FLORIDA CHANGE THE RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION NEXT. >> EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO
LEGAL REPRESENTATION WHETHER
YOU CAN AFFORD IT OR NOT.
THAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE BEXAR
COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S
OFFICE. YOU KNOW, TV AND MOVIES
HAVE CREATED A STEREOTYPE OF
ATTORNEYS WHO REPRESENT CLIENTS
WHO CAN’T PAY FOR THEIR
SERVICES. BUT THE STORY OF HOW
PUBLIC DEFENDERS ACTUALLY CAME
TO BE IS ONE BASED ON REAL
EVENTS THAT AT ONE TIME WAS
MADE INTO A MOVIE.
>> HERE’S KSAT EXPLAINS.
>> INTIMIDATING
LIFE CHANGING CONFUSING AND
CHAOTIC. JUST A FEW WAYS TO
DESCRIBE BEING BOOKED INTO
JAIL. ISAAC LOGOS HAS BEEN
THERE. WE’RE KIND OF SCARED.
YOU KNOW, YOU’RE NOT YOU DON’T
KNOW WHO IS ARREST FOLLOWS
SEVERAL TOUGH YEARS. THE LOSS
OF HIS FATHER, A 2017, THE
DEATH OF HIS MOTHER IN 2018 AND
HIS SISTER IN 2019, HER PASSING
LEFT HIM WITHOUT A PLACE TO
STAY COME COMING HOME OF HOME
AND KIND OF AN INDEPENDENT
THINKER THAT WAS GIVEN TO I 6
AS TENSIONS BOILED OVER AT A
FAMILY GATHERING 2 YEARS AGO,
THERE WAS A FIGHT HE LEFT THEN
IN 2022. HE GOT PULLED OVER AN
OFFICER, ARRESTED HIM ON
OUTSTANDING WARRANTS FOR
ASSAULT AND INTERFERING WITH A
9-1-1. CALL ALL RELATED TO THAT
FAMILY FIGHT. I WANT TO TELL
BUT NOT THE 55TH GEL IS WHERE
ISAAC WAS CONNECTED WITH THE
PUBLIC DEFENDER. JOHN, I’M
GOING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC
DEFENDER’S OFFICE TO REPRESENT
THE DIVERSE ADMINISTRATION.
A PUBLIC DEFENDER INITIALLY
REPRESENTS EVERYONE WHO GETS
BOOKED INTO JAIL REGISTRATIONS.
WHEN A JUDGE TELLS YOU WHAT THE
CHARGES ARE. ORIGINALLY BONDS
ARE CENTER. THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING. THE COURTROOM WE TRY
TO DO IS TRY TO GET THEM A
REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO
JUST A CASE TO BE THE CASE.
ACCORDING TO THE SCENE, THAT
CORTISOL BEING RECORDED ON
AUDIO AND VIDEO CAN BE USED
AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU GO TO TRAP
EVERY TIME ZONE TO GET TO REST,
WE GET THE DOCUMENTATION FROM
THE PARK’S OFFICE. WE GET LIKE
PETER, WE CHECK OUT THE FINAL
WE READ THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE’S ENOUGH PROBABLE
CAUSE FOR THE ARREST AFTER AN
INMATE’S BOND IS SET, SOME WILL
CHOOSE THEIR OWN ATTORNEYS.
SOME GET A COURT-APPOINTED
ATTORNEY WHICH COULD BE A
PRIVATE ATTORNEY SELECTED BY
THE COURT AUTHORS GET AN
ATTORNEY FROM THE BEXAR COUNTY
PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE.
ALL WE DO IS INDIGENT DEFENSE,
INDIGENT DEFENSE, DEFENDING A
CLIENT WHO IS UNABLE TO PAY FOR
REPRESENTATION. THERE’S SO MANY
RESOURCES WITH THE PUBLIC
DEFENDER’S OFFICE AND ITS.
>> WELL, AS YOU HOPE YOUR POINT
IN A WAY THAT YOU ARE AUSTIN
NOT ABLE TO.
AND PRIVATE PRACTICE, USUALLY
OUR OFFICE FOR BUSES, PEOPLE
WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
REPRESENT YOU HAVE FAMILY
POLITICIANS WHO REPRESENT
PEOPLE WHO HAVE
>> MISSING NEW CASES, THE
PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE HAS
CONNECTIONS WITH RESOURCES LIKE
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES,
SUBSTANCE ABUSE, TREATMENT,
SOCIAL WORKERS AND OTHERS.
INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING.
>> OKAY, THAT YOUR CASE
DISMISSED COULD LOVE. WHAT ARE
THE COSTS ROOT CAUSES? CAN WE
CONNECT YOU TO SERVICES?
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN
DO TO HELP YOU?
>> NOT BE BACK IN THIS PLACE,
THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL FOR THOSE
WHO CAN’T AFFORD IT CAN BE
TRACED BACK TO THIS MAN.
CLARENCE, GETTING IT CLEAR IT’S
GIDEON WAS NOT EXACTLY A
PERFECT PERSON. HE WAS ARRESTED
IN 1961. IN PANAMA CITY,
FLORIDA. GIDEON WAS ACCUSED OF
BREAKING INTO A POOL HALL.
WHAT STEALING BEER, WINE, SODA
AND SOME CASH. THE UNITED
STATES CONSTITUTION SAYS.
>> WE HAVE A 6TH AMENDMENT
RIGHT TO COUNSEL TO ASSIST US
IN CRIMINAL TRIALS. BUT STATE
LAW IN FLORIDA AT THE TIME SAID
THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL WAS ONLY
AFFORDED TO THOSE WHO COULDN’T
PAY FOR IT. IF THEY WERE BOOKED
ON A CAPITAL OFFENSE, GIDEON’S
CHARGE WAS A FELONY. HE HAD A
TRIAL. WE HAD TO REPRESENT
HIMSELF. HE HAD TO BRING IN
WITNESSES ON HIS OWN AND TO
CROSS EXAMINE, MAKE OPENING
STATEMENTS, CLOSING ARGUMENTS.
ALL THE THINGS LAWYERS DO ALL
OF HIS OWN. CLARENCE GIDEON WAS
CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO
PRISON AND THEY’RE STILL ACTING
AS HIS OWN ATTORNEY. HE STARTED
HIS OWN APPEAL, EVENTUALLY
SENDING A HANDWRITTEN LETTER
ALL THE WAY TO THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT. THEN IN 1963, THE
HIGHEST COURT IN THE COUNTRY
SIDED WITH THE MAN WHO HAD
LITTLE MONEY AND LITTLE
EDUCATION. IT WAS A RULING.
IT SAID THAT IT IS A
FUNDAMENTAL PART OF A FAIR
TRIAL TO HAVE THAT ASSISTANCE
OF COUNSEL. AND ULTIMATELY THAT
MEANS THAT ANYONE ACCUSED OF A
CRIME WHO CANNOT AFFORD A
LAWYER AND IF IT IS A CRIME FOR
WHICH A PERSON FACES POSSIBLE
INCARCERATION, THEY ARE
ENTITLED TO HAVE A
COURT-APPOINTED LAWYER AT THE
STATE’S EXPENSE TODAY GETTING
IN IS CELEBRATED IN THE WORLD
PUBLIC DEFENSE MARCH 18TH THE
DAY THAT SUPREME COURT DECISION
CAME DOWN IS KNOWN AS GETTING
ITS DAY. BUT NOT EVERY COUNTY
HAS A DEDICATED PUBLIC
DEFENDER’S OFFICE. WE NEED TO
BRING PARITY IN PLACE SO THAT
SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE
THE RESOURCES TO DEFEND
YOURSELF. YOU ARE NOT LEFT
BEHIND. THERE IS AN EFFORT TO
TRY TO CLOSE THAT GAP WITH
SOMETHING CALLED THE MANAGED
ASSIGNED COUNSEL. IT’S A SYSTEM
CREATED TO ALLOW PRIVATE
ATTORNEYS TO ALSO BE CHOSEN
WHEN NEEDED TO REPRESENT
INDIGENT CLIENTS AND THE RECENT
INCOME THRESHOLD FOR SUCH
REPRESENTATION OF A CLIENT MUST
MAKE $997 OR LESS PER MONTH.
ONCE THINGS LIKE RENT,
UTILITIES AND FOOD HAVE BEEN
SUBTRACTED. AN INNOCENT MAN
COULD EASILY BE FOUND GUILTY
BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T AWARE OF
THE PROCESS AND THAT’S WHERE
WE SERVE SUCH A HUGE FUNCTION,
ASKED FOR MY SON TO GET BACK
TO THAT. THAT’S THE CASE
AGAINST HIM WAS ULTIMATELY
DISMISSED AND HE’S THANKFUL FOR
THE PUBLIC DEFENDER WHO HELPED
HIM ALONG THE WAY SHE TOOK HER
TIME.
>> THE COMEDY THAT, YOU KNOW,
SHE DIDN’T SEE ME AS A A.
A NUMBER. I WAS SCARED. WE
FARED. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT
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