The Fort Bend County Public Defender's Office is located in Richmond, Texas. The mission of the Public Defender's office is to provide quality representation to indigent defendants. With attorneys, investigators, social services, and legal expertise, the Public Defender's office handles both felony and misdemeanor trial cases and defendants with mental illness. Investigating cases properly and eliminating needless resets, the Public Defender's office significantly cuts down on pretrial incarceration of indigent defendants while providing accountability and statistics to both the judiciary and county officials. An individual must apply for a public defender by completing a detailed financial statement and agreeing to provide documentation concerning income, assets and debts for the person and the person's spouse if any. This information is generally provided to a court employee who reviews the financial information and recommends to the judge whether or not the person is eligible for government-paid counsel. If the court has assigned a public defender to your case in Fort Bend County, please contact the office head for assistance.