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The Juvenile Board's indigent defense plan governs how counsel is appointed for indigent juveniles: indigence determination, a four-tier attorney qualification ladder, and appointment from the approved list in rotation (the juvenile appointment wheel).
Applies to the appointment of counsel for indigent juveniles in the Tarrant County courts authorized to hear Title III (Texas Family Code) cases, and to attorneys seeking those court appointments. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
TARRANT COUNTY JUVENILE BOARD INDIGENT DEFENSE PLAN (05/17/2023). Indigence determination: "If the juvenile is found to be indigent, the juvenile shall receive a court-appointed attorney made pursuant to the juvenile appointment wheel." A juvenile whose household income exceeds the latest Living Wage Calculator guideline may still qualify on a finding of special circumstances. Attorney qualification tiers: Level One (base trial appointments); Level Two (five juvenile or criminal contested trials, two with a jury, plus ten adjudications/modifications, or ten pleas, or a combination totaling ten proceedings); Level Three (Determinate Sentencing or Certification proceedings — all Level Two qualifications and either board certification in juvenile or criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, or five years licensed with five felony jury trials and second-chair or lead counsel in a determinate-sentence case); Level Four (Appeals — qualified for trial appointment at any level plus five juvenile or criminal appeals, or Board Certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Juvenile Law, Criminal Law, or Criminal Appellate Law). Appointments are made from the approved list in the order in which attorneys' names appear; an attorney not appointed in order remains next in order on the list.
TARRANT COUNTY JUVENILE BOARD INDIGENT DEFENSE PLAN (05/17/2023). Indigence determination: "If the juvenile is found to be indigent, the juvenile shall receive a court-appointed attorney made pursuant to the juvenile appointment wheel." A juvenile whose household income exceeds the latest Living Wage Calculator guideline may still qualify on a finding of special circumstances. Attorney qualificati
Reviewer note: Composed from the county's Juvenile Courts attorney-list page — "Tarrant County Juvenile Board Indigent Defense Plan," dated May 17, 2023 (14 pp.), fetched 2026-09-05/06 (robots Crawl-delay 30 honored). Board-adopted plan under the Texas Fair Defense Act; scoped division_family to the juvenile courts. The four graduated attorney lists it references (Levels One–Four) and the appointment forms are retained as records. Verbatim quotations preserved. [benchpath-tx-ajr8-tarrant-ownsite-2026-09-06]
2 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1986-33A.
1 verbatim requirement from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1987-09.