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Smith County district attorney seeks third contract appellate lawyer, adds staff requests in 2026 budget workshop
Summary
District Attorney Jacob Putman and local judges urged the Commissioners Court to add a third contract appellate attorney and funding for new DA office positions, citing rising caseloads, complex appeals and increased victim services.
District Attorney Jacob Putman asked the Smith County Commissioners Court on June 24 to add a third contract appellate attorney and several new positions to the fiscal 2026 budget, saying the office’s caseload and the complexity of appeals have grown faster than staffing.
Putman told the court the county’s criminal filings rose from about 6,300 in 2019 to roughly 7,300 in 2024 and said appellate work requires extensive, time-consuming review. “It’s not unheard of for [an appellate attorney] to spend 80 to 100 hours on a mid- to large-scale case,” Putman said, explaining that two contract appellate lawyers currently handle all indigent felony appeals.
The request to add a third contract appellate lawyer was supported by local judges in the courtroom. Judge Russell Heaton said prior budget cycles had delayed a permanent addition and…
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