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Evaluation of the Interim Recommendations from the Cardone Report

Margaret S. Williams, Barbara Meierhoefer, Carly E. Giffin, Jana E. Laks, Leeann W. Bass, Laural L. Hooper, Kenneth Lee
September 18, 2023

This report evaluates the implementation of the interim recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee to Review the Criminal Justice Act, appointed by the Chief Justice, in its 2017 report. The 35 interim recommendations called for changes in the administration of the Criminal Justice Act to improve the independence of the defense function while the Ad Hoc Committee’s final recommendation—an independent Defender Commission within the judicial branch of government, but outside the oversight of the Judicial Conference—was considered. Drawing from defender program information as well as newly collected data, the evaluation considers the implementation of the recommendations and the extent to which implementation addresses the concerns with the administration of federal public defense identified by the Ad Hoc Committee.