How often is a court appointed attorney supposed to visit their assigned client in a county jail?
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How often is a court appointed attorney supposed to visit their assigned client in a county jail?
An inmate, in a county jail, was assigned an attorney at his arraignment. He met with her the following day for a few minutes and hasnt seen her since. It’s been almost 2 months. Is this normal? He has written her letters and requested a mental health evaluation but has not met with her again and the evaluation has not come. What can he do at this point?
Asked on April 18, 2019 under Criminal Law, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
There is not a set time frame for how often an attorney is supposed to visit their client in jail by state standards. However, some counties do impose certain rules that require a certain number of contacts. To see if there are any specific rules for the county where these charges are pending, I suggest reaching out to the court coordinator.
The attorney, from what you describes, does seem to be moving a little slow...but it's not egregiously slow, yet. If the defendant appears in court again and the motion still has not been filed, then he can ask to approach the court and discuss the situation. Many courts are backlogged....so even if the attorney filed the motion today....if the defendant's court date is not for another three weeks, it really doesn't matter because the motion won't be heard for another three weeks anyhow.
I would suggest giving it just a bit more time. See if the motion is heard on the next court date. If the issue is not addressed then, then I would consider trying to secure a private attorney who has the time or ability to present motions and communicate in a more timely manner.
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