Brazos County Public Defender's Office

Happening THIS Friday- July 12th!

The Public Defenders Office is hiring!

Public Defender I - Texas Indigent Defense Commission Grant - 2 General Summary: This position provides a full range of legal services to indigent defendants in the assigned felony and misdemeanor cases. Primary responsibility to handle the misdemeanor case load and potentially felony-level controlled substance cases. Additional responsibilities to assist in fel...

Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8).

Happy Easter everybody!!

Brazos County public defenders take nearly 500 cases in first year The Brazos County Public Defender’s Office has been open for a year, trying cases in the courtroom and connecting clients to community resources.

Happy (Belated) Gideon Day, everybody. Justice Hugo Black wrote for the unanimous United States Supreme Court on March 18, 1963, “… in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him.”

In pursuit of this piece of fundamental fairness, the Brazos Public Defender has been accepting cases for one year now. In that time, we have represented clients on more than 470 cases. Many of our clients struggle with poverty, addiction, and/or mental illness. A lot of our clients do not even speak the language being used to arrest and prosecute them. This is where we step in - holistically representing our clients in court and connecting them to community resources to address the challenges that they face outside the courtroom as well. Our goal is to force the system to care.

470 cases sounds like a lot to me right now - but, I know that this is just a beginning to the community- and culture-changing presence that our office will provide to this part of Texas in the years to come.

And a special thanks to our supporters throughout the community - those service providers who share our commitment to caring for those who the rest of society would prefer to forget. Check out this 1964 episode of CBS Reports that covered the landmark case Gideon v. Wainright, which guaranteed to right to counsel for criminal defendants.

Gideon's Trumpet CBS Reports looked at the landmark Supreme Court case [Gideon v. Wainwright], which guaranteed to right to counsel for criminal defendants. The documentary included interviews with Clarence Gideon, his attorney and future Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas, sitting Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldber...

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/01/prosecutor-crisis-criminal-justice-reform.html

The Surprising Downside of a Criminal Justice Trend Reformers Might Think They Love Soaring prosecutor vacancies are terrible news for criminal defendants.

https://www.kltv.com/2024/01/24/smith-county-judges-discuss-solutions-problems-retaining-attracting-indigent-criminal-defense-attorneys/

Smith County judges discuss solutions to problems retaining, attracting indigent criminal defense attorneys Smith County currently pays indigent defense attorneys $95,000 a year.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/06/16/addressing-legal-inequities-brazos-county-public-defenders-office-makes-strides-first-months/?fbclid=IwAR0g4TSy698odopElwfaO1TeFFCxSDKNy2AdpE-S3a4vuBf0gCHVdCgngBw

Addressing legal inequities: Brazos County Public Defender’s Office makes strides in first months The Brazos County Public Defender's Office has successfully taken on over 100 cases, representing more than 75 residents of Brazos County since opening its office in March.

https://www.law360.com/articles/1604517

Well-Equipped Public Defenders Can Help Reduce Recidivism - Law360 Public defenders are uniquely positioned to connect clients with essential services that are proven to address the root drivers of crime, thus reducing recidivism and promoting public safety — but they need adequate resources to bring about this change, says Emily Galvin-Almanza at Partners for Ju...

Chief Public Defender Nathan Wood and Assistant Public Defender Maritza Sifuentez-Chavarria had the opportunity to speak to criminal justice classes at Bryan High. They discussed the roles of defense attorneys and prosecutors in the criminal justice system, and different tools within the Public Defender's Office being utilized to serve the community. Special thanks to Mr. Parks and Mr. Wright at Bryan High for the opportunity.

We hope to see you at the 13th Annual Atticus Finch Day this year!

Learn more at www.atticusfinchday.com !

You don’t have to be a woman to be inspired by Maritza! The BCPDO is sooo much better because she stands with us to defend the defenseless.

Women's History Month: A defender for the defenseless Assistant chief public defender Maritza Sifuentez-Chavarria tells her story about her early years around the courthouse molded her into who she is today.

We are thrilled to announce that one of our very own attorneys, Martiza Sifuentez-Chavarria, has been officially sworn in as a board-certified lawyer specializing in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization!

Board certification is a prestigious achievement that requires rigorous evaluation and a demonstrated high level of skill and experience in a specific area of law. This accomplishment is a testament to Maritza's dedication and hard work in the field of criminal law. It also sets her apart as one of only 14 attorneys in Brazos County who is board certified in criminal law.

Way to go Mari!!!

March 18 (tomorrow) will mark the 60th anniversary of the landmark SCOTUS opinion in Gideon v. Wainwright. We've chosen this day to mark the formal launch of the Brazos County Public Defender's Office in honor of Gideon, and in honor of the promise that it stands for.

Public defenders stand for the promise that justice will be fair and that people who are charged with a crime will not be unfairly penalized due to their financial situation. We stand ready to protect the rights of individuals who may be falsely accused or who stand to be unfairly treated by the criminal justice system. We will also shed light on systemic problems within the criminal justice system, defend the Constitution and the rights and liberties of all people.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” The BCPDO strives to bring this truth to each of our cases - Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Today, we honor the legacy of Gideon and stand in the promise of justice for all. We invite you to join our community and stay connected with us as we continue to defend the rights of the accused, promote fairness in the criminal justice system, and work towards a more just society.