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Addendum to the Harris County Fair Defense Act Plan — additional duties and requirements of appointed attorneys (approved February 1, 2023; effective February… — 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)
ADDENDUM TO THE HARRIS COUNTY FAIR DEFENSE ACT PLAN APPROVED FEBRUARY 1, 2023 AND EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 27, 2023. Additional Duties and Requirements of Appointed Attorney: The Harris County District Court Judges of the Criminal Division set forth the following additional duties and requirements for all appointed attorneys: General Ethical Duties and Considerations: Counsel must provide zealous, diligent, competent and client-centered representation. Counsel must consistently demonstrate commitment to providing effective assistance of counsel and quality representation to their court-appointed clients. Counsel must perform the attorney's duty owed to the client in accordance with these procedures, the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and applicable rules of ethics. Counsel must manage his/her workload to allow for the provision of quality representation and the execution of the responsibilities listed in these rules in every case. Counsel must exhibit professionalism toward their clients, judges, other attorneys, witnesses, and the court staff. Counsel must be of sound mind, as well as good moral and ethical character. Counsel must accept responsibility for all actions taken on each appointed case, and meet any additional requirement(s) that may be later imposed by the district judges as an addendum to the Fair Defense Act Plan. Court Communication Duties and Requirements: Counsel must have an active e-mail account to receive court appointments and notices regarding procedural changes. Counsel should provide the Courts with a cell phone number that provides for texting capabilities. Counsel must promptly respond to all communications from the Court, whether that communication is through email, phone call, text, or any other form of communication. Counsel must have a reliable mode of voice contact and communication, be that a secretary, receptionist, answering service, or a cell phone with voicemail capability and capacity. Counsel must respond promptly to communications from the client. Counsel shall make requests for appointments as follows: Attorney Requests for Individual Case Assignments. Attorneys, including the HCPD, requesting individual case assignments shall submit their requests to the Central Appointment Coordinator. Attorney Requests for Limited Term Assignments: Attorneys, including the HCPD, requesting limited term assignments shall submit their applications to the Central Appointment Coordinator no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday for assignment consideration. Client Communications and Contact Requirements: Counsel must register a phone number consistent with the requirement above with the Harris County Sheriff to prevent any attorney client phone calls with incarcerated clients from being recorded. Counsel should have a location in Harris County where they can meet privately with appointed clients.
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. Scan (6 pp) read by vision; pages 1-2 (the duties and requirements) are transcribed above and the posted scan is the controlling text. The 2026 plan's amendment history lists February 1, 2023; the DCA posts the addendum alongside the plan.
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.