The Equal Justice Center and Texas Appleseed analyzed indigent defense plans from 80 Texas counties including the 68 counties with populations over 40,000 and 12 small counties that exemplify good indigent defense procedures adopted in some of the smaller counties.  The Report evaluates how well each county plan comports with the requirements of the Fair Defense Act and draws conclusions about best and worst practices.  The evaluations address:
(1) prompt access to appointed counsel;
(2) fair and neutral methods for selecting appointed counsel;
(3) qualifications of appointed counsel;
(4) financial standards and procedures for determining whether a person is indigent;
(5) fees for attorneys, experts and investigators; and
(6) countywide consistency.