CJA Study Committee Begins Accepting Comments

An Ad Hoc Committee to conduct a comprehensive and impartial review of the administration and operation of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) has begun accepting public comments at the following address: CJAStudy@ao.uscourts.gov. It also is anticipated that in the course of its work the committee will hold public hearings.

The CJA was enacted to create a system for providing defense services to financially eligible federal criminal defendants. It became effective fifty years ago this year. Judicial Conference policy supports a periodic, comprehensive, and impartial review of the CJA program.

The ad hoc committee is chaired by Judge Kathleen Cardone, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Judge Edward C. Prado, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, who also chaired a previous study of the CJA, has been appointed chair emeritus. In addition to judges, committee members include a federal defender, a CJA panel attorney representative, a law professor, and others. Committee appointments were made by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.

The CJA study is expected to last approximately 18-24 months.