County close to indigent defense grant

Hays County Commissioner Lon Shell provided an update regarding Hays County’s multi-year grant application submitted to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to fund its public defender services effort.

Shell said during last week’s commissioners court meeting that TIDC is in the process of providing funding but Hays County has not yet been awarded funding.

“We are still working to find the necessary support from our judiciary to be able to have a shot,” Shell said. “I can’t promise that the funds are going to be there this fiscal year. There are still funds that can be allocated. And as I think the court remembers, we did have a focus on mental health with our programs, in which there was additional funding provided by the legislature to TIDC for use for those types of programs.”

In April, the commissioners court unanimously voted in favor of pursuing funding for a three pronged criminal justice reform approach: a Pretrial Services Department, Public Defender Office and a Managed Assigned Counsel program.

The TIDC’s grant structure covers up to half of the program costs in the first four years to help ease the cost burden of a new department. Hays County has until August 1 to make changes to the application or garner necessary support that will help it secure funding for its public defender services.

Shell said he’s had recent conversations with judges and said there’s a meeting expected to be held this week to discuss alternatives.

“If anything comes from that I will probably come back with a very similar item in two weeks when we meet again,” Shell said. “I believe the goal would be that if we’re going to ask for any changes that we think would put us in a better chance for success, we would want those to be submitted to TIDC by August 1. That’s been the guidance that I’ve been given so I’d like to continue to work with our partners and see if there’s anything that we can come back with that will give us a chance for success.”