I am on the adult misdemeanor list for Bexar County and I have yet to be assigned anything. If I don't get anything soon, I'm going to start breaking down the door to the courthouse. If you speak Spanish, you'll have an advantage as many of the indigent defendants, especially here in San Antonio, only speak Spanish.
Everyone's budget will be different, but I'll likely incur about $7,000 in debt for startup costs (equipment) and close to $8,000 for monthly expenses. I've got a schedule that has me paying off the loan in about 9 months. This is either optimistic or very conservative. Only time will tell.