Bill Text: TX SR264 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing the Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright on the occasion of its 62nd anniversary.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2025-03-18 - Reported enrolled [SR264 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SR264-Enrolled.html
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| 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 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 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, That Act established the Task Force on Indigent | ||
| Defense, which was elevated to permanent agency status as the | ||
| Texas Indigent Defense Commission, to ensure the rights | ||
| guaranteed in Gideon v. Wainwright, with the task force and the | ||
| commission enabling 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 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 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 | ||
| WHEREAS, The commission is actively working to address the | ||
| rural attorney shortage crisis by establishing more rural | ||
| regional public defender offices; by affirming essential | ||
| principles of fairness and justice, the commission plays a | ||
| crucial role in guaranteeing access to counsel for all; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th | ||
| 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. | ||
| Zaffirini | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on March 18, 2025. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
