Welcome to the Indigent Defense webpage for Hays County. If you are in need of a defense attorney but unable to pay, read through this page to find out how to begin the process of finding court-appointed legal help.

Applications for a Court-Appointed Attorney

Fill out the application you need using one of the PDF fillable forms below, then email the completed forms (be sure to save them to your computer first) as a screenshot or saved attachment to IDC@CO.HAYS.TX.US.
NOTE: Please complete all fields without dashes or “N/A.” An accepted alternative such as “none” may be used. For example, if you are unemployed, please state “unemployed” or “none” for the employee field. No exceptions. 

Fillable Applications (English and Spanish)

County Court at Law – Court Appointed Application – English

County County at Law-Court Appointed Application-Spanish

District Court – Court Appointed Application – English

District Court-Court Appointed Application-Spanish

Juvenile Court Appointed Application – English

Juvenile Court Appointed Application – Spanish

Court-Appointed Lawyers

Under Texas Law, persons charged with a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and any felony may be eligible for a court-appointed attorney. According to the Hays County Indigent Defense Plan, a person is usually eligible for a court-appointed attorney if their family income does not exceed 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Other factors may also be considered. To apply, see the forms below and use the one that fits your situation and which court your case is in, e.g., County Court at Law, District Court, Juvenile Court.

Indigent Defense Coordinator

Though some indigency determinations are made by judges, most determinations are made by the indigent defense coordinator. For Hays County, the Indigent Defense Coordinator is Kelli Pulpan. Her contact information is:

Kelli Pulpan
Hays County Government Center
712 S. Stagecoach Trail
Suite 2024
San Marcos, Texas 78666
512.878.6740

Indigent Defense Plans for Hays County

District Court
County Court at Law
Juvenile Court

Other Forms

How to make a complaint about your lawyer

Certificate of Contact  

Public Defender's Office

Find information about the firm that manages the Hays County Public Defender's Officer on the Neighborhood Defender Services (NDS) page.