An attempt to submit a grant application to establish a public defender’s office that failed to garner support from the Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday failed again on Friday, and for some of the same reasons.
The commissioners held a special meeting Friday afternoon to vote on whether to submit an application to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) for a grant that would provide a portion of the funding for a public defender’s office. The matter had been heard on Tuesday but Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe suggested taking a few days to talk with county judges and lawyers about the issue to gauge support. Friday was the deadline to submit the grant application.
During public comments, supporters of a public defenders office mentioned their concerns with the jail population and what it does to those who are incarcerated and the community.
