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Tag Archives: Travis County Public Defenders Office

New public defenders get pay bump but county struggles to retain experienced attorneys

At the beginning of the year, Travis County finally began offering a guaranteed lawyer to individuals who are arrested and can’t afford legal representation – a constitutional right known as counsel at first appearance, or CAFA. It took an ACLU…

Travis County • By Lina Fisher • Mar 31, 2025

County public defender office takes shape

The long process of unifying Travis County’s three separate public defender offices took another step forward last week. The Commissioners Court reviewed draft bylaws for the oversight board the first time Nov. 2 and agreed to another voting session to…

Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Nov 9, 2023

Travis County's program to provide lawyers at its downtown jail is (still) on hold

The first court hearing is often the most crucial for people accused of a crime in Travis County. When defendants are booked downtown, they’re charged and given options on how to get out of jail. In some cases, the first…

Public Safety • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 24, 2022

Travis County explores impact of legal representation during intake process

Travis County and Texas A&M are teaming up to administer a pilot study that will examine the effects of providing arrestees with legal counsel at first appearance. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court received an update on the upcoming…

Public Safety • By Seth Smalley • Apr 5, 2022

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Travis County hires law professor as its first-ever public defender

Travis County has hired University of Virginia law professor Adeola Ogunkeyede as the first person to lead its public defender office. Until last year, the county was the largest jurisdiction in the United States without an office to handle cases…

Travis County • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Feb 5, 2020

Travis County's public defender office is officially funded

Travis County is in the home stretch of its yearslong effort to establish a public defender office for low-income adult defendants. On Thursday the Texas Indigent Defense Commission OK’d a four-year grant to establish the office in the county –…

Travis County • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 30, 2019

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