Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas Fair Defense Act...

Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas Fair Defense Act approved by the House on May 16 and by Senate in April. The legislation sets up regulations to ensure timely appointments, minimum standards, and fair methods of appointing defense lawyers. It also requires indigent defendants to be provided with counsel no later than 5 days after their arrest and provides research assistance to appointed attorneys handling serious felony and capital cases. The bill puts up nearly $20 million (compared to zero now) in state money to help local judges pay more for defense attorneys and criminal-defense investigations for poor clients. Finally, the bill sets up a statewide task force to monitor indigent defense systems around the state and suggest improvements.