This issue is important to prevent the abuse of power by governing bodies against the indigent and disabled citizens of Texas that are incarcerated, and to ensure that all citizens are given fair access to legal representation and are not denied their afforded rights. Mr. West has been in jail over 100 days and is being denied a court appointed attorney, and his request for hearing for Writ of Habeas Corpus is being ignored by local court in Rusk, TX. Legal document from court date on 6/11/13, the date he was sent to jail, states that he denied access to court appointed attorney, which is outright untrue. In fact, Mr. West told the court he had been attempting to acquire a pro-bono attorney, applied through Lone Star Legal Aide, and had documents supporting this. He states he has not been supplied with an official legal charge holding him in jail, and has not been allowed to speak to magistrate since being incarcerated, despite him providing several written and verbal requests to do so, and has also filed grievances, which remain ignored. He states there is no legal library or resources to allow those without attorneys to even attempt to represent themselves. This is not the right way to treat anyone in our justice system, and surely not a way to treat a veteran from the armed forces. The constitution should apply to every US citizen, to protect their rights regardless of their economic status. (updated 9/22/13)