[United States Government Manual] [May 31, 1996] [Pages 78-82] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov][[Page 78]] ________________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS Washington, DC 20544 Phone: See ``Sources of Information'' section at end of statement. Director L. Ralph Mecham Deputy Director (vacancy) Associate Director for Management and Clarence A. Lee, Jr. Operations Chief, Office of Audit David L. Gellman Chief, Office of Management Cathy A. McCarthy Coordination Chief, Office of Program Duane R. Lee Assessment Associate Director and General Counsel William R. Burchill, Jr. Assistant Director, Judicial Conference Karen K. Siegel Executive Secretariat Assistant Director, Congressional, External, Michael W. Blommer and Public Affairs Assistant Director for Court Programs Noel J. Augustyn Chief, Court Administration Abel J. Mattos Policy Staff Chief, Appellate Court and John P. Hehman Circuit Administration Division Chief, Bankruptcy Court Glen K. Palman Administration Division Chief, Defender Services Division Theodore J. Lidz Chief, District Court Lydia Pelegrin Administration Division Chief, Federal Corrections and Eunice Holt Jones Supervision Division Assistant Director for Facilities, Security, P. Gerald Thacker and Administrative Services Deputy Assistant Director William J. Lehman Chief, Administrative Office Nancy Lee Bradshaw Personnel Office Chief, Administrative Services Mel Bryson Office Court Security Officer James C. Shively III, Acting Chief, Relocation and Travel John R. Breslin Management Office Chief, Contracts Division Charles F. McBride Chief, Space and Facilities William J. Lehman Division Assistant Director for Finance and Budget Joseph J. Bobeck Deputy Assistant Director George H. Schafer Chief, Economy Subcommittee Diane V. Margeson Support Office Financial Liaison Officer Penny G. Jacobs Chief, Judicial Impact Office Richard A. Jaffe, Acting Chief, Accounting and Financial Philip L. McKinney Systems Division Chief, Budget Division Gregory D. Cummings Assistant Director for Human Resources and Myra Howze Shiplett Statistics Deputy Assistant Director R. Townsend Robinson Chief, Analytical Services Office David L. Cook Chief, Employee Relations and Maurice E. White Training Office Chief, Human Resources Division Charlotte G. Peddicord Chief, Statistics Division Steven R. Schlesinger [[Page 79]] Assistant Director for Information Technology Pamela B. White Chief, Computer Security and Frank S. Dozier Independent Testing Office Chief, Customer Relations Office Dennis E. Morey Chief, Technology Enhancement Richard D. Fennell Office Chief, Technology Policy, Kathryn C. Hogan Planning, and Acquisitions Office Chief, Applications Development Stephen M. Beckman Division Chief, Integrated Networks and Ellen S. Bartelt, Systems Division Acting Chief, Technology Training and Charles W. Vagner Support Division Assistant Director for Judges Programs Peter G. McCabe Chief, Long Range Planning Office Jeffrey A. Hennemuth Chief, Rules Committee Support John K. Rabiej Office Chief, Article III Judges John E. Howell Division Chief, Bankruptcy Judges Division Francis F. Szczebak Chief, Magistrate Judges Division Thomas C. Hnatowski ________________________________________________________________________ The Administrative Office of the United States Courts is charged with the nonjudicial, administrative business of the United States Courts, including the maintenance of workload statistics and the disbursement of funds appropriated for the maintenance of the U.S. judicial system. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts was created by act of August 7, 1939 (28 U.S.C. 601). The Office was established November 6, 1939. Its Director and Deputy Director are appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States after consultation with the Judicial Conference. Administering the Courts The Director is the administrative officer of the courts of the United States (except the Supreme Court). Under the guidance of the Judicial Conference of the United States the Director is required, among other things, to: --supervise all administrative matters relating to the offices of clerks and other clerical and administrative personnel of the courts; --examine the state of the dockets of the courts, secure information as to the courts' need of assistance, and prepare and transmit quarterly to the chief judges of the circuits statistical data and reports as to the business of the courts; --submit to the annual meeting of the Judicial Conference of the United States, at least 2 weeks prior thereto, a report of the activities of the Administrative Office and the state of the business of the courts; --fix the compensation of employees of the courts whose compensation is not otherwise fixed by law; --regulate and pay annuities to widows and surviving dependent children of judges; --disburse moneys appropriated for the maintenance and operation of the courts; --examine accounts of court officers; --regulate travel of judicial personnel; --provide accommodations and supplies for the courts and their clerical and administrative personnel; --establish and maintain programs for the certification and utilization of court interpreters and the provision of special interpretation services in the courts; and --perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Supreme Court or the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Director is also responsible for the preparation and submission of the budget of the courts, except the budget of the Supreme Court. Probation Officers The Administrative Office exercises general supervision of the accounts and practices of the Federal probation offices, subject to primary control by the respective district courts [[Page 80]] [[Page 81]] that they serve. The Office publishes quarterly, in cooperation with the Bureau of Prisons of the Department of Justice, a magazine entitled Federal Probation, which is a journal ``of correctional philosophy and practice.'' The Director also has responsibility with respect to the establishment of pretrial services in the district courts under the Pretrial Services Act of 1982 (18 U.S.C. 3152). These offices report to their respective courts information concerning pretrial release of persons charged with Federal offenses and supervise such persons who are released to their custody. Bankruptcy The Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 (28 U.S.C. 151) provided that the bankruptcy judges for each judicial district shall constitute a unit of the district court to be known as the bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy judges are appointed by the courts of appeals in such numbers as authorized by Congress and serve for a term of 14 years as judicial officers of the district courts. This act placed jurisdiction in the district courts over all cases under title 11, United States Code, and all proceedings arising in or related to cases under that title (28 U.S.C. 1334). The district court may provide for such cases and proceedings to be referred to its bankruptcy judges (as authorized by 28 U.S.C. 157). The Director of the Administrative Office recommends to the Judicial Conference the official duty stations and places of holding court of bankruptcy judges, surveys the need for additional bankruptcy judgeships to be recommended to Congress, and determines the staff needs of bankruptcy judges and the clerks of the bankruptcy courts. Federal Magistrate Judges Under the Federal Magistrates Act, as amended (28 U.S.C. 631), the Director of the Administrative Office, under the supervision and direction of the Judicial Conference, exercises general supervision over administrative matters in offices of United States magistrate judges, compiles and evaluates statistical data relating to such offices, and submits reports thereon to the Conference. The Director reports annually to Congress on the business that has come before United States magistrate judges and also prepares legal and administrative manuals for the use of the magistrate judges. The act provides for surveys to be conducted by the Administrative Office of the conditions in the judicial districts in order to make recommendations as to the number, location, and salaries of magistrate judges, which are determined by the Conference subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Federal Defenders The Criminal Justice Act (18 U.S.C. 3006A) establishes the procedure for the appointment of counsel in Federal criminal cases for individuals who are unable to afford adequate representation under plans adopted by each district court. The act also permits the establishment of Federal public defender or Federal community defender organizations by the district courts in districts where at least 200 persons annually require the appointment of counsel. Two adjacent districts may be combined to reach this total. Each defender organization submits to the Director of the Administrative Office an annual report of its activities along with a proposed budget or, in the case of community defender organizations, a proposed grant for the coming year. The Director is responsible for the submission of the proposed budgets and grants to the Judicial Conference for approval. The Director also makes payments to the defender organizations out of appropriations in accordance with the approved budgets and grants, as well as compensating private counsel appointed to defend criminal cases in the United States courts. Sources of Information Information may be obtained from the following offices: Bankruptcy Judges Division. Phone, 202-273-1900. Budget Division. Phone, 202-273-2100. Congressional, External, and Public Affairs Office. Phone, 202-273- 1120. [[Page 82]] Defender Services Division. Phone, 202-273-1670. Federal Corrections and Supervision Division. Phone, 202-273-1600. General Counsel. Phone, 202-273-1100. Human Resources Division. Phone, 202-273-1270. Judicial Conference Executive Secretariat. Phone, 202-273-1140. Magistrate Judges Division. Phone, 202-273-1830. Statistics Division. Phone, 202-273-2240. For further information, contact one of the offices listed above, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, One Columbus Circle NE., Washington, DC 20544.