Grants and Reporting Committee members
- Judge Glen Whitley - chair
- Judge Jon Burrows - member
- Judge Alfonso Charles - member
- Judge Sharon Keller - member
- Justice Sherry Radack - member
The Committee shall:
- Recommend changes and improvements in funding processes and rules to distribute state monies to counties each biennium to promote improvement of indigent defense services.
- Review results and recommend improvements to the reporting processes used by counties that receive funds. Consider and recommend methods to promote compliance by counties with the conditions of the grant.
- Review results and recommend policies for monitoring counties that receive funds to determine the effectiveness of the delivery of the indigent defense services and recommend improvements in the grant process.
- Develop Task Force annual budget and provide analysis for and recommendations to the Task Force on fiscal issues impacting indigent defense and the Task Force.
Policies and Standards Committee members
- Mr. Knox Fitzpatrick - chair
- Mr. Tony Odiorne - member
- Judge Olen Underwood - member
Charge of the Committee (effective September 1, 2005)
The Committee shall:
- Prioritize and develop policies and standards for providing legal representation and other defense services to indigent defendants at trial, on appeal, and in post-conviction proceedings as enumerated in Section 71.060, Government Code.
- Develop methodology to implement an evidence-based outcomes process to promote compliance with state law, including monitoring, and encourage the use of best practices in the provision of indigent defense services.
- Develop and consider for adoption minimum standards for managing contract defender systems.
- Direct staff to examine specific subject areas of county plans and forms pertaining to indigent defense services submitted to the Office of Court Administration and Task Force pursuant to Section 71.0351, Government Code.
- Provide oversight on a study to identify methods to improve the process of determining whether a person is indigent and the extent to which verification is cost-effective. Develop best-practices to improve the process of determining indigence.
- Develop model forms or procedures in areas related to indigent defense.
- Provide oversight to staff regarding the innocence project contracts with the four public law schools.
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Updated: 12-February-2009
