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Chapter 6, § 655 Establishment of Capital Habeas Units and Other Resources

Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol 7 Defender Services, Part A Guidelines for Administering the CJA and Related Statutes, Chapter 6: Federal Death Penalty and Capital Habeas Corpus Representations

§ 655 Establishment of Capital Habeas Units and Other Resources

(a) Circuit courts should encourage the establishment of capital habeas units in federal defender organizations where they do not already exist and make resource counsel and other resources, as well as training opportunities, more widely available to attorneys appointed in capital habeas cases. SeeJCUS-SEP 2018, p. 40.

(b) Every district should have access to a capital habeas unit.  SeeJCUS-MAR 2019, pp. 18-20.

(c) Local or circuit restrictions prohibiting capital habeas units from engaging in cross-district or cross-circuit representation should not be imposed without good cause.   SeeJCUS-MAR 2019, pp. 18-20.

Chapter Appendices 

Appx 6A Recommendations Concerning the Cost and Quality of Defense Representation (Updated Spencer Report, September 2010) (PDF)

Last substantive revision (Transmittal 07-017) December 30, 2024

Last revised (minor technical changes) January 1, 2025