June 2011

Where the Money Goes

Six months into FY 2011, the Judiciary, along with the rest of the federal government, received its annual funding. While Congress had been considering final appropriations levels, the courts had deferred hiring for most staffing vacancies and limited non-salary spending to only essential expenditures, in addition to other spending restrictions. Now, with $6.91 billion in funding for the Judiciary approved for FY 2011, courts are looking at spending levels that will allow clerks of court and probation and pretrial services offices to maintain current staffing levels on a national basis, with some court units able to hire staff to meet growing workload needs. Based on current projections, final appropriations should be sufficient to make full year payments to Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys.

Where FY 2011 Funding is Allocated

The Salaries and Expenses account receives 73 percent of the Judiciary’s total FY 2011 funding. This funding covers rent, judges and court personnel salaries and benefits, operating expenses, information technology, and other expenses.

Funding for federal public defender and community defender organizations, compensation for private attorneys representing indigent defendants, and fees of persons providing investigative, expert, and other services under the Criminal Justice Act is provided from the Defender Services account. This account receives 15 percent of the funding.

The Court Security account provides funds that are transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Protective Service for the procurement, installation, and maintenance of security equipment, and for protective services, including contract security officers for the courts. The account receives 7 percent of the funding.

The Fees of Jurors account, 1 percent of the Judiciary’s total funding, pays for juror fees and expenses.

The remaining 4 percent funds the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of International Trade, the Administrative Office, the Federal Judicial Center, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and the Judiciary Retirement Trust Fund.