Art. 26.044. PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE    

(1) "Governmental entity" includes a county, a group of counties, a department of a county, an administrative judicial region created by Section 74.042, Government Code, and any entity created under the Interlocal Cooperation Act as permitted by Chapter 791, Government Code.

(2) "Office of capital writs" means the office of capital writs established under Subchapter B, Chapter 78, Government Code.

(3) "Oversight board" means an oversight board established in accordance with Article 26.045.

(4) "Public defender's office" means an entity that:

(A) is either:

(i) a governmental entity; or

(ii) a nonprofit corporation operating under a written agreement with a governmental entity, other than an individual judge or court; and

(B) uses public funds to provide legal representation and services to indigent defendants accused of a crime or juvenile offense, as those terms are defined by Section 79.001, Government Code.

(b) The commissioners court of any county, on written approval of a judge of a county court, statutory county court, or district court trying criminal cases or cases under Title 3, Family Code, in the county, may create a department of the county or by contract may designate a nonprofit corporation to serve as a public defender's office. The commissioners courts of two or more counties may enter into a written agreement to jointly create or designate and jointly fund a regional public defender's office. In creating or designating a public defender's office under this subsection, the commissioners court shall specify or the commissioners courts shall jointly specify, if creating or designating a regional public defender's office:

(1) the duties of the public defender's office;

(2) the types of cases to which the public defender's office may be appointed under Article 26.04(f) and the courts in which an attorney employed by the public defender's office may be required to appear;

(3) if the public defender's office is a nonprofit corporation, the term during which the contract designating the public defender's office is effective and how that contract may be renewed on expiration of the term; and

(4) if an oversight board is established under Article 26.045 for the public defender's office, the powers and duties that have been delegated to the oversight board.

(b-1) The applicable commissioners court or commissioners courts shall require a written plan from a governmental entity serving as a public defender's office.

(c) Before contracting with a nonprofit corporation to serve as a public defender's office under Subsection (b), the commissioners court or commissioners courts shall solicit proposals for the public defender's office.

(c-1) A written plan under Subsection (b-1) or a proposal under Subsection (c) must include:

(1) a budget for the public defender's office, including salaries;

(2) a description of each personnel position, including the chief public defender position;

(3) the maximum allowable caseloads for each attorney employed by the public defender's office;

(4) provisions for personnel training;

(5) a description of anticipated overhead costs for the public defender's office;

(6) policies regarding the use of licensed investigators and expert witnesses by the public defender's office; and

(7) a policy to ensure that the chief public defender and other attorneys employed by the public defender's office do not provide representation to a defendant if doing so would create a conflict of interest that has not been waived by the client.

(d) After considering each proposal for the public defender's office submitted by a nonprofit corporation under Subsection (c), the commissioners court or commissioners courts shall select a proposal that reasonably demonstrates that the public defender's office will provide adequate quality representation for indigent defendants in the county or counties.

(e) The total cost of the proposal under Subsection (c) may not be the sole consideration in selecting a proposal.

(f) A public defender's office must be directed by a chief public defender who:

(1) is a member of the State Bar of Texas;

(2) has practiced law for at least three years; and

(3) has substantial experience in the practice of criminal law.

(g) A public defender's office is entitled to receive funds for personnel costs and expenses incurred in operating as a public defender's office in amounts fixed by the commissioners court and paid out of the appropriate county fund, or jointly fixed by the commissioners courts and proportionately paid out of each appropriate county fund if the public defender's office serves more than one county.

(h) A public defender's office may employ attorneys, licensed investigators, and other personnel necessary to perform the duties of the public defender's office as specified by the commissioners court or commissioners courts under Subsection (b)(1).

(i) Except as authorized by this article, the chief public defender and other attorneys employed by a public defender's office may not:

(1) engage in the private practice of criminal law; or

(2) accept anything of value not authorized by this article for services rendered under this article.

(j) A public defender's office may not accept an appointment under Article 26.04(f) if:

(1) a conflict of interest exists that has not been waived by the client;

(2) the public defender's office has insufficient resources to provide adequate representation for the defendant;

(3) the public defender's office is incapable of providing representation for the defendant in accordance with the rules of professional conduct; or

(4) the public defender's office shows other good cause for not accepting the appointment.

(k) The judge may remove from a case a person who violates a provision of Subsection (i).

(l) A public defender's office may investigate the financial condition of any person the public defender's office is appointed to represent. The public defender's office shall report the results of the investigation to the appointing judge. The judge may hold a hearing to determine if the person is indigent and entitled to representation under this article.

(m) If it is necessary that an attorney who is not employed by a public defender's office be appointed, the attorney is entitled to the compensation provided by Article 26.05 of this code.

(n) An attorney employed by a public defender's office may be appointed with respect to an application for a writ of habeas corpus only if:

(1) an attorney employed by the office of capital writs is not appointed in the case; and

(2) the attorney employed by the public defender's office is on the list of competent counsel maintained under Section 78.056, Government Code.