Defense attorneys for the man behind the tragic August 3rd mass shooting, Patrick Crusius, have been paid a total of $1.3 million for their representation in federal and state trials. The hefty sum paid out to the court-appointed private attorneys exceeded $745,000 in federal court alone, as reported in federal court documents and by KVIA.
Crusius's defense in federal court was split between two teams. The initial team, consisting of four attorneys, represented him from February 2020 until they withdrew in September 2020 for reasons sealed in federal court documents. This brief stint on the case accrued payments totaling more than $216,000 between them. Notably, El Paso attorney Cori Ann Harbour received $68,030.60 for her part in the defense, as El Paso Matters detailed.
When the first team departed, a second team was appointed, representing Crusius for the following three years at the cost of over half a million dollars, $528,692.38 to be exact. This figure encompasses fees for attorneys Joe A. Spencer, Jr, who earned $214,054.96, Mark Stevens, who pocketed $111,511.22, and Felix Valenzuela, who took home $203,126.20. This data was outlined by KFOX-TV in their coverage.
