Travis County Revisits Creating Public Defenders’ Office

Legal panel ponders questions pondered many times before

"...about the possibility of creating a Travis County Public Defenders’ Office, the myriad stakeholders still want to make progress..."

April 16, 2019 News Post by Michael King

Support Remains for a Travis County Public Defenders' Office

Local judges, community leaders on what needs to happen to create a new office

"...still want to work toward a Travis County Public Defenders' Office. The panel discussion focused on the basic details..."

April 19, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

Travis County Aims to Allow Defenders at Bail Hearings

The defunct program has faced a two-year uphill battle

"...attorneys for the first shift will be provided by Capital Area Private Defender Service, the nonprofit organization that has..."

March 29, 2024 News Feature by Austin Sanders

State Grant Approved for Public Defender Office

New era in Travis County indigent defense to begin next year

"...of matching funds to support creation of a Public Defenders Office, and additional support for the existing Capital Area..."

Aug. 30, 2019 News Post by Michael King

2019's Big Stories Shaping Austin's Path Into a New Decade

Never a slow news day

"...Texas' nonstop population growth, most of it in urban areas. In case you thought that screwing cities and counties..."

Dec. 20, 2019 News Feature by the News Staff

Judges Not Ready to Endorse Public Defender Plan

Proposed office's future even more uncertain

"...too vague, and that the county hasn't let the Capital Area Private Defender Service – in its "infancy," she..."

March 1, 2019 News Feature by Nina Hernandez

Sheriff Hits Pause on Magistration Pilot After Nine Days, Saying She Needs Help

$500K program would provide counsel to indigent arrestees

"...with the Travis County Public Defender’s Office and the Capital Area Private Defenders Service. As originally designed, it would..."

May 17, 2022 News Post by Brant Bingamon

DNA Lab to Reopen?

Council will consider a plan to hand over APD's lab to DPS

"...years to manage the renamed Department of Public Safety Capital Area Regional Lab, with that branch (DPS has another..."

March 16, 2017 News Post by Sarah Marloff

Travis County Tries to Fix Its Public Defense Problems

But advocates warn about the middleman

"...a lack of funding, Texas' 2011 statute mandating public defenders' offices is maddeningly vague on design – a county..."

June 23, 2023 News Feature by Lina Fisher

County Names Its First Chief Public Defender

Commissioners Court appoints University of Virginia Law School lecturer Adeola Ogunkeyede to lead office

"...Last week, in a culminating vote that took roughly..."

Feb. 14, 2020 News Feature by Michael King

In Search of Greater Justice With a Travis County Public Defender’s Office

Taking steps toward a much improved, more equitable local criminal justice system

"...a public defender; Travis County instead relies on court-appointed private attorneys to represent its indigent criminal defendants in tens..."

May 24, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

County Pushes Public Defender Plan Forward

Commissioners Court votes to proceed with indigent defense office – but not everybody's happy about it

"...for the current "Managed Assigned Counsel" system, which hires private attorneys through the Capital Area Private Defender Service. This..."

May 10, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

$20 Million State Grant Comes Through for Indigent Defense

Texas Indigent Defense Commission approves four-year grant to create public defender’s office

"...their history." And Betty Blackwell, board chair of the Capital Area Private Defender Service, said, "I'm absolutely thrilled and..."

Sept. 6, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

Commissioners Court to Decide Next Step in Proposed Public Defender’s Office

May 7 vote scheduled to approve grant proposal to fund new indigent defense office

"...existing "Managed Assigned Counsel" program, which operates through the Capital Area Private Defender Service, of $5.7 million over the..."

May 3, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

D.A.-Elect José Garza Taps Reform Advocates for His Team

It's a new day in court for Austin's top law enforcement office

"...before moving on in 2007 to the Bronx Public Defenders, an iconic nonprofit that has pioneered transforming the legal..."

Nov. 18, 2020 News Post by Austin Sanders

Point Austin: Rising to the Defense

Travis County tries to level the courtroom playing field with a public defender's office

"...has instead is a patchwork system, currently including public defenders in special contexts (juvenile justice, mental health, civil child..."

May 10, 2019 News Column by Michael King

A Public Defender's Office in Travis County?

Commissioners to consider concept of split system

"...in both felony and misdemeanor cases through the beleaguered Capital Area Private Defender Service, with attorneys "assigned" and paid..."

Oct. 12, 2018 News Feature by Chase Hoffberger

You Have a Right to Counsel. So Why Doesn’t Travis County Allow Attorneys at Bail Hearings?

Get out of jail free $10K

"...represented by counsel includes the right to consult in private with counsel sufficiently in advance of a proceeding.")..."

Aug. 4, 2023 News Feature by Maggie Quinlan

Justice for All

"...Office, which serves the same indigent clients as the Capital Area Private Defender Service, has consistently achieved a higher..."

May 24, 2019 Postmarks

County Courts-at-Law Nos. 3 & 5: Now We’ve Got Bad Blood

Defense attorneys eye Hohengarten, Lipscombe on county benches

"...a pipe dream, but he did advocate that the Capital Area Private Defender Service, a wheel system of indigent..."

Feb. 16, 2018 News Feature by Chase Hoffberger

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Our readers talk back.

"...diligently to improve the quality of representation for indigent capital murder defendants. Current standards are inadequate and actually prevent..."

April 15, 2005 Column

Naked City

"...I plan to continue in those endeavors as a private citizen." -- Michael King..."

Oct. 24, 2003 News Feature by Mike Clark-Madison

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"...University Area Partners is a neighborhood association representing residential, business, nonprofit..."

Feb. 8, 2002 Column

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"...Town" arts listings. Many arts organizations in the surrounding area depend on the Chronicle to reach a very important..."

Feb. 1, 2002 Column

The Chips Are Down

Budget balancing picks up speed – and it's anything but fun and games

"...municipal court proposal) – "changes to current Spanish-language interpreter services" – hung fire for a bit. The proposal, to..."

June 26, 2009 News Feature by Wells Dunbar

An Unwilling Council OKs Urban Alchemy to Run ARCH

Bad news travels

"...Stanford University, said she has connections in California's homeless services community and the "mixed things" she heard from those..."

Aug. 5, 2022 News Feature by Austin Sanders