Potter County approves grant to continue new public defender office potential
Over the last four years, the Potter County Commissioners’ Court has worked to revamp its indigent defense system. During the most recent meetings of the court, that process, in conjunction with the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS), progressed slightly.
First, the court unanimously approved a resolution, authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) during Monday s regular meeting to support the implementation of a public defender/managed assigned counsel program from NDS for Potter and Armstrong Counties. The grant’s deadline was set for May 7.
Thursday, April 29, 2021
A Pretrial Services Office and Public Defender is close to becoming a reality in Hays County with a recent recommendation that the commissioners apply for funding.
The Hays County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission voted in its meeting Wednesday to recommend that the commissioners court submit an application for grant funding from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission for the proposed department and programs.
The proposal comes from Neighborhood Defender Services (NDS), a pioneer in holistic defense in the United States, and outlines a plan for a holistic Public Defense Office and Managed Assigned Counsel Program in Hays County.
“I think this is a really good time for us to begin this process,” Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe said. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity for us to work with NDS. I think they have shown us and proven that they have a really great program and I think it will work well with Hays County.”
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The Potter County Commissioners’ Court recently hosted a special public workshop surrounding the potential placement of a public defender office/managed assigned counsel program from the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) serving Potter and Armstrong counties.
This came after the court approved the submission of a notice of intent (NOI) to apply for a grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) to help implement the program during the March 8 meeting.
According to previous reports by the Amarillo Globe-News, RIck Jones and other representatives from the NDS spoke with the court at the time about how the program could potentially look in the Texas Panhandle, with it having operations currently in New York, Michigan and California.
Travis County s new grant-funded public defender office is up and running, taking on a small percentage of criminal cases since it was founded a year ago.
The office is designed to take on a bigger caseload as it grows. However, even by the time its four-year grant runs out, Travis County s current system which uses a rotating slate of private attorneys to argue for clients who can t afford representation will still be in place for the majority of cases.
As of March 31, the new office was taking on about 5.5% of indigent defense cases. By 2024, officials expect it ll be handling about 30% of such cases, with the Capital Area Private Defender Service Travis County s current system handling the rest.