Criminal Justice Act — Judicial Business 2024

The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) provides funding for the representation of individuals with limited financial resources in federal criminal proceedings. In each district, a plan exists for providing representation through private panel attorneys and, where established, federal public or community defender organizations. This year, 82 federal defender organizations (FDOs) (65 federal public defender organizations and 17 community defender organizations) served 91 of the 94 federal judicial districts.

A combined total of 176,990 FDO cases opened and representations by counsel under the CJA were authorized in 2024, an increase of 21 percent compared with last year. This growth occurred as the Judiciary continued to work through the backlog of cases that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total for panel representations, which is based on voucher payments to attorneys, may increase as more vouchers are issued and recorded later for work done by attorneys this year.

Ninety-three percent of all federal judicial districts had higher caseloads. The largest percentage increases occurred in the Northern Mariana Islands (up 103 percent), the Southern District of Alabama (up 89 percent), and the Western District of Arkansas (up 75 percent). Most districts had increased activity related to motions for sentence reductions based on the retroactive application of amendments to the U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines and to consultations with FDO attorneys outside of existing cases. The largest percentage decreases occurred in the Southern District of Georgia (down 13 percent), the Northern District of Texas (down 10 percent), and the District of Maryland (down 9 percent).

Representations closed by the 82 federal public and community defender organizations (including representations in criminal matters, appeals, and habeas corpus proceedings) rose 24 percent from the previous year to 108,614. Representations for which appointed panel attorneys were compensated under the CJA remained relatively stable, growing less than 1 percent to 62,500. 

The number of private attorneys paid through the CJA panel attorney payment system was 7,967.

For a summary of federal defender appointments under the CJA for the past five years, see Table S-21. For information on representations for each federal public and community defender organization, see Table K-1.