Twenty-six counties will benefit from Hays County’s decision to pilot a program that provides legal assistance to criminal defense attorneys for certain cases involving non-citizens.
The Hays County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday morning to execute an agreement with myPadilla, or FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds, a nonprofit that will provide remote consultation services to all the counties within the 3rd Administrative Judicial Region, excluding Travis County.
Criminal defense attorneys, under the Supreme Court case Padilla v. Kentucky, are required to advise their non-citizen clients about the immigration consequences of pleas, such as the possibility of deportation. However, the Padilla obligation is difficult to meet for most defense attorneys without a dedicated resource or attorney versed in immigration law.
