The Office of the Federal Public Defender, Western District of Texas, operates under authority of the Criminal Justice Act of 1964 (CJA), 18 U.S.C. § 3006A. It provides defense services in federal criminal cases and other covered matters to individuals who are financially unable to obtain adequate representation. A person’s eligibility for defender services is determined by the federal court. Defender organization attorneys may not engage in the private practice of law.
The defender organization for this district is headquartered in San Antonio, and it has staffed branches in El Paso, Del Rio, Austin, and Alpine.
The primary purpose of this site is to support CJA panel attorneys of the Western District of Texas in their appointed cases. Additionally, information is provided for federal defendants and others interested in criminal cases in our district. None of the information on this site is intended as, or should be taken as, legal advice.
of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas!
New features include special information for CJA counsel, for non-lawyers and for clients and their families. The redesigned website also includes a new, more interactive index to our appellate brief bank. Links to other websites and useful information have also been updated and expanded.
In the coming weeks, we hope to add more information, including materials from seminars and additional information in Spanish. For now, please browse and enjoy!
Henry Bemporad Federal Public Defender Western District of Texas
On May 1st the Sentencing Commission submitted a slate of proposed Guidelines amendments to Congress. They will take effect November 1, 2009, absent congressional action. You can read the amendments in the Federal Register notice, as well as a reader-friendly redline. A short summary of the amendments, as well as links to defender comments, are available here.
The Department of Justice recently voiced the Obama Adminstration's support for elimination of the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, and issued this memorandum to all federal prosecutors to provide guidance for implementing the new policy. The memo also contains Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer's testimony before a congressional committee studying the issue.
Carr Factors: "Close Assistance of Counsel" Not the Same Thing as "Ineffective Assistance of Counsel"
Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:42:00 -0400
Proposed Fifth Circuit Rules Changes
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:55:00 -0400
En Banc Court Splits Evenly in Seale, Thereby Affirming District Court's Rejection of SOL Challenge
Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:14:00 -0400
Remorse Not Requried for Acceptance of Responsibility, But Lack of Remorse a Valid Basis for Upward Variance
Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:01:00 -0400