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It's in our DNA.

At Crossroads Defenders (CxD), we believe great lawyers are bred, not born. Think of us as the CRISPR of public defenders, transforming attorneys into courtroom chimeras, engineered for justice.

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Gene editing aside, Crossroads is a place where attorneys from across the country come together to advance the cause of justice. We hold ourselves to a standard of excellence and have pride in our ability to solve problems and deliver results. CxD uses a holistic approach to representation, combining multiple disciplines to address both the legal case, and the underlying conditions that contribute to contact with the criminal legal system.

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As the saying goes, "life isn't fair," and nobody knows that more than those that live in poverty. At Crossroads, we believe we have the tools to help make it fair, and we will fight to give our clients the chance they need.

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Our Story

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Welcome to Crossroads Defenders (CxD), also known by its government name, The Crossroads Regional Public Defender's Office. Founded in May 2024, through the combined efforts of the counties of Victoria, Jackson, Lavaca, and Refugio, CxD sprang into existence to address the growing attorney shortage and ballooning costs of the wheel appointment system. The office is buoyed by a generous grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. At the helm is our founding Chief Defender, Brian Watson, steering the ship with the wisdom of our oversight board composed of county judges, attorneys, and court staff. 

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Mission and Vision

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Our mission? To provide zealous, client-centered advocacy to indigent clients, while also offering a broad range of holistic services. Housing, employment, mental health, immigration, homelessness, substance abuse—you name it, we tackle it. Our vision is ambitious: to become an incubator and clinical institute for cutting-edge holistic defense techniques, while reducing crime, enhancing public safety, and lifting our clients out of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness.

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Milestones

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The Crossroads Regional Public Defender was the brain child of Victoria County Judge Ben Zeller, along with support from Refugio County Judge Gigi Poynter, Lavaca County Judge Keith Mudd, and Jackson County Judge Jill Sklar. These Judges recognized the twin benefits a public defender's office provides: 1. effective representation for the poor and 2. significant tax payer savings for their county constituents.

 

At the request of these stakeholders, a planning study was performed by Kristin Meeks with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC). This planning study documented serious savings opportunities and operational advantages over the current wheel systems used by many Texas counties. TIDC then approved a multi-million dollar improvement grant to start up the office.

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Subsequently the seven member oversight board conducted a far reaching search for its first Chief Public Defender, culminating in the hiring of Brian Watson on May 6th, 2024. A day that will live in...well, perhaps just in our annual reports, but it made quite a stir. Let's just say that we were born to fight. 

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Future Goals

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Our immediate task is to assemble the legal version of the 1995 Chicago Bulls, a dream team: 19 attorneys and 28 total employees. Simultaneously, we’re working on expanding our brand and letting the world know about our project. In the long run, we aim to become the gold standard of holistic defense, with plans to hammer our tracks across South Texas.

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Culture

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At Crossroads Defenders, we pride ourselves on a work culture that is as collaborative as it is driven. We're in the business of finding solutions—personal, legal, and structural. Every member of our team works with a blend of brilliance and dedication. Every attorney is expected to be a leader, and to help grow the organization. At Crossroads we believe that investing in our people pays dividends to our clients.

 

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