Thursday, June 05, 2014

The politics of autonomy at the Bexar appellate public defender

Read an extended article from the San Antonio Current (May 30) about politics surrounding the Bexar County Appellate Public Defender Office and the push by its staff to operate as an independent agency instead of a county department under the Judicial Services or Mental Health divisions. The article is too long and detailed to excerpt adequately, just read the whole thing.

MORE: From the SA Express-News (June 5), "County admits to breaking law on public defender."

RELATED: Make appellate public defender in Bexar County independent.

2 comments:

Jefe said...

Present company excepted, this is the kind of real journalism you rarely see about indigent defense. Great work.

Thomas R. Griffith said...

Grits, won't be too before we are witness to - "The Coke or Pepsi Appellate Public Defender Corporation" where the taxpayers portion of the tab is offset by corporations sponsoring segments of the criminal justice system.

Police vehicles that look like NASCAR(s) are next, right after they apply corporate logos to the benches and plant company flags.

The only real positive thing to come out of this would be the streamlining that does away with Fake voir dire & Fake Jury Trial presentations that end at lunch recess with a Texas TapOut. When they roll out the One Question per case rule - *Can you prove you are Not Guilty? Yes or No? option, it won't come as a big WTF? surprise when 95% are actually allowed to take it trial and let the evidence speak for itself. Thanks.