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Texas experts dive into the state of public defense 60 years after Gideon decision

In 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a right to a lawyer applies to criminal defendants. Together with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, The Texas Tribune hosted a series of conversations Friday on public defense in Texas.

Victoria County Judge Ben Zeller speaks during a symposium on indigent public defense hosted by the Texas Tribune and the Texas Indigent Defense Commission inside the Texas State Capitol on Friday, March 17, 2023. The event discussed the effects of the 1963 Supreme Court ruling on Gideon v. Wainwright which required states to provide attorneys to defendents who could not afford them. (Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune)

One-on-one with Rodney Ellis 

Rural defense hurdles

One-on-one with Anthony Graves

Innovations in public defense 

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