The Capital Area Private Defender Service (CAPDS) is a new managed assigned counsel system in Travis County, Texas. Launched in January 2015, CAPDS replaces an ad hoc assigned counsel system operated by the judiciary with a new nonprofit corporation that oversees adult indigent defense services. With a mission to enhance the quality of representation provided, the office relies on a tailor-made set of indicators that help it assess how well it is fulfilling its goals.
Moderator: Marea Beeman, Director, Justice Standards, Evaluation, and Research Institute, National Legal Aid and Defender Association
Presenters: Betty Blackwell, President, Board of Directors, Capital Area Private Defender Service; Bradley Hargis, Deputy Director, Capital Area Private Defender Service; Meg Ledyard, Business Analyst for the Travis County Criminal Courts