What's So Great About a Public Defender's Office?
In November, Harris County Commissioners Court appointed a chief to the county's public defender office. The launch of the public defender's office allowed Harris County to lose its ignominious status as the largest jurisdiction in the US without a public defender.
Alex Bunin, a veteran public defender and creator of such offices across the country, is taking the helm on this project--which is a pilot project funded by a combination of grant and county monies for the next four years. When the four years is up, the Commissioners Court will decide whether to continue the office.
Read a Houston Chronicle Q&A session with Alex Bunin here.
Senator Rodney Ellis, who represents a portion of Harris County, filed a number of bills related to criminal justice and protections for the innocent back in November. An op-ed piece by Ellis explains the need for the need for the new public defender's office, and expresses his hopes that the new office will be effective in improving public safety and protecting the rights of the indigent and the ill in the criminal justice system.
According to Ellis, the public defender:
- is the guardian of constitutional rights for the poor.
- can save taxpayer dollars
- is efficient because defenders can pool resources, reduce duplication of services, and resolve cases quicker, thus reducing pretrial jail populations
- can help close the legal divide between justice for the rich and justice for the poor
- can help reduce recidivism rates for mentally ill offenders by helping them obtain health services quickly
Read the op-ed here.
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