Far West Texas public defender office expands service area; Brewster County OKs amended interlocal

Judge Greg P. Henington presided over a unanimous vote Sept. 23 in which the Brewster County Commissioners Court approved an amended Interlocal Agreement with the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender's Office for fiscal year 2026. James McDermott, chief public defender, briefed the court that the regional office's services have been extended to Val Verde and Terrell counties and updated members on coverage for Brewster, Jeff Davis, Culberson, Presidio and Hudspeth counties.

The court's approval came on a motion by Commissioner Ruben Ortega and a second by Commissioner Sara Allen Colando; the motion passed 4-0. The agreement designates Culberson County as the fiscal agent for the regional public defender arrangement covering the listed counties. No specific funding amounts were recorded in the meeting minutes for this amendment.

Why it matters: Expanding the regional public defender's coverage can affect access to appointed counsel across sparsely populated West Texas counties where local public defense resources are limited. The interlocal creates an administrative framework for shared services and fiscal oversight among participating counties.

During the brief discussion, the court did not record objections or requests for substantive amendments and took final action at the same meeting. The approval was part of a broader consent and administrative package the court considered that morning; there was no executive session on the item.