the Smith County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (SCCDLA) held its monthly meeting last night. Many things were discussed. Of interest to me was the discussion on the possibility of a public defender office for the county. This idea is being driven by the Commissioners' Court with little or no input from the Council of Judges and the defense bar. I think this is one of those ideas that sounds good in theory but will prove to be fiscally impractical. Besides, I haven't heard anyone say what benefits would inure if such a system were put in place. Currently the defense bar does a tremendous job representing indigent persons for fees far below what other counties consider adequate. The Commissioners' Court should stick to running the business of the county. If change is needed in indigent defense, it seems logical to me the judges would be the first to notice it and the first to suggest new programs or plans.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. (which seems to be the redneck corollary to the first part of the Hippocratic Oath, "first, do no harm").

A New Day

Welcome to my new blog. My name is Rex Thompson. I am a lawyer in Tyler, Texas. I have been practicing here since 1991. Primary areas of practice are criminal defense and personal injury. Thanks for checking in.

Today is the inauguration of Barack Obama, our 44th President. While I do not intend to be overtly political in this space, I must confess that I like this guy. I like what I hear from him. And I hope he can follow through on his ideas. So, in the spirit of fresh starts and new ideas, I am starting this blog.

I intend to focus on issues that interest me. They may be related to criminal justice generally, and criminal justice in my hometown specifically. But there will be a liberal sprinkling of other things as well. So lets get started.