1. We will treat our clients with dignity and respect, striving to earn their trust and maintain our credibility
2. We will maintain communications with our clients so they may be kept apprised of their case.
3. We will strive to maintain the leading edge in public defender strategies in the state of Texas and to sustain the APDO as a model to be emulated nation and state wide

Goals

Continue to provide better representation for indigent appellants by ensuring appellants consistent, accountable, highly qualified professional representation throughout the appellate process, including pursuing all meritorious claims; and centralizing management of indigent appeals, thereby increasing productivity, efficiency, and ultimately saving the County money while also ensuring indigent criminal appellants receive the highest quality appointed representation possible.

Objectives

• Provide in-house appellate representation for all appellate cases, except those in which a conflict exists. (Potential conflict would arise when there are co defendants who wish to appeal or when the interests of an appointed appellant would conflict with another client of the office.)
• Reduce the percentage of cases appointed to the private sector from the bench from 100% to <5% within the first year of operation.
• Maintain a manageable number of cases.
• Create a base of institutional knowledge and consistency within the indigent criminal defense community in parity with the District Attorney's Office, which will increase resources available to the defense bar.
• Increase public awareness of the crisis in providing effective indigent representation. This will be accomplished through articles, speaking engagements, and participation in local and statewide bars.
• By reducing the number of vouchers required to be reviewed, it benefits the Criminal Judges by reducing the number of hours spent reviewing vouchers. The auditor's office will save time reviewing vouchers and cutting and mailing individual checks. The image of the judiciary also benefits, as the establishment of a public defenders office will remove any appearance of impropriety relating to the appointment of counsel on appellate cases. Criminal District Court Administration benefits, because maintaining the extensive list of attorneys qualified to accept appellate appointments will no longer be necessary.
• Finally, although the APDO's primary purpose is to zealously represent its clients, the APDO is taking a proactive stance in looking for ways to save the County money. By responsible representation from the outset, the APDO hopes to be able to reduce the number of wholly frivolous appeals, thus saving the resources involved when an appeal is filed, and, hopefully, impacting positively upon jail population.