Defender Services – Annual Report 2025

Establishment of Wyoming Federal Defender Organization

A stand-alone federal public defender organization (FPDO) was opened in the District of Wyoming in August 2025. 

For decades, Wyoming had shared an FPDO with the District of Colorado. In 1992, at the request of the district court judges of the adjacent District of Wyoming, Colorado’s FPDO opened a branch office in Cheyenne, WY, about 100 miles from Denver. In 2018, a second Wyoming branch office opened in Casper, 275 miles from Denver, to meet the needs of the growing population. 

In July 2024, after significant federal caseload growth in Wyoming, the Judicial Council of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals authorized the establishment of a separate FPDO for the District of Wyoming. 

Transition to Electronic Payments of CJA Attorneys

In March of 2025, the Defender Services program transitioned all CJA panel attorney and service provider payments from paper Treasury checks to electronic funds transfers. Panel attorneys are lawyers appointed by federal courts to represent defendants without the means to retain counsel. 

The change significantly improved the timeliness, security, and efficiency of CJA payments and eliminated the issue of lost, stolen, and returned checks. The transition was made possible by upgrades to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ electronic voucher system, which now provides secure, centralized entry of banking, address, and tax reporting information. Also, Congress clarified legislative language so that CJA payments could begin to be made to attorneys’ law firms, not just to individuals. Payment via the employing law firm is the approach preferred by many practicing CJA attorneys. 

Training for Federal Defenders and CJA Attorneys

In fiscal year 2025, the AO conducted 55 national training events for CJA panel attorneys, CJA service providers, federal defenders, paralegals, investigators, and other staff. Twenty-eight virtual programs and 27 in-person programs were conducted. Topics included substantive legal training on criminal law and procedure and trial skills to enhance federal defender and panel attorneys’ courtroom advocacy skills. Workshops covered topics including initial court appearances, detention hearings, electronic case management, and sentencing mitigation.