REPRESENTATION: Texas Creates its First Capital Case Public Defender’s Office

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,” KCBD​.com, Oct. 15, 2007). See also Resources, Costs, and Representation. The office will begin tak­ing cas­es in January 2008.