But counties use a wide variety of magistration and appointment procedures. These differences in local processes may result in some people going through the criminal legal processes alone and unrepresented.
But, every person who faces the risk of incarceration has the right to a court-appointed lawyer if they cannot afford one. Representation rates in misdemeanor cases vary dramatically across Texas’ 254 counties. In some counties, no one accused of misdemeanors has an attorney to represent them. In others, every accused person has counsel.
In a pioneering research study, the Deason 亚洲自慰视频 reviewed more than 2,000 misdemeanor case files, interviewed court personnel, and observed court proceedings. The researchers investigated each county鈥檚 appointment processes. They concluded that differences in local appointment procedures could account for variations in the frequency and the timeliness of applications and appointments.
To better understand the relationship between local procedures and local representation rates, the Deason 亚洲自慰视频 studied misdemeanor cases in four diverse Texas counties, anonymized here as Cactus, Longhorn, Tumbleweed, and Bluebonnet. Representation rates these counties varied significantly, and each county used a different procedure to appoint counsel.
Executive Director
Much of the data gathered by the non-representation project team could not have been obtained without the invaluable assistance of officials and staff in the justice systems of the counties the team selected for study. All counties are pseudonymous throughout this report, so these individuals cannot be named. The Deason 亚洲自慰视频 is deeply grateful for their assistance, without which this work would not have been possible. This work is a product of the Non-Representation Project supported by Arnold Ventures. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Arnold Ventures.
