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Judges as Grantmakers: Sharon Keller's secret soft side on indigent defense

Brandi Grissom at The Texas Tribune describes an underreported aspect of Sharon Keller's role as Presiding Judge of Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Chair of the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense, which has spearheaded over the last decade a remarkable expansion of public-defender offices around the state. Reports Grissom:Lawmakers created the task force in 2001 when Texas was a national laughingstock for its dismal provision of legal representation for poor criminal defendants. Now, counties must meet minimum standards for legal representation, thousands more poor defendants get qualified attorneys, and 91 counties ? many in rural areas with few public resources ? are served in some capacity by a public defender. Both critics and supporters of the Texas criminal justice system agree the task force has overseen a sea change in defense representation for people who can't otherwise afford it...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 09, 2010 (boomark / email).