Bexar County criminal district courts seek state funds for mental health defense

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County criminal district courts are working to tackle mental health by asking the state for more funding.

Judge Ron Rangel with the 379th Criminal District Court, who also presides over the felony mental health court, said a third of individuals arrested each month in Bexar County have some sort of mental health issue.

Requesting $2 million in funding from the state’s Indigent Defense Counsel would help train court-appointed attorneys to manage these cases and provide more treatment options for defendants.

“We can no longer afford, in our society, to ignore these types of mental health issues in the criminal justice system,” Rangel said.

With the goals of keeping the community safe and preventing an individual from reoffending, Rangel believes tackling mental health is a must as concerns continue to grow.

“The idea is we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is, and we’ve got to work towards solving these issues,” Rangel said.

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