If you're accused of a crime in Harris County, within 24 hours, you'll reach a fork in the road: a bail hearing.

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When Ashley Ervin was sentenced to life in prison for capital murder, her bedroom was decorated with Mickey Mouse everything.

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University of Houston law professor Sandra Thompson promises that bail hearings are not what you've seen on TV—especially in Harris County.

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You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.

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Anthony Wayne Goffney shuffles toward the floor marker where he is told to stand, wearing light blue pants and a smock top, four days after being jailed for trespassing.

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The Harris County Courthouse's system of providing legal representation to defendants who can't afford it is creaky and overburdened, a state audit has found, as elected judges appoint their favorite attorneys and allow them to take on caseloads that far exceed recommended levels.

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Policy Background:

The conviction and incarceration of the innocent ruins lives, destroys public trust in our justice system, harms public safety as guilty culprits remain free, and denies victims justice.

Policy Background:

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission awards grants and much-needed technical assistance to each of Texas’ 254 counties on issues related to defense systems and models.