§3168 Planning process

Summary

Within sixty days after July 1, 1975, each U.S. district court must set up a planning group. The group must include at least the Chief Judge; a magistrate judge if the Chief Judge picks one; the U.S. Attorney; the court Clerk; the Federal Public Defender if there is one; two private lawyers (one with lots of criminal defense experience and one with civil litigation experience); the Chief Probation Officer; and a criminal justice researcher who will serve as the reporter. The group must write and send recommendations for the district’s required plans and may use designated planning funds to do its work. The group must study needed reforms in the criminal justice system, like changes to grand juries; how final criminal judgments are; habeas corpus and other collateral attacks; pretrial diversion and detention; whether federal criminal law reaches too far; simpler pretrial and sentencing procedures; and delays on appeal. Members (other than the reporter) receive no extra pay but are reimbursed for travel and necessary expenses under federal rules. The reporter is paid under federal hiring rules and may be kept on as long as needed.