We Have an Issue: You Have the Right ... (in Theory, at Least)
In this week's cover story, Maggie Q. Thompson digs into Counsel at First Appearance – what it is, why we don't have it in Travis County, and whether that's violating our Constitutional rights
By Kimberley Jones, Fri., Aug. 4, 2023
This week's cover story about counsel at first appearance (CAFA), written by News Editor Maggie Q. Thompson, can be filed under: Not Sexy but Seriously Important Reporting. In it, Maggie explains what happens when someone in Travis County is arrested, and what currently doesn't happen – which is that the accused is not provided an attorney the first time they go before a judge, a vulnerable time when they very much need an advocate.
To tell this story, Maggie did a dozen interviews over several weeks and generally hit the books hard, learning the importance of pretrial hearings that get much less press than trials, "and how deeply problematic it is that so many cases end with a plea agreement instead of with a jury's decision in a trial."
Over the course of her reporting, Maggie was struck by how little resistance there was to the idea of CAFA – just no resources to make it happen.
"Every agency involved in this story is understaffed," she said. "The public defender's office is understaffed. The sheriff's office is understaffed. Our magistrate judges are working overtime, because they're understaffed.
"To get a just outcome, we're asking people who are already overworked to do more work."
And that's not just when it comes to CAFA. For Maggie, who runs our news coverage, the facts here are depressingly familiar.
"This story echoes so many other stories that we report on, in that this community has grown so much faster than any of our infrastructure has."
Find that story on p.14.
ONLINE THIS WEEK
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Waxy's Got a Brand-New Brunch ... and Wayne Alan Brenner is still dreaming about Wax Myrtle's Cinnamon-Sugar Rellenito Plantain.
Old Luv Rekindled: Richard Whittaker reports from the new North Loop home of We Luv Video's collection of 130,000 tapes, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
Day Trips and Beyond: Capt. Day Trips Gerald McLeod rustles up dozens of travel ideas to wrap up summer, including grape stomps around Texas, the world's largest free barbecue at the XIT Rodeo & Reunion, and a visit to Wild West legend Belle Starr's gravesite.
The Good That Won't Come Out: Abby Johnston extols Jenny Lewis' pristine voice, feminist energy, and career-spanning catalog on display at last week's Austin City Limits taping.
It's the End of the World As We Know It: First look at Spy Kids: Armageddon, the latest in the kid-friendly action franchise from Robert Rodriguez.
Call for Interns: Want to explore the inner guts of an alt-weekly? The Chronicle is now accepting applications for our fall internship program. Find out how to apply at austinchronicle.com/intern.
