2020-11-16T08:34:19-08:00 2019-12-31 742981758 Dunagan Jack LLP 3724 Jefferson Street Suite 307 Austin TX 78731 990 2019-01-01 383740913 Texas Fair Defense Project TEXA 5126375220 314 E Highland Mall Blvd Austin TX 78752 Amanda Woog Executive Director 2020-11-16 true Gary Joseph Jack P00184408 5124208997 X 2019 2021-01-29 14:40:06Z X Amanda Woog 314 E Highland Mall Blvd 204 Austin TX 78752 1112620 false X www.fairdefense.org X 2006 TX Texas Fair Defense Projects mission is to fight for a criminal justice system that respects the rights of low-income Texans. We envision a new system of justice that is fair, compassionate, and respectful. 7 7 4 17 0 429286 924439 188094 67 87 1125 0 430478 1112620 0 0 247707 264816 0 19769 156029 247507 403736 512323 26742 600297 358983 960066 1240 2026 357743 958040 Texas Fair Defense Projects mission is to fight for a criminal justice system that respects the rights of low-income Texans. We envision a new system of justice that is fair, compassionate, and respectful. Through impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and education, we are working to end counterproductive, costly, and unconstitutional practices like jail time for traffic tickets and our broken money-bail system. false false 457958 188094 We at the Texas Fair Defense Project fight to end the criminalization of poverty in Texas. Through litigation, policy advocacy, and community lawyering we aim to disentangle people and communities from the criminal legal system and hold system actors accountable. We are committed to assisting and empowering impacted people and communities, working side by side to dismantle the current system so healthy communities can take hold in its place. Our client population is disproportionately targeted by the criminal legal system simply because they cannot afford access to justice. They cannot afford to hire an attorney in their criminal case, cannot purchase their freedom through cash bail, have had their driver licenses revoked because they could not pay ticket and related debt, or who are held in jail for failing to pay court debt they cannot afford. They are disproportionately people of color, and are caught in a cycle of poverty, debt and criminal justice involvement because they lack the financial resources to break that cycle. In 2019, we had a number of significant policy wins. After years of advocacy with a coalition of organizations, the Texas Legislature finally repealed the Driver Responsibility program, which had suspended more than a million drivers licenses simply because people could not afford to pay their tickets and related surcharges. Upon repeal, more than $2 billion in debt was forgiven. On the local level, we successfully advocated for Travis County to start its first public defender office, obtaining more than $20 million in state funds in a 4-year grant. Also in 2019, we settled historic bail litigation in Harris County, ODonnell et. al. v. Harris County. With co-counsel Civil Rights Corps and Susman Godfrey LLP, we filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of people detained in the Harris County Jail who were being held on misdemeanor charges simply because they could not afford to pay bail. The settlement brought significant changes to Harris Countys misdemeanor system, including automatic pretrial release for the vast majority of people arrested for misdemeanors; individualized bail hearings with defense counsel present for those not eligible for automatic release; and elimination of the personal bond fee. Daves, et. al v. Dallas County was still pending at the end of 2019. TFDP, along with co-counsel Civil Rights Corps, ACLU-TX and ACLU, filed this class action lawsuit in February 2018 on behalf of individuals jailed in Dallas County jail because they could not afford money bail, and Faith in Texas and Texas Organizing Project Education Fund. The district court issued a preliminary injunction in September 2018 requiring bail hearings within 48 hours of arrest with consideration of the defendant's ability to pay bond. The case was appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to the above-listed actions, TFDP provided direct representation in over 100 individual cases resolving Class C and related debt and held 10 walk-in legal clinics serving 284 people. This work helped people resolve more than $150,000 in legal debt they could not afford. 457958 true true false true false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 11 0 false 4 true false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false X 7 7 false false false false false false false true false false false true true false true true false true false false X Amanda Woog 5126375220 314 E Highland Mall Blvd 204 Austin TX 78752 Amanda Woog Exec Director 40.00 0.00 X 93000 0 0 Amy Grinstein Chair 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Allison Hartry Secretary 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Andrea Marsh Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Jennifer Brevorka Director 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Ben Cukerbaum Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Daniela Bloch Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Carlos Doroteo Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 93000 0 false false false 0 924439 924439 Litigation revenues 188094 188094 188094 87 87 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1112620 188094 87 X 0 0 0 0 93000 65100 13950 13950 0 141675 141675 0 10964 10964 19177 16725 1226 1226 0 0 14827 14827 0 0 0 85527 85527 0 24203 21109 1547 1547 0 0 29280 25536 1872 1872 34507 34507 0 34299 34299 0 0 494 430 32 32 0 Miscellaneous 19035 16751 1142 1142 Professional development 4291 4291 Litigation expenses 1044 1044 0 512323 457958 34596 19769 50497 577348 306324 300958 75000 0 0 0 0 0 5092 12638 12330 802 308 0 0 0 0 1360 1360 358983 960066 1240 2026 1240 2026 X 311220 731776 46523 226264 357743 958040 358983 960066 600297 X false false false X 306759 392503 411003 429286 924439 2463990 0 0 306759 392503 411003 429286 924439 2463990 137604 2326386 25 54 60 67 87 293 0 870 950 231 1125 3176 2467459 188094 0.94280 0.93630 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED false false 564 564 511759 512323 101848 25462 false 54675 78821 80747 101848 316091 474137 20675 48460 420 564 70119 13669 19705 20187 25462 79023 118535 8714 8406 308 3924 3924 308 Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process The Project's CPA prepares a draft of the return. The Executive Director reviews the draft and then provides an electronic copy to the Board before it is filed. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c: Explanation of Monitoring and Enforcement of Conflicts From Article IX of the Project's Conflict of Interest Policy:To ensure the Corporation operates in a manner consistent with charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews shall be conducted. The periodic reviews shall, at a minimum, include the following subjects:(1) whether compensation arrangements and benefits are reasonable, based oncompetent survey information and the result of arm's length bargaining; and(2) whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with managementorganizations conform to the Corporation's written policies, are properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, further charitable purposes and do not result in inurement, impermissible private benefit or in an excess benefit transaction. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a: Compensation Review & Approval Process - CEO, Top Management The Executive Director's compensation is determined by the Board, based on competent survey information. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available Certain other documents are available upon request.