Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Travis County officials and partners describe expansion of counsel‑at‑first‑appearance program; case management aims to reduce jail time
Summary
Representatives from Travis County public defense agencies told the Public Safety Commission that the county's counsel‑at‑first‑appearance program now operates daily with multiple providers, integrated case management and early indications that it helps identify housing and treatment options that increase judges' confidence to release people on personal recognizance.
Travis County public defender leaders and partner organizations briefed the Public Safety Commission on Jan. 5 about an expanded council‑at‑first‑appearance program that provides early legal representation and on‑site case management at magistration.
"Council at first appearance is happening every day of the week, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.," Adeola Logan Kadeh, chief public defender, said, underscoring the program's daily hours. Kadeh said the public defender's office staffs roughly a quarter of those shifts; the new Office of First Defense handles about half of shifts and the Capital Area Private Defender Service covers roughly the remaining…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
