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CJA panel payments stopped maybe until October 1 for lack of funds in the budget

By John Wesley Hall, Jr.

As a CJA lawyer, I get a memo via our local rep from the Director of the AOC of the U.S. Courts that CJA panel payments have ceased because of lack of funds in the current budget. Another area of concern is in the Defender Services account. The House bill funds that account at the FY 2010 level, which is $50 million below the level needed to meet base program requirements. At this funding level, payments to private panel attorneys providing representation to indigents under the Criminal Justice Act would have to be suspended for the last several weeks of the fiscal year. After consulting with federal defenders about cost reduction options, a hiring freeze was imposed on all federal defender organization positions beginning in January, and within the last few days, guidance has been issued to suspend all discretionary salary increases and cash awards...continue to full post

Full post as published by Law Of Criminal Defense on February 24, 2011 (boomark / email).