82nd Legislative Session - Senate Committee on Criminal Justice

Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, Interim Charge re indigent defense

Review the performance of the Fair Defense Act and the Task Force on Indigent Defense. Study key outcomes of the law, including: appointment rates in felony and misdemeanor cases; state and county indigent defense expenditures; attorney caseloads; attorney compensation; access to investigators and experts; and overall quality of counsel for the indigent. Examine the Task Force on Indigent Defense’s effectiveness in monitoring and enforcing standards and design strategies to improve the delivery of services for indigent defense, including timing of the appointment of counsel, the use of the appointment wheel and the monitoring of workloads and performance of attorneys.

• Findings and Recommendations
• Full Report
• Full listing of Senate Committee on Criminal Justice Intedrim Charges and hearing
• Materials provided by the Task Force to the committee members for hearing

Members of the Task Force who are in the Texas State Senate

Senator Jeff Wentworth

Senator John Whitmire
Chair, Senate Criminal Justice Committee