Muting Gideon's Trumpet:

The Crisis in Indigent Criminal Defense in Texas

A Report Received by  the State Bar of Texas from the

Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters

Committee Approval September 8, 2000

Received by State Bar September 22, 2000

This paper examines the status of indigent criminal defense in Texas and draws information from the surveys conducted by the Committee.  Based on these surveys, this report concludes that "the system of representing indigents charged in criminal matters in Texas is in need of serious reform.  By virtually every standard examined here, the current system of indigent legal representation ignores at least the spirit of Gideon v. Wainwright."  The report further notes that "Gideon's trumpet sounded out the promise that all persons - - rich, poor, or otherwise -- would have access to the same level of justice in our nation's courts.  As matters currently exist in Texas, the sound from Gideon's trumpet has effectively been muted."

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