Court Appointed Hourly Rate Comparison

What do counties that are about the same size as Bell County pay their court-appointed attorneys?  That was the question that led to this chart:

County

Population

Hourly Fee (In Court)

Hourly Fee (Out)

Flat Fee Plea SJF/3rd

Flat Fee Plea 2nd

Flat Fee Plea 1st
Williamson 373,363 $50 $50 $500 $500 $500
Nueces  321,135 $60-$80 $30-$50 $100-$450 $100-$450 $100-$450
Brazoria  294,233 $60-$90 $60-$90 n/a n/a n/a
Galveston  283,987 $60 $60 n/a n/a n/a
Bell  276,975 $60 $60 n/a n/a n/a
Lubbock  260,901 $75 $75 n/a n/a n/a
Jefferson  241,975 $50 $50 $1,000-$1,200 $1,000-$1,200 $1,000-$1,200
Webb  233,152 $85-$125 $50-$75 $500 $750 $1,000
McLennan  228,123 $40-$100 $35-$75 $400 $500 $750

The population data came from the U.S. Census Bureau. It represents the estimated population of the listed Texas counties as of July 1, 2007.

The rest of the data came from the Task Force on Indigent Defense Website. According to the fee schedules listed there, the following details what local court appointed attorneys are paid:

WILLIAMSON COUNTY:
Except for good cause shown, court-appointed attorney fees will be as follows:
Routine felony plea = $500
Routine felony plea (Spanish-speaking defendant) = $750
Jury trial (per day) = $1,000
Jury trial (per day) (Spanish-speaking defendant) = $1,250

NUECES COUNTY:
Guilty plea, plea of true, or dismissal by Defendant = $250-$450
Dismissal on State’s motion = $100 to $400
Nonjury trial = $60-$80 per hour in court / $30-$60 per hour out of court
Jury trial = $500-$750 per full day, $250-$375 per half day, in court; $30-$50 out of court

BRAZORIA COUNTY:
Guilty plea = $100 minimum
Everything else = $60 – $90 per hour

GALVESTON COUNTY:
$60 per hour

LUBBOCK COUNTY:
$75 per hour; with minimum of $300 per plea

JEFFERSON COUNTY:
Public defenders maxed at $8333 per month (appointed on a monthly basis)
Rotation attorneys paid $500 per half-day in trial or contested hearings
$1,000 per plea/dismissal of single case
$1,200 per plea/dismissal of multiple cases for same defendant

WEBB COUNTY:
$85 per hour on SJF/3rd in trial / $75 per hour hearings / $50 per hour out of court
$100 per hour on 2nd in trial / $85 per hour hearings / $60 per hour out of court
$125 per hour on 1st in trial / $100 per hour hearings / $75 per hour out of court
Flat fee for plea: $500 SJF/3rd; $750 2nd; $1,000 1st

McLENNAN COUNTY:
$40-100 per hour in court; $35-$75 per hour out of court
Flat fee for plea: $400 SJF/3rd; $500 2nd; $750 1st

categories Bell County | jeffparker | datetime October 6, 2008 9:52 am

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  1. Conviction Rates vs. Compensation Rates | Jeff Parker — October 8, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

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