Legal Links
Page author: Penn Hackney. You're also welcome to visit home thoughts or my WorldNet home page.
Lisa Freeland, Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Michael Novara, First Assistant Federal Public Defender
Penn Hackney, Senior Litigation Counsel
Assistant Federal Public Defenders, Pittsburgh Division:
Llinda Cohn, Jay Finkelstein, Karen Gerlach, Thomas Livingston, Margie Minkler, Renee Pietropaolo, Marketa Sims.
Assistant Federal Public Defender, Erie Division:
Thomas W. Patton
The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Pemnnsylvania was created in 1974 by the Criminal Justice Act of 1964 (18 U.S.C., sec. 3006A). In accordance with that law, a federal district court (the trial courts of the federal judicial system) may establish a defender organization if at least two hundred persons in the district annually require the appointment of counsel.
The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania represents indigent defendants before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Representation includes counsel and investigative, expert and other services necessary for an adequate defense.
The Office includes the Federal Public Defender, Assistant Federal Public Defenders, Investigators, and administrative staff. They handle caseloads composed of federal misdemeanors, felonies, parole and probation violations, habeas corpus, grand jury representation, direct appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and petitions for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Federal Public Defenders are appointed to a four-year term by the presiding U.S. Court of Appeals (which is the Third Circuit for Pennsylvania), after consideration of recommendations made by the District Court. The Federal Public Defender appoints as many attorneys as the U.S. Court of Appeals approves (which is based primarily on the number of prosecutions in a given District) and other personnel as approved by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Legal Links
This page has been seen
times at WorldNet, andtimes at betatesters.com