By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
The Far West Texas Regional Public Defender office marked the opening of its new location in Val Verde County with an open house parking lot party and a “breaking the chains” ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.
The Far West Texas Regional Public Defender office’s new home in Del Rio is the renovated, historic John Doak Home at 313 Pecan St. The building, currently owned by Juan and Margarita Diego of AHIA, formerly housed the law offices of attorney Arturo Gonzalez for decades.
Three of Gonzalez’s children — Val Verde County Court-at-Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez, San Antonio attorney Arthur J. Gonzalez and Blanca Gonzalez Larson, executive director of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce — as well as one of his grandchildren, Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney Daisy Gonzalez Diaz, Sergio’s daughter, were present for Friday’s ceremony. Blanca Larson praised the painstaking renovation of the building carried out by the Diegos.
James G. McDermott II, founding chief public defender of Far West Texas Regional Public Defender, based in Alpine, welcomed those attending the event.
McDermott said, “As an agency, what we do is represent the people in criminal cases in Val Verde and Terrell Counties
office in Val Verde County, uses pair of bolt cutters to snip a handcuff chain, a symbolic nod to
the work the public defenders’ office will do here in representing indigent clients. A number of
city and county elected officials, as well as county, state and federal judges and local attorneys,
attended the event. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
who cannot afford a lawyer. Under the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution, everybody has a right to a lawyer in court and in a criminal case. If they cannot afford a lawyer, then they have the right to have the county pay for one, and for years, your county budget has been used to pay for that, case-by-case.”
McDermott said the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender will now offer that service to indigent persons charged with crimes in local courts, in partnership with Val Verde County and the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.
McDermott introduced attorney Paul Chambers, who will serve as the first assistant in the office in Del Rio, then invited Scott Ehlers, Texas Indigent Defense Commission executive director, to speak to those attending the event.
Ehlers said, “We are the state agency that protects the right to counsel and improves public defense here in Texas. Twenty-five years ago, the Texas Indigent Defense Commission was created through the Fair Defense Act, signed by Gov. Rick Perry, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate our 25th anniversary than coming here today and starting this office up.”
Ehlers said the TIDC provides two-thirds of the cost of running the office in Val Verde County.
“(Opening this office) would not have been possible without the work of many local folks. In particular, I wanted to call out County Attorney David Martinez. David came up to the Texas Legislature during the last session, advocated on behalf of TIDC. He advocated on behalf of TIDC’s budget. He also talked to local representatives and senators to support the establishment of this office,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers said Martinez spoke to Texas Sen. Pete Flores, who “was instrumental in getting funding,” and to Texas Rep. Eddie Morales, who gave his support as well.
“They are to be applauded for their efforts in getting this office established,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers also thanked Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr., County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez and County Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia.
“This office would not have been possible without their help,” Ehlers said.
“Thanks for coming out, and I look forward to this office helping provide greater justice here in Val Verde County,” Ehlers added.
McDermott next invited Vazquez to speak.
Vazquez told the audience, “Today marks an important milestone for our community. This office represents a continued commitment to ensuring access to justice and quality legal representation to those who need it most throughout our region. I want to thank everyone whose hard work and dedication made this day possible, as well as all of our elected officials and community partners.”
Vazquez thanked all the elected officials present at the event.
Among the local dignitaries who attended the event were U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Cordova, 83rd Judicial District Judge Robert E. Cadena, District Clerk JoAnn Cervantes, County Court-at-Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez, County Attorney David Martinez, County Clerk Teresa Eather Chapoy, County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez, County Commissioner Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia, Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez, Councilwoman Elsa Reyes, Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Jesse James Trevino, Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 J. Randel Dissler, Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Pat Cole and Constable Pct. 2 Daniel Reyes.
McDermott then spoke about his history in Del Rio.
“Everything I’ve done as a lawyer for the last 20 years, every skill that I’ve picked up, everything I’ve tried to do, everything I’ve done to advance indigent defense in the cause of justice in the state of Texas, I learned here in Del Rio,” McDermott said.
He said when he went to Alpine eight years ago, it became a mission for him to expand his office’s services to Val Verde County.
“I wanted to give back to this community everything it gave to me at the beginning of my career,” he said.
McDermott invited Blanca Larson to speak.
Larson thanked the Diegos, who bought the Pecan Street property.
“They know what my dad’s dreams would be, and this would have been his dream, that this building is still here. He was a defense lawyer for many years, and that was his heart and soul, and he worked until his last day, Dec. 21, 2012,” Larson said.
“Many years were spent here defending people from this community, and that was his love, so it is perfect that the Far West Texas Regional Public Defender office is here for all of us,” Larson added.
She also thanked members of her family and praised the Diegos for their careful renovation of the building.
At the end of the ceremony, McDermott said it is typical for new businesses to cut a ribbon to mark their opening, but he said he wanted to cut the chain on a pair of handcuffs to symbolize the work the office will be doing.
Chambers then hefted a pair of bolt cutters and cut the chain as McDermott said, “We are public defenders, and so our job is freedom. That is our cause.”
Following the ceremony, those attending were invited to share in a picnic under tents featuring lemonade and hot dogs.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
