County receives $250,000 to help fund defense services for mentally ill

(McKINNEY, Texas) – The Texas Indigent Defense Commission today awarded Collin County more than $250,000 for a new managed assigned counsel program to provide defense services to mentally ill defendants.

The program will be modeled on programs previously created and funded in Lubbock and Montgomery Counties.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with the various departments on the persistent problems and issues that defendants with mental illness pose,” said Judge John Roach, Jr. of the 296th District Court. “Our job in the courts is to ensure effective counsel and processes with just result.”

The award was part of $11.8 million in funding to 99 Texas counties to help improve their indigent defense efforts, by setting up new programs or refunding existing programs related to indigent defense across the state.

Approximately 60 counties were awarded $2 million to help offset increased indigent defense costs. In addition, 9 county programs were awarded discretionary funding to establish new indigent defense offices or procedures, along with continued funding for 11 other county programs.

The commission, formerly the Task Force on Indigent Defense, has distributed funds since 2002 to help counties meet the statutory and constitutional requirements to provide access to counsel for the poor.

The new programs, including Collin County’s, are set to begin Oct. 1.