Criminal Justice Act

Instructions for eVoucher with Login.gov - NEW Procedure as of May 11, 2024

Welcome! The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) (18 U.S.C. § 3006A) provides federal funds for attorneys, experts, and services necessary for the adequate representation of indigent defendants. In the Eastern District of Washington, the CJA Unit of the Clerk’s Office administers the CJA.

In addition to overseeing payment to counsel and experts, the CJA Unit serves as a resource for panel members in their representation of indigent clients.

CJA Supervising Attorney

Darrel J. Gardner | Phone: 509-458-3423 | Email: Darrel_Gardner@waed.uscourts.gov

CJA Panel Attorney District Representative

Stephen R. Hormel - Phone: 509-926-5177 - email: steve@hormellaw.com

Ninth Circuit's Case Managing Attorney

Suzanne Morris | Phone: 415-355-8985 | Email: smorris@ce9.uscourts.gov

Resources for panel members:

Plan & Policies

CJA Plan (Amended Plan Approved February 29, 2024)

Case Budgeting Procedure

Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit Criminal Justice Act Policies and Procedures (Appendices Revised February 1, 2024)

9th Circuit Comp Handbook (eff. 2/29/2024)

The Guide

Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 2 Appointment and Payment of Counsel
Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 3 Authorization and Payment for Investigative Expert or Other Services
Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 5. Miscellaneous Procedures
Volume 19, Chapter 4, Judiciary Staff Travel Regulations

Forms

Associate Counsel Request

AUTH Supporting Memorandum

CJA Financial Affidvait (CJA-23)

Manuals & Job Aids

Attorney Manual

Avoiding Voucher Data Loss

Case Budgeting Procedure

Creating a CJA 26 - Waiving Case Compensation Maximums

Creating a CJA 20 or 30

Creating a CJA20 or 30 Voucher with Associate Functionality

Creating a CJA24 Authorization of Transcript Request

Creating a Single Login Profile

Expert Manual

Fact Witness

Frequently Asked Questions/Troubleshooting

Guide for Attorneys Importing Service Entries

Guidelines for Requesting an "Overnight" Transcript

Information for CJA Panel

Instructions to Obtain Transcripts of Sealed/Ex Parte Hearings

Linking an Authorization to a CJA21 Voucher

Linking eVoucher Accounts

National CJA Voucher Reference Tool

Requesting Authorization for a Service Provider

Signing into eVoucher with Login.gov; NEW PROCEDURE as of May 2024 (PDF)

- (See video walk-through at https://youtu.be/vQlwGERUy_g)

Single Login Profile Signin Password Locked

Top 10 eVoucher Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

WAED CJA Billing Guide

9CCA Service Provider Hourly Rates

Travel Information

Creating a Travel Voucher

Prudent Traveler Rule

Missing Travel Receipt Report

Per Diem rates

Travel Information for Court-Appointed CJA Attorneys

Travel Worksheet

Interpreter Information

Interpreter Worksheet

Interpreter List - Note: Inclusion on the listing of interpreters provided herein does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by the Eastern District of Washington nor the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

Fee & Rates

INCREASE TO HOURLY RATE AND CASE COMPENSATION MAXIMUM UNDER THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT (CJA) - CALENDAR YEAR 2024

Announcing inflationary adjustments to the hourly rates and case compensation maximums under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), 18 U.S.C. § 3006A.

CJA Panel Attorney Hourly Rate Increases

The panel attorney hourly rates increased from $164 to $172 for non-capital work and from $210 to $220 for capital work. The new rates apply to services performed on or after January 1, 2024. Where appointment of counsel occurred before January 1, 2024, the new hourly compensation rates apply to that portion of services provided on or after the effective date.

CJA Panel Attorney Case Compensation Maximums (in Non-Capital Cases)

Because of the increase in the non-capital hourly rate, the waivable case compensation maximum amounts for non-capital representations increase to:

$13,400 (previously $12,800)
$9,600 (previously $9,100)
$3,800 (previously $3,600)
$2,900 (previously $2,700)

The new case compensation maximums apply to a voucher submitted by appointed counsel if that person furnished any CJA-compensable work on or after January 1, 2024. The former case compensation maximums apply to a voucher submitted by appointed counsel if that person’s CJA-compensable work on the representation was completed before January 1, 2024.

IINCREASE TO INVESTIGATIVE, EXPERT, OR OTHER SERVICES CASE COMPENSATION MAXIMUMS (EFFECTIVE 01/01/2024)

The federal pay adjustment also increases the case compensation maximum for investigative, expert, or other services. The new waivable case compensation maximum amount with prior authorization is $3,000 (previously $2,800). The $3,000 maximum, which excludes expenses, applies to each individual service provider in a non-capital representation. The case compensation maximum amount without prior authorization is now $1,000 (previously $900).

The new case compensation amount applies to a voucher submitted by a service provider if that provider furnished any CJA-compensable work in the representation on or after January 1, 2024. The former case compensation amount applies if the provider’s work on the representation was completed before January 1, 2024.

REVISED EXPERIENCE-BASED HOURLY RATE RANGES FOR EXPERTS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN CJA MEGA CASES

At its June 2019 meeting, the Judicial Conference Committee on Defender Services (the Committee) adopted the following adjusted ranges in CJA Mega Cases:

(1) paralegals, $75-$125 (increased from $25-$55), with the higher end of the range available for paralegals with specialized skills, such as IT competencies to perform complex litigation support;

(2) investigators, $75-$125 (increased from $55-$100), with the higher end of the range available for investigators with specialized skills, such as foreign-language fluency or mastery of one or more relevant areas of forensic science; and

(3) mitigation specialists, $125-$175 (increased from $75-$100), with the higher end of the range available for mitigation specialists with specialized skills, such as foreign-language fluency, particular mental health expertise, or mastery of important legal developments, including in capital cases.

NOTE: The Committee anticipates that most service providers will be compensated at the low end of the revised rates, and that compensation above the base amount will be rare.

Judges retain the authority to approve rates outside the revised ranges for good cause and are not precluded from authorizing higher or lower rates — e.g., reduced rates for less-experienced staff performing work under the direction of more experienced professionals. Indeed, the Committee anticipates that most service providers will be compensated at the low end of the revised rates, and that compensation above the base amount will be rare and reserved for providers with extraordinary skills or to address unusual difficulties with provider availability.

CJA panel attorney mega cases are representations that qualify for case budgeting under the CJA Guidelines, which include all capital representations and non-capital representations that appear likely to become, or have become, extraordinary in terms of potential cost- i.e., attorney hours are expected to exceed 300 or total expenditures (for appointed counsel and services other than counsel) are expected to exceed an amount equal to 300 times the prevailing CJA panel attorney non-capital hourly rate, rounded up to the nearest thousand. The presiding judge determines whether a particular defendant's case is "likely to become extraordinary."

No PACER fees charged to individuals providing services authorized by Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A. See Fee Schedule.

Calculation Compensation for Time Worked

CJA Financial Affidavit for criminal cases

CJA Application

CJA Application to Reapply

CJA Mentee Application

CJA Mentor Application