HALL’S PUBLIC DEFENSE TO REFUND $110K TO BRAZOS CO.
The public defenders in the Gabriel Hall capital murder case say they will refund over $110,000 in unused funds to Brazos County.
(Brazos Co. JAIL)
The Bryan/College Station Eagle says even after the money is returned, Brazos County will still have sent over $740,000 to the Regional Public Defender’s Office for Capital Cases in Lubbock to defend Hall.
The former A&M Consolidated High School student was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2011 murder of a former Texas A&M professor.
It was the most expensive capital murder trial in Brazos County history.
According to documents provided The Eagle by the public defenders’ office, most of the money, about 70 percent, was used for expert consultation. The two next most-expensive areas were for interpreters and travel to the Philippines — about $71,000 and $74,000, respectively, making up about 10 percent each of the total cost.
Brazos County chose not to renew the agreement with RPDO in 2013, in part because the Hall trial was costing the county too much money.
Looks like the only ones to come out ahead were the lawyers. Our tax dollars at work.