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March 25, 2008
Republican Countywides On Defense
State Senator Rodney Ellis has long been a passionate advocate for reforming the criminal justice system in Texas. Lately he has been working to gain support for creation of a public defender's office, to better provide for indigent defense.
Lisa Falkenberg has an interesting column on the subject in today's Chronicle. In it, she surveys local Republican and Democratic candidates for County Judge and District Attorney, and a clear divide emerges.
The Democratic candidates, C.O. Bradford for District Attorney and David Mincberg for County Judge offer unqualified support for establishment of a public defender's office. The Republicans -- Kelly Siegler and Pat Lykos, who are in a runoff for the D.A. nomination, and Ed Emmett, the incumbent County Judge -- were decidedly less committed to the concept.
Emmett's response to Falkenberg was especially interesting -- he hasn't thought about it. Troubling if true, particularly in light of the fact that the sitting District Attorney just resigned in disgrace. One wonders, how many people did Chuck Rosenthal send to lengthy prison terms or even death row, while impaired by drugs or alcohol? How many defendants might have prevailed if they had access to effective legal counsel? (We by no means suggest that all public defenders here are ineffective, but under the current system it is clear many defendants do not receive quality representation.) In light of the media firestorm surrounding the District Attorney since Christmas, has Judge Emmett really not bothered to consider the problem? Perhaps it's time for that reading material to go to the top of the pile.
Posted by houtopia at March 25, 2008 05:21 PM