§3168 Planning Process

Summary

Each U.S. district court must set up a planning group within sixty days after July 1, 1975. 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 experienced in criminal defense and one in civil litigation); the Chief U.S. Probation Officer; and a person skilled in criminal justice research who will act as the group's reporter. The group must write the district plans required by law and may use planning funds to do this. The group must study and recommend reforms in criminal justice, covering things like grand juries, finality of judgments, habeas corpus and other post-conviction attacks, pretrial diversion and detention, overly broad federal criminal laws, simpler pretrial and sentencing procedures, and delays on appeal. Members, except the reporter, get no extra pay but are reimbursed for travel and necessary expenses under federal travel rules. The reporter is paid under federal rules and may be employed as long as needed.