Judge details county’s capital murder expenses

Submitted by Canton1 on

By Donnita Fisher

Managing Editor

Although the county budgeted more than $450,000 to try three capital murder cases in 2014 and 2015, to date less than $112,000 has been actually spent, 294th District Court Judge Teresa Drum told Van Zandt County Commissioners last week.

Drum provided an update on the county’s capital murder budget during the commissioners court meeting June 9.

Commissioners originally budgeted $457,316.10 for three capital murder cases – Danny Greenhow, Larry Maples and Michael Moore, Drum said. “Expenses were budgeted for the DA’s office, the Sheriff’s office, indigent defense expenses, as well as jury and district clerk expenses,” she said.

The county also anticipated receiving $150,000 in grants from the state if the cases were tried as death penalty cases. “None of these tried as death penalty cases,” Drum said, “so we were not eligible for the grants.”

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