Community lawyers and advocates press court after juvenile‑board action on attorney appointments

Public speakers and legal groups asked the Commissioners Court on Feb. 10 to review a contested Juvenile Board action that removed (and, after further review, restored) attorney Brian Willett from the court‑appointed juvenile representation wheel. Willett — a board‑certified juvenile and criminal law specialist — is running for judicial office against the Juvenile Board chair, creating a contested conflict that several speakers described as the basis for removal.

Court staff read a letter from Judge Alex Kim, chair of the Juvenile Board, noting statutory separation between the Juvenile Board and the Commissioners Court and declining to appear before the court on juvenile matters. The Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and speakers argued the process used by the Juvenile Board lacked transparency, effective notice and due process and that removing qualified attorneys from appointment wheels risks undermining the constitutional right to counsel for indigent defendants.

Several defense bar leaders and judicial‑candidate speakers urged the court to monitor the juvenile board’s procedures and to insist on fair, performance‑based criteria for appointment wheels. The court asked staff to confirm whether Willett had been re‑added to the wheel and to report back; commissioners also noted questions about how the Juvenile Board handled abstentions and quorum in the original vote.

The matter remained a point of follow‑up between the Commissioners Court, Juvenile Board and court administrators; several speakers said they will seek additional remedies if the appointment process is not transparent and functionally impartial.