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Residents, public defender staff urge Travis County to speed up ‘counsel at first appearance’ rollout
Summary
Multiple residents and public defender staff told the Travis County Commissioners Court during public comment that the county must accelerate implementation of a program to provide counsel at first appearance (CAFA), citing constitutional protections, ACLU observations and a $15.5 million budget ask to fully staff the effort.
A group of Austin residents and public defender office staff urged the Travis County Commissioners Court on June 3 to move faster to implement Counsel at First Appearance, a county effort to give people access to an attorney at magistrate hearings.
Speakers said delays deny defendants a constitutional right and cause avoidable harms. “Navigating the legal system without representation, as you all know, can have devastating consequences,” Andrea Marquez said during the public-comment period.
The demonstrators — organized in part by the Austin Sanctuary Network — told the court they want full staffing on every shift and a clear timeline. Several cited a July implementation target and urged the court to accelerate it. Carol Jean Lewis Zavala said the county should “provide due process for all of its community members as the constitution mandates.”
Matthew Kenn…
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