Texas County Progress

The Official Publication of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas

Jails

THE ARCHITECT’S RECIPE FOR COURTHOUSE SECURITY

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When architects, court agencies and users collaborate to design courthouses, safety and security are paramount in their objectives. One of the most well-known cases of courthouse violence took place in March 2005 in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Ga., when Brian Gene Nichols escaped from custody and murdered the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter, a … [Read more...] about THE ARCHITECT’S RECIPE FOR COURTHOUSE SECURITY

Wrongful Conviction

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Sometimes emotions run so deep they are difficult to put into words. Consequently, when County Progress visited with Charles Allen Chatman about the 26-plus years he spent in a Texas prison for a crime he didn't commit, the interview was punctuated with long, thoughtful … [Read more...] about Wrongful Conviction

TCJS August Meeting Recap

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The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (Commission) held its quarterly meeting in Austin on Aug. 6. Following the public comment period, Executive Director Adan Munoz introduced Robert Green as the Commission's newest inspector and Mark Wilson as a new program specialist. Both of the positions were created this past legislative session, and both began employment Sept. 1. Green … [Read more...] about TCJS August Meeting Recap

Fort Bend County to Establish Mental Health Public Defender Office

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At its June meeting the Task Force on Indigent Defense (Task Force) awarded $517,824 to Fort Bend County to establish a mental health public defender office to serve indigent defendants with mental illness. "Mentally ill defendants present special challenges to their attorneys, as well as to the criminal courts system," said Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Court of … [Read more...] about Fort Bend County to Establish Mental Health Public Defender Office