Panhandle Area Public Defenders helps close gap in defense resources

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Panhandle Area Public Defenders Office is doing its part in closing the gap in legal or public defense due to lack of resources in throughout the region.

"The need came from the dwindling amount of attorneys that were court appointed, and so our office, our goal is to assist those attorneys and take some of that caseload away from them," said Amy Conner, Panhandle Area Public Defenders Office manager.

One of its goals is to provide mental health and substance abuse resources to lower the rate of repeat offenses, which can reduce the number of cases cycling through the legal system.

"If you don't give them the tools to live a productive life, they're going to be stuck in the system. So we made that a priority here, and we have mental health workers on staff," said Chief Jason Howell, Panhandle Area Public Defenders.

The Public Defenders' Office began as a partnership between Potter and Armstrong counties.

Within the past year, it has grown to seven counties, 22 defense attorneys, and offices in Amarillo, Dumas and Hereford.

"Armstrong County, Carson County, Deaf Smith County, Moore County, Oldham County and Potter County, and all of those counties got together and decided to have one public defenders office with satellite offices," said Chief Howell.

Two-thirds of the funds provided to the Panhandle Area Public Defenders office comes from an on-going grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, while the remaining amount comes from partnering counties.