Posted on · On Monday's show: We discuss the money Harris County spends for court-appointed defense attorneys and the caseloads of those public defenders. And U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón talks about how nature plays a role in her work and her love of Houston's grackles.
Posted on · On Thursday's Houston Matters: A new report says public defenders in Harris County's juvenile courts aren't getting assigned enough cases. The Trump administration is considering altering the legal definition of gender. Houston-raised cartoonist Ngozi Ukazu discusses her popular hockey-themed web comic, Check, Please! And local band The Wheel Workers performs.
Posted on · Back in April, Judge Lee Rosenthal determined that the county’s bail system is unconstitutional and the lawsuit is on hold because the county appealed her decision.
Posted on · We continue our exploration of criminal justice in Harris County with the help of two guests: District Attorney Devon Anderson and Chief Public Defender Alex Bunin. First, Edel Howlin asks Bunin about some of the changes he’d like to see in our criminal justice system. Then, we welcome DA Anderson in studio to share her […]
Posted on · You’ve heard this part of the Miranda rights before (if not in person, then at least on TV crime dramas): “You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you…” Well, a lot of defendants can’t afford attorneys. That’s where public defenders come in, and sometimes private […]
Posted on · You’ve heard this part of the Miranda rights before (if not in person, then at least on TV crime dramas): “You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you…” Well, a lot of defendants can’t afford attorneys. That’s where public defenders come in, and sometimes private […]
Posted on · It's the job of a public defender to represent Houstonians who can't afford to hire their own attorney. In other cities, it is often an under-resourced role. But the Harris County Public Defender’s Office was created in conjunction with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, and until recently was funded by that commission. We talk with […]
Posted on · NOTE: Houston Matters was pre-empted at noon today by President Obama’s news conference. But you can hear the entire show here after 3pm, or on Houston Public Media news 88.7 tonight at 10. The Houston City Council Wednesday passed a budget for 2015 which will, among other things, set aside more than ten million dollars […]