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Community and organizers press Hays County to fully fund public defender office; court weighs scale and budgeting trade-offs
Summary
Dozens of residents and advocacy groups addressed the court in favor of funding a larger public defender office and related eviction-defense, reentry and workforce programs; county staff said a full funding request would add roughly 2 cents to the general fund tax rate and required further interdepartmental analysis.
Speakers at the Aug. 12 budget workshop urged the Hays County Commissioners Court to fully fund the proposal from Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) for an expanded public defender office (PDO).
Multiple speakers, including attorneys, reentry advisers and community organizers, described the PDO as a means to guarantee legal counsel early in criminal cases and to provide coordinated services such as eviction defense and immigration counseling. "Fully funding our public defender's office ensures fairness in our courts, reduces costly delays and builds trust in our legal system," said Natalie Acevedo,…
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