cases. But the public defenders in Harris County’s juvenile division are in an unusual situation: They say that they aren’t getting assigned enough cases. And advocates say … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another reminder that the judicial elections are important

County will use public defenders at bail hearings

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County commissioners on Tuesday approved a pilot program to make public defenders available at bail hearings, a step aimed at retooling a criminal justice system that has increasingly drawn criticism for jailing thousands of poor, low-risk offenders. Within … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on County will use public defenders at bail hearings

County approves defense attorneys for bail hearings

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue. Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to develop a pilot program that would make public defenders present at bail hearings, a move aimed at reducing what officials say is the unnecessary jailing of thousands of defendants because they … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s not just bail reform that we need

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The latest from Emily dePrang at the Observer: It’s a Monday morning, a little past 9:00. Half an hour ago, this hallway on the eighth floor of the Harris County Criminal Justice Center in downtown Houston was swarmed with people. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s not just bail reform that we need

Crusading against court fees

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is important work. Houston attorney Jani Maselli Wood scanned the itemized list of “court costs” that people pay when they get in trouble with Texas law to see how much her indigent client owed even while sitting in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Endorsement watch: Juvenile courts

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I had thought we were at the end of the line for endorsements, but not quite yet. 314th Juvenile District Court: Natalia Oakes Democratic candidate Natalia Oakes has dedicated her career to helping children, and voters should put that passion … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Juvenile courts

Greg Enos turns his spotlight to Gary Polland

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be good. There can be no doubt: Gary Polland is a smart, successful lawyer who knows how to make a lot of money from the practice of law. Polland is politically powerful and able to influence and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Judge Pratt update

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The most embattled Family Court judge in Harris County is still on the ballot, in case you were wondering. Embattled state District Court Judge Denise Pratt, accused of falsifying court records to cover up tardy rulings, intends to remain on … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Moving the focus back to un-crowding the jails

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a positive development. Newly appointed Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson on Wednesday pledged to curb the increasing number of low-level felons being sentenced to serve misdemeanor time in the county jail rather than going to prison, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Moving the focus back to un-crowding the jails

Harris County indigent defense costs trending down

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Via Grits, here’s an email from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition that shows some good news for Harris County. New numbers from the Commission show that while total indigent defense expenses in Harris County increased by $4.7 million between 2007 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Complaining about the public defender office

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At least one judge doesn’t like the new Harris County Public Defenders office. “In short there is no evidence that a public defender’s office can be of any benefit to the Harris County Juvenile Justice system,” state District Judge John … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Complaining about the public defender office

A few words with Alex Bunin

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron had a brief conversation with the head of Harris County’s new public defender office, Alex Bunin. Q: You don’t know if the office is going to save taxpayer dollars for attorneys per case, but you say it … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A few words with Alex Bunin

Harris County appoints its public defender

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Alex Bunin, who was unanimously appointed by Commissioners Court to be the chief of Harris County’s first ever public defender office. Bunin, 51, set up federal public defender offices in southern Alabama, Vermont and northern New York. He currently … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Public defender’s office approved

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on County redoes its public defender proposal

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Ellis criticizes county’s public defender proposal

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 →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments