Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center

Thanks to the miracle of Siri and voice-to-text technology, a road trip to Brazos County can usually provide an opportunity to catch up on returning some phone calls and text messages. Unless your voice-to-text technology is as bad as the one I use. ME:  I have already talked to my investigator about your case.  He will be calling you shortly.  His name is Roy Underwood. SIRI:  Texting [CLIENT]: "I have already talked to my investigator about your cats.  He will be calling you shorty.  His name is Roy Underwood." Ready to send? ME:  No!  Change message. SIRI:  Okay. ME:  I have already talked to my investigator about your CASE.  He will be calling you SOON.  His name is Roy Underwood. SIRI:  Texting [CLIENT]: "I have already talked to my investigator about your case.  He will be calling you too.  His name is boy underwear."  Ready to send? ME:  No!  Change message. SIRI:  Okay. ME:  "I have already talked to my investigator about your CASE. 

Monday's Houston Chronicle  had an article from reporters Keri Blakinger and Zach Despart entitled " Harris County judges criticized over pace of court-appointed lawyer reform," detailing Rodney Ellis' and the rest of the Harris County Commissioners' Court's push to have a Managed Assigned Counsel (MAC) Program forced upon the Harris County Criminal District Courts.  (NOTE:  A copy of the article is on the Chronicle's  paid content website at this link but I could not locate a copy of it on Chron.com.  If you don't have the paid website, you'll have to get a copy of Monday's paper or just trust me on this one.) Harris County's felony judges have come under fire from Commissioner's Court members for not moving fast enough to abolish the longstanding practice of judges appointing lawyers to represent poor defendants. The article details much of what I discussed in this post about the MAC back in July.  As I wrote then, the Harris Cou