H.R. No. 572
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, March 18, 2025, marks the 62nd anniversary of the
landmark Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v.Wainwright, which found
that under the United States Constitution, state courts must
provide attorneys to indigent defendants in all felony cases; and
WHEREAS, In Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme
Court unanimously reaffirmed the right of defendants to a fair
trial and recognized that our adversarial system of criminal
justice depends upon a fair contest between the prosecution and the
defense, and that this contest is an effective means of arriving at
just results only when both the prosecution and the defense are
adequately prepared and equipped to present their case effectively
under the law; and
WHEREAS, Because the assistance of counsel is essential to
effectuate a meaningful defense when faced with prosecution by the
state, the 77th Texas Legislature passed the Fair Defense Act of
2001 to better ensure that the constitutional rights of all Texans
would be more reliably safeguarded; and
WHEREAS, To ensure the rights guaranteed in Gideon
v. Wainwright, the Fair Defense Act established the Task Force on
Indigent Defense, which was elevated to permanent agency status as
the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; the task force and the
commission have enabled many more people to receive public defense
services and earlier access to counsel, while also improving the
quality of legal assistance provided; and
WHEREAS, The commission also provides technical support to
counties to develop and maintain quality, cost-effective public
defense systems and offers financial assistance to meet the new
requirements and to foster innovation in the way that public
defense services are provided; state grant funds administered by
the commission have led to the creation of many new public defender
offices and managed assigned counsel programs to provide public
defense services in more than 82 counties, and the commission is
actively working to address the rural attorney shortage crisis by
establishing more rural regional public defender offices; and
WHEREAS, Gideon v. Wainwright marked a turning point in
American jurisprudence, and by affirming essential principles of
fairness and justice, the decision has played a crucial role in
guaranteeing access to counsel for all; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 62nd anniversary of Gideon
v. Wainwright and commend the Texas Indigent Defense Commission on
its work to improve the administration of justice in this state.
Smithee
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 572 was adopted by the House on April
17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 8, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House