Full Indigent Defense Plan can be found online: http://dentoncounty.com/Departments/County-Courts/County-Court-
Administration/Indigent-Defense-Plan.aspx
County Criminal Courts Attorney Appointment Application Checklist
☐ 1. Complete attached application and return to
Gale Joseph
1450 E. McKinney, Ste. 1333, Denton, TX 76209
Phone: (940)349-2102 Fax: (940)349-2101
Email: Gale.Joseph@DentonCounty.gov
☐ 2. Ensure that the Affidavit regarding your practice is complete and notarized
☐ 3. You may submit CLE hours but the requirement of 10 hours each year is waived for the initial
application process
☐ 4. Before submitting please note that in order to be eligible for the appointment list, an attorney
must meet the following minimum requirements: (Denton County Statutory Indigent Defense Plan pgs. 10-13)
☐ A. Licensed practicing attorney and a member in good standing with the State Bar
☐ B. Must devote at least 30% of time practicing criminal law in the State of Texas or
be board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in criminal law
☐ C. Handled at least 5 contested criminal trials before the court and/or 5 criminal
jury trials and/or criminal appeals greater than a Class “C” offenses
With lead counsel experience in at least 2 cases
☐ D. May not have any public disciplinary action by the State Bar or any other
licensing authority of any state within the last 3 years or be found by any court
to have engaged in professional misconduct within the last 3 years
☐ E. Must maintain an office that has operational and functional equipment that is
able to receive from the courts and clients email, fax, telephone/voice messages
☐ F. Ability to produce typed motions/orders
☐ G. May not be on community supervision probation, deferred adjudication or
participating in the diversion program, or owe fines or court costs for any
criminal offense above a Class “C”
☐ H. Must not be under indictment or charged with a criminal offense involving
moral turpitude
☐ I. May not have a judgment or outstanding debt/in default to any governmental
entity or federally insured program
☐ J. Maintain principal office in Denton County, as listed with the State Bar of Texas
☐ K. Must be approved by a majority of the Statutory County Court Judges
☐ 5. If approved:
☐ A. Each year submit, by October 1
st
, proof of 10 hours of criminal law CLE
☐ B. Each year file, by October 1
st
, affidavit that 80% of total criminal cases are
pending in Denton County.
☐ C. Each year submit, by October 15, to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission a
statement that describes the percentage of the attorney’s practice time that was
dedicated to work based on appointments accepted in this county
