Wharton County commissioners voted Monday to move forward with plans for a joint public defenders office with Matagorda County. The county applied for a state grant that would fully cover start-up costs in year one. Wharton spent $750,000 thousand dollars last year on indigent defense, much of it tied to costly murder trials. Senator Joan Huffman is backing a budget change to help make the office possible. Local leaders say the effort could ease financial strain and improve legal access for low-income residents.