tcdla - Voice For The Defense Online

Standards for lawyers accepting appoinlmentsThe judges, UI consi~ltation with pwcticing lawyers, are puttingtogether sta~idards for lawyers seeking court appointmenls. There is aconcenl regarding Low many qualified lanyers will step up and acceptcourt appointments under the new system. The pool of lawyers qualifiedto accept appointnlents in sseious felony prosecutions is limited.Lawyers usit11 strong privately retained practices arc reasor~ablg coil-cerned that, if on the appoi~itment list, they may be oven~helnied withtime consuming court zsppoulted cases that 1viU t:;lke awq'h'on~ theirregular practice. This is going to cause many experienced layen toopt 0111 of the systeln. One proposal is that a Ianyer who feels he or sheIns reached their reasoaable liiuit of appointments can contact thecourt administratio~i office and ask to be taken off the appointment listfor a period of time. Such an option would also help layas in le~igthytrials or wf~o are working out of tow for extended periods.The various proposals being considered by the judges are going tobe finalized and ready for implerue~~tatio~l befo~the end ofthe yacEveryone appears r ~dy for this to be a work in progress tl~at is goingto be subject to changes as ive see how the new s)stem works. It willbe interesting to see how the diiTerent counties and judicial regionsdeal Njth impla~~entation of the bits requjl.emeuts andwlietlier thereare disparities &cling the equal treatment of people depending 011where they live. The VOICE is biterested in how Texas' muly countygoveininelits will deal with indigent ccri~ihial defense in the comingyme. Please write to us and tell us what is being done ~II your hometowli.Texas CriminalDefense LawyersAssociationis proud to be asupporter of theSouth TexasImmigrationCouncil, Inc.'slatest seminar,CriminalConvictions:MitigatingTheir Effecton ImmigrantsRegistratio~dCo~iti~ie~~tal BreakfastCor~aictious: IVi~nt Thej'~lIenrrfor Yorv A'o~r-Cifize?~ ClientMr. Dan Kesselbremie~; Hational Las~ers' Guild Im~u~gration Law ProjectProf. Junes Smith, UC DavisLIIII~~I wit11 hlr Dong Tinker, Criminal DefenseI%@ Boo~trerflrg Efect: Deferrtli,rg the A'on-Citizen Prtcitrg Pe~Ierd I~n~~~igrntiorr Chmges3d Stapleton, rbsistant Federal Public Defender, i\ppcals Section, Port \YiorthI07 N. 3rd, Harlingen, Texas 7855319