Summary
In 2020, Travis County hired its first-ever chief public defender, marking a major change in the way our region handles defense for those who can't afford a lawyer.
Action Box
Learn more about our county's new chief public defender by listening to Episode 20 of The Austin Common Radio Hour.
Up until 2020, Travis County was the largest jurisdiction in the country without a public defender’s office.
So then how did our criminal justice system work? And what is being done now to try and make our criminal justice system more equitable? Find out with our latest explainer post.
PS – Want to learn more? Check out these links:
You listen to our complete interview Adeola Ogunkeyede, Travis County’s first-ever chief public defender, on Episode 20 of The Austin Common Radio Hour here.
You can read a Texas Tribune/ Texas Monthly story on the history of indigent defense in Texas here.
