1. Qualifications for Appointment.

a. Quality of Counsel. Courts should ensure that all attorneys appointed in federal death penalty cases are well qualified, by virtue of their prior defense experience, training and commitment, to serve as counsel in this highly specialized and demanding type of litigation. High quality legal representation is essential to assure fair and final verdicts, as well as cost-effective case management.

b. Qualifications of Counsel. As required by statute, at the outset of every capital case, courts should appoint two counsel, at least one of whom is experienced in and knowledgeable about the defense of death penalty cases. Ordinarily, "learned counsel" should have distinguished prior experience in the trial, appeal, or post-conviction review of federal death penalty cases, or distinguished prior experience in state death penalty trials, appeals, or post-conviction review that, in combination with co-counsel, will assure high quality representation.

c. Special Considerations in the Appointment of Counsel on Appeal. Ordinarily, the attorneys appointed to represent a death-sentenced federal appellant should include at least one attorney who did not represent the appellant at trial. In appointing appellate counsel, courts should, among other relevant factors, consider:

i. the attorney's experience in federal criminal appeals and capital appeals;

ii. the general qualifications identified in paragraph 1(a), above; and

iii. the attorney's willingness, unless relieved, to serve as counsel in any post-conviction proceedings that may follow the appeal.

d. Special Considerations in the Appointment of Counsel in Post-Conviction Proceedings. In appointing post-conviction counsel in a case where the defendant is sentenced to death, courts should consider the attorney's experience in federal post-conviction proceedings and in capital post-conviction proceedings, as well as the general qualifications set forth in paragraph 1(a).

e. Hourly Rate of Compensation for Counsel. The rate of compensation for counsel in a capital case should be maintained at a level sufficient to assure the appointment of attorneys who are appropriately qualified to undertake such representation.

2. Consultation with Federal Defender Organizations or the Administrative Office.

a. Notification of Statutory Obligation to Consult. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (Administrative Office) and federal defender organizations should take appropriate action to ensure that their availability to provide statutorily mandated consultation regarding the appointment of counsel in every federal death penalty case is well known to the courts. (See 18 U.S.C. § 3005.)

b. Consultation by Courts in Selecting Counsel. In each case involving an offense punishable by death, courts should, as required by 18 U.S.C. § 3005, consider the recommendation of the district's Federal Public Defender (FPD) (unless the defender organization has a conflict) about the lawyers to be appointed. In districts not served by a Federal Public Defender Organization, 18 U.S.C. § 3005 requires consultation with the Administrative Office. Although not required to do so by statute, courts served by a Community Defender Organization should seek the advice of that office.

c. Consultation by Federal Defender Organizations and the Administrative Office in Recommending Counsel. In discharging their responsibility to recommend defense counsel, FDOs and the Administrative Office should consult with Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel in order to identify attorneys who are well qualified, by virtue of their prior defense experience, training and commitment, to serve as lead and second counsel.

3. Appointment of More Than Two Lawyers.

Number of Counsel. Courts should not appoint more than two lawyers to provide representation to a defendant in a federal death penalty case unless exceptional circumstances and good cause are shown. Appointed counsel may, however, with prior court authorization, use the services of attorneys who work in association with them, provided that the employment of such additional counsel (at a reduced hourly rate) diminishes the total cost of representation or is required to meet time limits.

4. Appointment of the Federal Defender Organization (FDO).

a. FDO as Lead Counsel. Courts should consider appointing the district's FDO as lead counsel in a federal death penalty case only if the following conditions are present:

i. the FDO has one or more lawyers with experience in the trial and/or appeal of capital cases who are qualified to serve as "learned counsel"; and

ii. the FDO has sufficient resources so that workload can be adjusted without unduly disrupting the operation of the office, and the lawyer(s) assigned to the death penalty case can devote adequate time to its defense, recognizing that the case may require all of their available time; and

iii. the FDO has or is likely to obtain sufficient funds to provide for the expert, investigative and other services reasonably believed to be necessary for the defense of the death penalty case.

b. FDO as Second Counsel. Courts should consider appointing the district's FDO as second counsel in a federal death penalty case only if the following conditions are present:

i. the FDO has sufficient resources so that workload can be adjusted without unduly disrupting the operation of the office, and the lawyer(s) assigned to the death penalty case can devote adequate time to its defense, recognizing that the case may require all of their available time; and

ii. the FDO has or is likely to obtain sufficient funds to provide for the expert, investigative and other services reasonably believed to be necessary for the defense of the death penalty case.

5. The Death Penalty Authorization Process.

a. Streamlining the Authorization Process. The Department of Justice should consider adopting a "fast track" review of cases involving death-eligible defendants where there is a high probability that the death penalty will not be sought.

b. Court Monitoring of the Authorization Process. Courts should exercise their supervisory powers to ensure that the death penalty authorization process proceeds expeditiously.

6. Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel.

a. Information from Resource Counsel. In all federal death penalty cases, defense counsel should obtain the services of Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel in order to obtain the benefit of model pleadings and other information that will save time, conserve resources and enhance representation. The judiciary should allocate resources sufficient to permit the full value of these services to be provided in every case.

b. Technology and Information Sharing. The Administrative Office should explore the use of computer-based technology to facilitate the efficient and cost-effective sharing of information between Resource Counsel and defense counsel in federal death penalty cases.

7. Experts.

a. Salaried Positions for Penalty Phase Investigators. The federal defender program should consider establishing salaried positions within FDOs for persons trained to gather and analyze information relevant to the penalty phase of a capital case. FDOs should explore the possibility that, in addition to providing services in death penalty cases to which their FDO is appointed, it might be feasible for these investigators to render assistance to panel attorneys and to other FDOs.

b. Negotiating Reduced Rates. Counsel should seek to contain costs by negotiating reduced hourly rates and/or total fees with experts and other service providers.

c. Directory of Experts. A directory of experts willing to provide the assistance most frequently needed in federal death penalty cases, and their hourly rates of billing, should be developed and made available to counsel.

8. Training.

Federal Death Penalty Training Programs. The Administrative Office should continue to offer and expand training programs designed specifically for defense counsel in federal death penalty cases.

9. Case Budgeting.

a. Consultation with Prosecution. Upon learning that a defendant is charged with an offense punishable by death, courts should promptly consult with the prosecution to determine the likelihood that the death penalty will be sought in the case and to find out when that decision will be made.

b. Prior to Death Penalty Authorization. Ordinarily, the court should require defense counsel to submit a litigation budget encompassing all services (counsel, expert, investigative and other) likely to be required through the time that the Department of Justice (DOJ) determines whether or not to authorize the death penalty.

c. After Death Penalty Authorization. As soon as practicable after the death penalty has been authorized by DOJ, defense counsel should be required to submit a further budget for services likely to be needed through the trial of the guilt and penalty phases of the case. In its discretion, the court may determine that defense counsel should prepare budgets for shorter intervals of time.

d. Advice from Administrative Office and Resource Counsel. In preparing and reviewing case budgets, defense counsel and the courts should seek advice from the Administrative Office and Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel, as may be appropriate.

e. Confidentiality of Case Budgets. Case budgets should be submitted ex parte and should be filed and maintained under seal.

f. Modification of Approved Budget. An approved budget should guide counsel's use of time and resources by indicating the services for which compensation is authorized. Case budgets should be re-evaluated when justified by changed or unexpected circumstances, and should be modified by the court where good cause is shown.

g. Payment of Interim Vouchers. Courts should require counsel to submit vouchers on a monthly basis, and should promptly review, certify and process those vouchers for payment.

h. Budgets In Excess of $250,000. If the total amount proposed by defense counsel to be budgeted for a case exceeds $250,000, the court should, prior to approval, submit such budget for review and recommendation to the Administrative Office.

i. Death Penalty Not Authorized. As soon as practicable after DOJ declines to authorize the death penalty, the court should review the number of appointed counsel and the hourly rate of compensation needed for the duration of the proceeding pursuant to CJA Guideline 6.02.B(2).

j. Judicial Conference Guidelines. The Judicial Conference should promulgate guidelines on case budgeting for use by the courts and counsel.

k. Judicial Training for Death Penalty Cases. The Federal Judicial Center should work in cooperation with the Administrative Office to provide training for judges in the management of federal death penalty cases and, in particular, in the review of case budgets.

10. Case Management.

a. Non-Lawyer Staff. Where it will be cost-effective, courts should consider authorizing payment for services to assist counsel in organizing and analyzing documents and other case materials.

b. Multi-defendant Cases.

i. Early Decision Regarding Severance. Courts should consider making an early decision on severance of non-capital from capital co-defendants.

ii. Regularly Scheduled Status Hearings. Status hearings should be held frequently, and a schedule for such hearings should be agreed upon in advance by all parties and the court.

iii. "Coordinating Counsel." In a multi-defendant case (in particular a multi-defendant case in which more than one individual is eligible for the death penalty), and with the consent of co-counsel, courts should consider designating counsel for one defendant as "coordinating counsel."

iv. Shared Resources. Counsel for co-defendants should be encouraged to share resources to the extent that doing so does not impinge on confidentiality protections or pose an unnecessary risk of creating a conflict of interest.

v. Voucher Review. In large multi-defendant cases, after approving a case budget, the court should consider assigning a magistrate judge to review individual vouchers. The court should meet with defense counsel at regular intervals to review spending in light of the case budget and to identify and discuss future needs.

11. Availability of Cost Data

The Administrative Office should improve its ability to collect and analyze information about case budgets and the cost of capital cases.