How Public Defense Is Organised Across Texas's 254 Counties

Texas has 254 counties, and each one must provide a lawyer to people charged with a crime who cannot afford one. There is no single statewide office that takes every case. The state sets the rules, and counties choose how to deliver the service. This page lists the public defender offices we have on file in Texas, from the Harris County Public Defender in Houston to the Alpine Public Defender in the Big Bend region.

The framework comes from the Texas Fair Defense Act of 2001. That law rewrote parts of the Code of Criminal Procedure, including Article 1.051, which sets the right to appointed counsel, and Article 26.04, which tells counties how to appoint lawyers. It also created the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, which sits under the Texas Judicial Council. The commission awards state grants to counties, tracks indigent defense spending, and reviews the plans each county must adopt.

Those county plans matter more than most people expect. Each plan, written by the local judges, spells out how lawyers are chosen, how quickly they are appointed, and how the court decides who is too poor to hire counsel. Two neighboring counties can run very different systems under the same state law.

Texas counties generally use one of three delivery models. Most small and mid-sized counties rely on assigned counsel: judges appoint private attorneys from an approved list, and the county pays them per case. Some counties sign contracts with a lawyer or law firm to handle a set caseload. A smaller group, mostly larger urban counties, runs a public defender office with salaried staff attorneys and investigators. Many counties blend these models, with a public defender taking most cases and private lawyers taking conflict cases.

That blend explains why a state with 254 counties has only a couple dozen listed offices. If your county has no public defender office, you can still get a court-appointed lawyer. The lawyer simply comes from a private list rather than a county office.

Metro Public Defender Offices in Texas: San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston

Large urban counties are where full-time public defender offices are most common. In Bexar County, our listings include the San Antonio Public Defender at 727 East César E. Chávez Boulevard (210-472-6700) and the Windcrest Public Defender at 5261 Walzem Road (210-653-0311). In Austin, the Travis County Public Defender operates from 2201 Post Road (512-854-4128); the Travis County page has more. Dallas Public Defender is at 2600 Lone Star Drive (214-698-4400). The Harris County Public Defender is at 1201 Franklin Street in Houston. We have no phone number on file for the Harris office, so confirm hours with the county before you travel downtown.

El Paso Public Defender is at 700 East San Antonio Avenue (915-534-6525), and Corpus Christi Public Defender is at 606 North Carancahua Street (361-888-3532). Lubbock Public Defender, at 916 Main Street (806-775-5650), sits in a county that also hosts the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases, which defends death penalty cases for many smaller counties.

In a metro office, expect a front desk and an intake process. Work is often divided by court level, such as misdemeanor, felony and juvenile. Exactly which cases an office takes depends on the county's plan, so a phone call before you visit can save a trip.

Public Defenders in Rural and Border Texas

Distance shapes everything in rural Texas. Brewster County, home to Alpine and Big Bend National Park, is the largest county in the state by area. The Alpine Public Defender at 108 North 10th Street (432-837-5598) works in a place where the courthouse can be a long drive away, so call ahead. Elsewhere in West and South Texas you will find the Pecos Public Defender in Reeves County (410 South Cedar Street, 432-445-2024), the Uvalde Public Defender (216 West Main Street, 830-278-4551) and the Del Rio Public Defender in Val Verde County (111 East Broadway Street, 830-703-2040).

The Rio Grande Valley has its own cluster. Hidalgo County has two listings: the Hidalgo County Public Defender at 1615 South Closner Boulevard in Edinburg (956-292-7040) and the McAllen Public Defender at 1701 West U.S. Highway 83 (956-630-2995). The Brownsville Public Defender is at 600 East Harrison Street (956-548-2573), and the Webb County Public Defender is in Laredo at 1110 Washington Street (956-523-4101). Spanish interpretation is commonly needed in border courts, so ask about language help when you call.

East, North and Central Texas have offices too. They include the Tyler Public Defender (200 East Ferguson Street, 903-531-9233), the Bowie County Public Defender in Texarkana (424 West Broad Street, 903-792-2012), the Terrell Public Defender in Kaufman County (102 East Moore Avenue, 972-551-0100), the Wichita County Public Defender in Wichita Falls (900 7th Street, 940-766-8199) and the Amarillo Public Defender in the Panhandle (500 South Taylor Street, 806-324-2370). Colorado County's office is at 316 Spring Street in Columbus (979-732-9425).

One listing deserves a call before you rely on it. The Texas State Public Defender, at 350 Magnolia Street in Beaumont (409-839-2608), is in Jefferson County. Despite the name, do not assume it takes every kind of case. Ask which courts and charges it covers.

Who Qualifies for a Court-Appointed Lawyer in Texas

Texas does not use one income cutoff. The judge or magistrate decides whether you are indigent, using the factors in Article 26.04. These include your income, your assets, property you own, outstanding obligations, necessary expenses, and the number and ages of your dependents. Spousal income can count unless the spouse is the alleged victim.

Posting bond does not automatically disqualify you. A court may weigh bail only as it reflects your real financial situation. Once you are found indigent, you are presumed indigent for the rest of the case unless your finances change materially.

Appointment is free at the start, but not always forever. Under Article 26.05, a judge can order repayment of some or all of the cost of appointed counsel if you are later found to have the financial resources to pay. Ask your lawyer or the court clerk how this works in your county.

The charge matters too. The right to appointed counsel applies when jail time is possible. A fine-only Class C misdemeanor, such as many traffic tickets, usually does not carry a right to a court-appointed lawyer. Juveniles have a separate right to appointed counsel under the Texas Family Code if the family cannot afford a lawyer.

How to Request a Public Defender in Texas Step by Step

The process usually starts at jail magistration. Within 48 hours of an arrest, a magistrate must warn you of your rights, including the right to a lawyer, under Article 15.17. You can request appointed counsel at that hearing, and the jail should give you a form to complete.

Timing is set by law. Under Article 1.051, the court must appoint a lawyer by the end of the first working day after your request in counties with 250,000 or more people. In smaller counties the deadline is the end of the third working day.

If you were released before magistration or missed the form, do not wait for your first court date. Call the court coordinator in the county where the case is filed, or call the public defender office. Then gather these items:

Do not discuss the facts of your case with police, jail staff or friends on jail phones, which are recorded. Wait until your lawyer is appointed.

Public defender services in Texas are organized either through a statewide public defender commission or at the county level, depending on the state's approach to indigent defense. Texas's system determines how public defender offices are funded, staffed, and assigned, which can affect caseloads and services available at each location.

Public Defenders locations are available in 23 cities across Texas. They are spread across 22 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of public defender offices include San Antonio, Houston, Beaumont, where larger court systems generate higher volumes of criminal cases requiring public defense services.

Defendants in Texas who believe they qualify for a public defender should not attempt to represent themselves in criminal proceedings. Requesting appointed counsel at your first court appearance is your constitutional right, and the process for establishing eligibility is handled by the court.

Public Defenders by Counties

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Individuals in Texas who are assigned a public defender should make every scheduled court date, stay in contact with their assigned attorney, and promptly provide any information or documentation their attorney requests. If you cannot reach your public defender, contact the main office directly to ensure your case is properly managed before any upcoming hearings.

Browse Public Defenders by county across Texas to find the nearest location.

What Texas Public Defender Offices Do and Don't Handle

Texas public defender offices are criminal defense offices. They do not handle divorces, evictions, landlord disputes or immigration applications. For civil problems, groups such as Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Lone Star Legal Aid and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas cover different regions, and TexasLawHelp.org offers free self-help guides.

Check which courts each office covers before you go. The Windcrest Public Defender lists a San Antonio address, but Windcrest is a separate small city inside Bexar County, so ask which courts the office serves. Where a conflict of interest exists, such as two co-defendants who need separate lawyers, the court appoints a private attorney instead of the office. That is routine and gives you the same constitutional right to counsel.

Call ahead, bring photo ID and your paperwork, and attend every court date. A missed hearing can trigger an arrest warrant and a bond forfeiture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Defenders in Texas

No. Texas does not run one statewide office that takes ordinary criminal cases. The Fair Defense Act leaves delivery to the state's 254 counties, and each county adopts a written indigent defense plan. The Texas Indigent Defense Commission supports counties with grants, data and technical help, but it does not assign lawyers to individual defendants. Specialized programs do exist, such as the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases hosted by Lubbock County. Our listing for the Texas State Public Defender at 350 Magnolia Street in Beaumont (409-839-2608) should be confirmed by phone, so you know which courts and cases it covers.

Article 1.051 of the Code of Criminal Procedure sets the deadline. In counties with a population of 250,000 or more, the court must appoint counsel by the end of the first working day after it receives your request. In smaller counties, the deadline is the end of the third working day. Weekends and legal holidays do not count as working days. If you have asked and heard nothing, call the court coordinator or the public defender office in the county where you are charged, and keep a record of the date you submitted your request.

You keep the same right to a free lawyer. Most Texas counties use assigned counsel, which means judges appoint private attorneys from an approved list and the county pays them. Others contract with a lawyer or firm. The request process is the same: ask at magistration or contact the court. Your county's indigent defense plan explains how the list works and who decides eligibility, and the district clerk or county judge's office can give you a copy. Cameron County, by contrast, has a listed office in Brownsville.

Often yes. Article 26.04 tells courts to judge indigence by income, assets, property, debts, necessary expenses and dependents. A judge may weigh bail only as it reflects those financial facts, and posting bond is not proof that you can afford a lawyer. If family members or a bondsman paid, explain who paid and how. Once a court finds you indigent, you are presumed indigent through the rest of the case unless your finances change materially. Bring pay stubs and expense records to your first hearing.

Possibly, but only if you have the means. Article 26.05 allows a judge to order a defendant to reimburse the cost of appointed counsel, in whole or in part, when the court finds the defendant has the financial resources to pay. The judge must make that finding; it is not automatic. If your finances improve during the case, tell your lawyer instead of hiding it. If you disagree with a repayment order, raise it with your lawyer promptly, because deadlines to challenge court orders are short.

Call the office in the county where the charge was filed, not where you live. A Houston resident arrested in Dallas County, for example, deals with Dallas County courts. The Dallas Public Defender is at 2600 Lone Star Drive (214-698-4400), and the Dallas County page has more detail. Your family can contact the jail or the district clerk to find the case number and the court. Request a lawyer in the county that holds the case rather than waiting until you are home. If that county has no office, the court will appoint a private attorney.

In Texas you generally cannot pick an appointed lawyer; the court or the office assigns one. You can ask for a replacement if there is a real problem, such as a conflict of interest, a breakdown in communication or a lawyer who is not doing the work. Raise concerns with the lawyer first, then with a supervising attorney at a public defender office, or with the judge or the court's appointment coordinator. Judges decide these requests case by case, and unhappiness with an outcome alone is rarely enough. Hiring a private lawyer at your own cost is always an option.