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Fair Defense Act Appointment Procedures — 486th District Court (signed November 20, 2023) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
Texas > Harris County > 486th District Court
FAIR DEFENSE ACT APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES, 486th DISTRICT COURT. In furtherance of the Fair Defense Act's primary goal of providing qualified counsel to indigent defendants, and in accordance with the procedures of the alternative plan adopted by the judges trying criminal cases in Harris County, the 486th District Court will use a combination method of appointing attorneys that combines individual case and limited term appointment methods. Attorneys will be paid in accordance with the established fee schedule. INDIVIDUAL CASE APPOINTMENTS (See Standards and Procedures): The Court may use the individual case method to appoint attorneys to represent indigent defendants as deemed necessary by the Court. LIMITED TERM APPOINTMENTS (See Standards and Procedures): Weekly Appointments. The Court will also appoint limited term attorneys each week to handle cases as needed. Daily Appointments. The Court will also appoint limited term attorneys for one-day assignments as needed. Appointments shall be made consistent with the attorney's qualifications and the needs of the Court. The Court shall appoint no more than five (5) new defendants a day to daily limited term attorneys. QUALIFICATIONS: Individual Case Appointments: Attorneys selected for individual case appointments must meet the qualifications established by the Board of Judges and appropriate to the offense with which defendant is charged. See Standards and Procedures. Limited Term Appointments: Attorneys selected for limited term appointments must meet the qualifications established by the Board of Judges to represent individuals charged with second-degree felonies. See Standards and Procedures. Date Signed: 11/20/23. Aaron Burdette, Judge, 486th District Court.
Reviewer note: Own-site content fetched by us 2026-08-23 (Phase 5 page-denominator close; hashed custody). Complete document text quoted verbatim (whitespace-normalized); the posted document is the controlling text. Linked from the DCA 'Individual Court Procedures' page (/fdamsproc), which generates one link per felony court; one-page scan transcribed by vision. Signed by former Judge Aaron Burdette; posted by the court as its current plan — attached to the court, not to the present judge.
18 verbatim requirements from 5th Jud. Cir., M-2018-65 — sha256-hashed 2026-07-25.
2 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1986-33A.