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More Defender Offices in Store?

By Steve Hall

AP reports, "Panel could expand Texas public defenders office," via the Houston Chronicle.  It's written by Betsy Blaney.Members of the Task Force for Indigent Defense will vote Wednesday in Austin on whether to approve a $27.7 million grant that would expand statewide a pilot program that's been operating in West Texas for 2 1/2 years.If approved, 240 of the state's 254 counties would not be liable for the cost to defend those facing lethal injection. Only counties with populations under 300,000 are eligible to participate.Together, the 70 counties of the 85 now participating in the West Texas pilot program saved $637,000 in the first two years, officials said."It's been a tremendous savings for counties that have had cases," said Jack Stoffregen, the chief public defender for the West Texas program, which has offices in Midland, Amarillo and Lubbock...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on June 09, 2010 (boomark / email).