A Houston Chronicle investigation into how some private attorneys earn enormous sums to represent thousands of indigent people accused of crimes in Harris County – at a cost of $60 million to taxpayers last year – is prompting widespread calls for reform.
People line up outside to get into the Harris County Criminal Justice Court on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022 in Houston.of indigent people accused of crimes in Harris County – at a cost of $60 million to taxpayers last year – is prompting widespread calls for reform, as well as a county audit of the program.each pocketed more than $450,000 last year, with one pulling in $1 million.
For their part, judges and county staff say they’re trying to improve the situation by increasing attorney pay and mentorship opportunities to entice more attorneys to take cases. Harris County courts have faced so much turmoil in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Harvey that many attorneys stopped taking appointments, forcing judges to overload some of the ones that remain.
Under the new system, he will only be able to bill for those 15 minutes, earning just $44. “They took away the incentive for attorneys to overload, which was definitely there,” Newman said. “That incentivizes you to work harder and longer on the cases you already have.” “We have a lot of good private lawyers that are willing to take court appointments, and we should make use of them,” said Alex Bunin, the county’s chief public defender.
The MAC created a computerized method for appointing indigent cases so that judges are no longer involved. It also has 20 full-time staffers overseeing and providing support to court-appointed attorneys across the county. But it only operates in the misdemeanor courts, and it does not limit attorneys’ workloads.
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