Bexar County, Texas, has implemented some major criminal justice reform that will help protect the rights of indigent defendants. Those who are indigent don’t have money to pay for a lawyer and instead get a court-appointed attorney. Indigent individuals make up roughly 80% of those arrested within Bexar County.
The newly appointed Managed Assigned Council System (MAC) is officially in effect and will serve to improve legal services for these indigent defendants. The system will keep track of court-appointed attorney caseloads so that they don’t have so many cases that they can’t adequately serve their defendants. MAC will also ensure indigent defenses have more resources and will make sure attorneys are supervised.
Administrative judge Ron Rangel, who has been working on MAC for years, noted that while other counties have MAC systems, this is the first one to completely overhaul felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile cases:
“The system, it’s been referred to as a once-in-a-lifetime change in the criminal justice system… It’s going to make criminal justice more accountable to the people. Attorneys are going to be supervised and looked over by a manager, outside counsel, a program that is outside the judge’s hands, that is going to ensure that fairness exists across the board as it relates to representation.”
Our criminal justice system should give equal opportunity to everyone, regardless of their financial status. Therefore, we applaud Bexar County’s efforts to ensure that taxpayer dollars will be more closely watched to ensure that poor individuals have a fair chance in court.
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