New Public Defender Office Expected to Improve Service and Efficiency in Val Verde Courts
The promise of the Miranda Warning, “If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you," will now be better upheld by Val Verde County. The creation of a new public defender office helps address attorney shortages and provides a more consistent system of legal counsel for those who cannot afford it. This action fulfills the fundamental constitutional right to legal representation, as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Val Verde County (VVC) Commissioners Court unanimously voted to approve an "Interlocal Agreement" between Val Verde County and Culberson County. The Texas Council on Indigent Defense (TCID) has awarded a grant for “$1.6 million to Culberson County to expand the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender Office into Val Verde and Terrell Counties.”
Prior to the vote, County Judge Lewis Owens stated the move would “give us an opportunity to provide better service for indigent defendants.” An indigent defendant is a person accused of a crime who is financially unable to hire a private attorney. Owens added that the program, “may save the county some funds but will definitely provide a better service, to get these cases moving through our court system.”
On the VVC Court agenda, it was stated: “These grant awards further TCIC’s mission to strengthen public defense statewide, with a particular focus on increasing access to quality legal representation in rural counties with increasingly fewer attorneys. The approved grants will help fill critical gaps in attorney availability, improving quality of representation and creating long-term infrastructure.”
VVC previously operated under a system where judges appointed private attorneys to represent indigent defendants. This meant a rotating list of lawyers would handle the cases, rather than a dedicated full-time public defender. The new regional office is being established to change this system and provide a consistent team of public defenders for the county.
Attorney James McDermott, who has been Chief of the Far West Public Defender’s Office since its inception in Alpine eight years ago, was a key advocate for the grant. He worked with Val Verde County Attorney David Martinez to help secure the funding. McDermott introduced Attorney Paul Francis Chambers, a criminal defense specialist who is relocating from Alpine to Del Rio to launch the new program.
“He has been my first assistant from the beginning,” McDermott said introducing Chambers to the County Court. “He is going to be the ‘Office Head’ down here for the program. He closed on his house yesterday. There is a moving truck here in town. We are ready to start.”
According to a TIDC press release, the grant was part of more than $7 million in funding approved by the commission to support the establishment and expansion of public defender offices across Texas. The $1.6 million grant is a multi-year improvement grant designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the new office. It provides funding over a four-year period, with the reimbursement amount tapering off annually. The grant will cover up to 80% of project costs in the first year, gradually decreasing to 20% in the fourth year. This structure is intended to help the county gradually assume full financial responsibility for the office over time.
TIDC Board Chair Missy Medary said: “These grant awards reflect TIDC’s continued focus on expanding rural public defense infrastructure where it’s needed most.”
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