The Texas Fair Defense Act of 2001 requires all Texas courts to establish procedures to provide court-appointed lawyers to indigent defendants. This legislation also established the Task Force on Indigent Defense, now the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC or Commission) to oversee indigent defense services and provide state grants to counties. Half of all criminal … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight: Indigent Defense
resolutions
Resolution Spotlight
Mentally Incompetent Inmates
In many Texas counties, the county jail has become a de facto mental institution housing mentally ill inmates awaiting due process without their medications and/or life-sustaining therapies. Some 1,753 inmates in Texas county jails are awaiting transfer to state hospital beds, as reported by the Health and Human Services Commission to the Joint Committee on Access and … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight
Resolution Spotlight
The Resolutions adopted by the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT) originate among members of Commissioners Courts and serve as the CJCAT Legislative Platform. Resolution Spotlights are designed to explain the history behind the Association Resolutions. Rockwall County introduced the following spotlight. Municipal Utility Districts and Other Utility … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight
State Association Resolutions
The State Association Resolutions Committee presents a report for consideration and adoption during the business session of the annual October conference of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. This item of business is required by the Constitution of the CJCAT. Committee members spend several hours reviewing and revising draft resolutions. These resolutions … [Read more...] about State Association Resolutions
CJCAT Resolutions Lay Foundation for Legislative Platform
On Oct. 5, 2022, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT) unanimously passed a slate of resolutions covering crucial county issues including unfunded mandates, revenue caps, and local option revenue sources. Commissioners Court members from across the Lone Star State voted on each resolution during the Association’s Business Meeting. “At … [Read more...] about CJCAT Resolutions Lay Foundation for Legislative Platform