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Fair Defense Act Alternative Plan — Amended Fee Schedule for appointed counsel (effective February 27, 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 > District Courts Trying Criminal Cases (Felony Division)
If an attorney appears at court for a court-appointed matter and upon arriving at court that matter is passed by the Court or the defendant has retained counsel present, the attorney shall be allowed to bill for a 30-minute presumption on that case. … An attorney appointed to be the limited term attorney in one court who is called to trial in another court should immediately notify the first court that he will not be available the rest of the week. … If the level of offense changes when a case is indicted and appointed counsel is not qualified for that level of offense, counsel shall contact the Court coordinator so that an attorney from the appropriate list can be substituted. … Appointed attorneys and attorneys seeking public funds for investigative or expert assistance must submit a voucher to the appointing Court in the format specified by the Harris County Administrative Office of the District Courts, including registering to submit vouchers electronically. … Appointed attorneys and attorneys seeking public funds for investigative or expert assistance must follow all procedures for payment required by the Harris County Auditor. … All vouchers must be submitted to the appointing Court within 21 days of disposition of the matter or the attorney’s withdrawal, unless good cause is shown. … The attorney is compensated for only one case at a time. … Investigators and experts must be licensed in accordance with applicable State law. … Bills submitted by investigators and experts must document the dates and time spent on the case and must be sworn to or affirmed as accurate. … The following oath would suffice: “I swear or affirm that the attached invoice accurately documents the time that I spent on this case.” Investigators and Experts seeking direct payment must follow all procedures for payment required by the Harris County Auditor, including submitting a vendor identification number on invoices. … Receipts must be provided.
Reviewer note: Own-site content fetched by us 2026-08-23 (Phase 5 page-denominator close; hashed custody). Operative mandatory-language provisions quoted verbatim; the full posted document is the controlling text. Linked from the DCA FDAMS page and the May 2026 voucher notice as the current fee schedule.
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.