Critics say such numbers highlight a system that is both unnecessarily expensive and robs indigent defendants of their fair shake in court. Public defenders in the county make an average annual salary of $115,000, according to the county official who supervises them.The county pays private attorneys enormous amounts of money to represent indigent defendants.
Experts agree that many attorneys in Harris County and across Texas are handling too many indigent defense cases. But some stakeholders feel differently. After the Chronicle investigation published online Friday morning, Silverman said he heard from many HCDLA members and called the Chronicle to offer different comments on behalf of the Association.Harris County spent $60M on court-appointed lawyers with big caseloads. Critics call it a waste