Opinion ID: 2807870
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Federal Community Defender Organization

Text: and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts The Federal Community Defender is a Community Defender Organization that represents indigent defendants charged with federal crimes. Its Capital Habeas Unit specially represents inmates sentenced to death in Pennsylvania in federal habeas corpus proceedings. The Federal Community Defender operates as a distinct sub-unit of the Defender Assocation of Philadelphia. It receives a periodic sustaining grant through § 3006A(g)(2)(B)(ii). This grant is paid “under the supervision of the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.” § 3006A(i). The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (“AO”) is an agency within the Judicial Conference. The Guide’s grant terms require the AO to audit the Federal Community Defender every year. Unless otherwise authorized by the AO, the Federal Community Defender is prohibited from commingling grant funds with non-grant funds and is required to use grant funds “solely for the purpose of providing representation and appropriate other services in accordance with the CJA.” J.A. 334; see also J.A. 338-39. If the Federal Community Defender fails to “comply substantially” with the terms of the grant or is “unable to deliver the representation and other services which are the subject of th[e] agreement,” the Judicial Conference or the AO “may reduce, suspend, or terminate, or disallow payments under th[e] grant award as it deems appropriate.” J.A. at 341. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania designates the Federal Community Defender to facilitate CJA representation to eligible individuals. The 8 Middle District of Pennsylvania includes the Federal Community Defender as an organization that may be appointed to represent indigent capital habeas petitioners.3 The Federal Community Defender acknowledges that it sometimes appears in PCRA proceedings without a federal court order directing it to do so. It alleges, however, that in such cases it uses federal grant funds only for “preparatory work that [will also be] relevant to a federal habeas corpus petition” and only if it “has received a federal court order appointing it as counsel for federal habeas proceedings or is working to obtain such an appointment.” Second Step Br. 10. Otherwise, it uses donated funds. See id. at 10-11.