---
title: "REPRESENTATION: Texas Creates its First Capital Case Public Defender's Office"
description: 'Lubbock criminal attorney Jack E. Stoffregen will head West Texas’ first public defender service devoted solely to capital cases. Centered in Lubbock…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/representation-texas-creates-its-first-capital-case-public-defenders-office'
section: news
date: '2007-12-19T18:01:17-05:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:24:56-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

Lubbock criminal attorney Jack E. Stoffregen will head West Texas’ first public defender service devoted solely to capital cases. Centered in Lubbock County, a sparsely populated area that has few local criminal-defense attorneys with capital murder trial experience, the West Texas Regional Public Defender Office will handle the cases of indigent defendants who cannot afford an attorney. The office, with a budget of $2.5 million funded by Texas, is expected to alleviate some of the high costs death penalty cases can incur. Recent figures show that a capital case can cost a west Texas county up to $500,000. According to KCBD News in Texas, the West Texas Regional Public Defender Office will reduce capital trial costs and “in turn will save taxpayers money.” (“[Lubbock Lawyer Chosen as Chief Defender](https://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=7218243&nav=menu69_3),” KCBD.com, Oct. 15, 2007). See also [Resources](/getcat.php?cid=5), [Costs](/costs-death-penalty?did=108&scid=7), and [Representation](/death-penalty-representation?did=896&scid=68). The office will begin taking cases in January 2008.