Public Defense Salaries in Texas

• In Event: Data in Indigent Defense: Resource Shortages and Solutions in Public Defense

Abstract

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) provides funding to public defender offices (PDO) and managed assigned counsel (MAC) programs throughout the state of Texas. In recent years, many MACs and PDOs have requested salary increases for various reasons such as cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), difficulty recruiting staff, and losing staff to higher paid offices or the private sector. To better inform funding decisions, TIDC launched a Salary Study to help gain insights on the current state of salaries and perceptions around these salaries in PDOs and MACs. This presentation will highlight the findings from the Salary Study as well recommendations made.

Authors

• Sarah Gammell, Texas Indigent Defense Commission

• Kristin Meeks, Texas Indigent Defense Commission