“In 2023, when more than 240 misdemeanor defendants requested representation, the county judge appointed lawyers in only a handful of cases, records show. Nonetheless, the state has imposed no consequences.”
In Maverick County, Texas, poor defendants sit in jail for months with no charges and no lawyer. A man who stole a wallet sat 9.5 months uncharged. The judge who rules on lawyer requests has no law degree and says he never gets the forms. The state built a fast track for migrants and left residents in the cells.