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The CCP art. 26.052 plan of the Criminal District Court judges and district judges giving preference to criminal cases for appointing and paying counsel in death-penalty cases (amended by unanimous vote May 3, 2007; signed by then-Presiding Judge John Creuzot): the First Administrative Judicial Region selection-committee standards incorporated by reference with automatic conformity to future amendments, Dallas's additional four-hour capital CLE requirement (sixteen hours over two years) for first chairs, two-attorney appointment with at least one list attorney unless the State waives death in writing, the Public Defender alternative, the capital fee schedule ($500/half-day and $1,000/full-day voir dire, $1,500 per trial day, $150/hour other documented work, $125/hour capital appeals and writs), and the art. 26.052 confidential ex parte advance-expense procedure with sealed denials.
Texas > Dallas County > the Criminal District Courts and the district courts giving preference to criminal cases — capital cases in which the State seeks death; the First Administrative Judicial Region's capital-counsel standards are the incorporated qualification layer, and the plan self-amends to follow them; non-capital felony compensation runs under the separately composed July 2026 fee schedule
PURPOSE: the felony judges establish the art. 26.052 procedures for appointment and payment of counsel for indigent defendants in death-penalty cases, filed with the District Clerk and the state indigent-defense authority for publication. QUALIFICATIONS: the courts adopt "the standards and procedures for appointment of counsel in capital cases promulgated by the local selection committee for the First Administrative Judicial Region" (the committee the regional presiding judge appoints — at least four members including that presiding judge, a district judge, a local bar representative, and a board-certified criminal practitioner, art. 26.052(c)), "incorporated by reference as if fully set forth in this plan." In addition to the regional CLE requirements, a Dallas first chair "must have completed a minimum of at least four additional hours of continuing legal education or other training related to criminal defense in death penalty cases over the previous two year period, bringing the minimum amount of such training to sixteen hours." APPOINTMENT: "The presiding judge of the district court in which a capital case is filed shall appoint two attorneys, at least one of which is from the list of qualified attorneys approved by the local selection committee ... as soon as practicable after charges are filed, unless the state gives notice in writing that the state will not seek the death penalty" (art. 26.052(e)); selection weighs the attorney's schedule and availability, case complexity, the defendant's individualized needs, and other relevant factors; "In lieu of appointing counsel from the list ... members of the Public Defender's Office may be appointed in accordance with guidelines established by the Dallas County Public Defender's Office" (art. 26.052(b)); "The judges shall ensure that appointments are reasonably and impartially allocated." FEES: "$500.00 per half day of voir dire; $1000.00 for each full day of voir dire; $1500.00 for each day in trial"; the judge may approve additional time "at a rate of $150.00 per hour for all other reasonable and necessary documented legal activity"; capital appeals and writs at $125.00 per hour; time outside the flat daily rates requires a separate signed hourly billing statement with itemized activities rounded to the nearest tenth of an hour — the signature "is an attestation as to the billing statement's accuracy"; the courts approve reasonable and necessary investigator and expert fees. EXPENSES (art. 26.052(f)–(l)): appointed counsel may file "a pretrial ex parte confidential request for advance payment of expenses to investigate potential defenses," stating the investigation type, specific facts suggesting admissible evidence, and an itemized list of anticipated expenses; the court grants reasonable requests in whole or part — denials are explained in writing, attached to the confidential request, and submitted "as a sealed exhibit to the record"; unapproved expenses are reimbursed if reasonably necessary and reasonably incurred; advance or reimbursed investigation/expert payments may run directly to a licensed private investigator or expert. RECOMMENDATIONS AND AMENDMENT: appointed attorneys are urged to follow the State Bar's Guidelines and Standards for Texas Capital Counsel (adopted April 21, 2006); "This plan shall be automatically amended without further action of the judges to conform to any amendments to the standards promulgated by the First Administrative Judicial Region." Adopted by unanimous vote May 3, 2007, fee schedule effective immediately, signed May 4, 2007 by John Creuzot, Presiding Judge, Criminal District Courts.
Reviewer note: Own-site instrument composed by vision (image-only scan rendered and read page-by-page 2026-08-28; custody sha in the crawl ledger); the 2007 amendment date and Creuzot signature are historical — the plan remains the county's posted capital-appointment procedures and self-conforms to current AJR-1 standards by its own terms; the fee figures are the posted 2007 schedule, recorded as posted.
6 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in GIUSEPPINA MIRANDA's division.
4 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in HILARY CREARY's division.
2 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in NATASHA DEPRIMO's division.