There's a major bias by outlets like the NYT to paint red states in a bad light. In reality, the worst state in the country for lacking public defenders is Oregon.
Lack of public defenders is the least of the problems pointed out in the article. The presence of a public defender should not be the only thing keeping the system from losing track of who has been imprisoned, why, and for how long. The presence of a public defender should not be the only thing preventing judges and prosecutors from violating the state's sentencing guidelines. The system described in the article is irredeemably fucked.
By no means am I excusing Texas, I'm just pointing out I've never seen any national expose on Oregon's lack of public defenders, and the fact that they end up freeing repeat offenders since they can't prosecute.
