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County briefing details public‑defender staffing crisis; community groups press for budget action
Summary
County and defense-system leaders told the court that Travis County faces a multi-year shortage of public-defense attorneys driven by funding structure, a shrinking private bar and recruitment challenges; speakers and community groups urged sustained investment and a multi-year plan to expand public defender capacity and supportive services.
County legal-services leaders, the public defender's office and CAPDS presented a multi-year briefing on an attorney shortage in Travis County’s indigent defense system, citing an overreliance on private assigned counsel and a state funding model that leaves counties shouldering roughly 90% of the cost. Jeff Burkhart (Community Legal Services) said Texas counties are disadvantaged because the state primarily leaves public defense funding to counties and because SB2 constrains local revenue options.
Adeola Ogunkede, the county’s chief public defender, described caseload pressures: a 2024 workload analysis showed an average of 124 appointed cases per public defender attorney (roughly 16.8 hours per case per year if spread evenly), a workload she said risks quality and increases burnout. Community speakers, including coalition members from the Coalition for Budget Accountability and Participatory Defense supporters, urged the court to include expanded public defender capacity and parity measures in the FY27 budget. Commissioners and budgeting staff said they are planning preliminary FY27 investments and will return with budget proposals in late July.
