[United States Government Manual]
[May 30, 1997]
[Pages 78-82]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



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ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS

One Columbus Circle NE., Washington, DC 20544
Phone, 202-273-1120

Director                                          Leonidas Ralph Mecham
Associate Director, Management and Operations     Clarence A. (Pete) 
                                                          Lee, Jr.
    Chief, Office of Audit                        David L. Gellman
    Chief, Office of Management                   Cathy A. McCarthy
            Coordination
    Chief, Office of Program Assessment           Duane Rex Lee
Associate Director and General Counsel            William R. Burchill, 
                                                          Jr.
Assistant Director, Office of Judicial            Karen K. Siegel
        Conference Executive Secretariat
Assistant Director, Office of Legislative         Michael W. Blommer
        Affairs
Assistant Director, Office of Public Affairs      David A. Sellers, 
                                                          Acting
Assistant Director, Office of Court Programs      Noel J. Augustyn
    Chief, Court Administration Policy            Abel J. Mattos
            Staff
    Chief, Appellate Court and Circuit            John P. Hehman
            Administration Division
    Chief, Bankruptcy Court                       Glen K. Palman
            Administration Division
    Chief, Defender Services Division             Theodore J. Lidz
    Chief, District Court Administration          Lydia Pelegrin
            Division
    Chief, Federal Corrections and                Eunice Holt Jones
            Supervision Division
Assistant Director, Office of Facilities,         P. Gerald Thacker
        Security, and Administrative Services
    Deputy Assistant Director                     William J. Lehman
    Chief, Policy and Resource                    Ross Eisenman
            Management Staff
    Chief, Administrative Office                  Nancy Lee Bradshaw
            Personnel Office
    Chief, Administrative Services                Laura C. Minor
            Office
    Chief, Court Security Office                  Dennis P. Chapas
    Chief, Relocation and Travel                  John R. Breslin
            Management Office
    Chief, Contracts Division                     Fred McBride
    Chief, Space and Facilities Division          William J. Lehman
Assistant Director, Office of Finance and Budget  Joseph J. Bobek
    Deputy Assistant Director                     George H. Schafer
    Chief, Economy Subcommittee Support           Diane V. Margeson
            Office
    Financial Liaison Officer                     Penny G. Jacobs
    Chief, Accounting and Financial               Philip L. McKinney
            Systems Division
    Chief, Budget Division                        Gregory D. Cummings
Assistant Director, Office of Human Resources     Myra Howze Shiplett
        and Statistics
    Deputy Assistant Director                     R. Townsend Robinson
    Chief, Analytical Services Office             David L. Cook
    Chief, Employee Relations and                 Maurice E. White
            Training Division
    Chief, Human Resources Division               Charlotte G. Peddicord

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    Chief, Statistics Division                    Steven R. Schlesinger
Assistant Director, Office of Information         Pamela B. White
        Technology
    Chief, Computer Security and                  Frank S. Dozier
            Independent Testing Office
    Chief, Customer Relations Office              Dennis E. Morey
    Chief, Technology Enhancement Office          Richard D. Fennell
    Chief, Technology Policy, Planning,           Mel Bryson
            and Acquisitions Office
    Chief, Applications Management and            Gary L. Bockweg
            Development Division
    Chief, Networks and Systems                   Charles N. Mayer
            Integration Division
    Chief, Technology Training and                Charles W. Vagner
            Support Division
Assistant Director, Office of 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 Division            John E. Howell
    Chief, Bankruptcy Judges Division             Francis F. Szczebak
    Chief, Magistrate Judges Division             Thomas C. Hnatowski

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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.

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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 
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:


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  Bankruptcy Judges Division. Phone, 202-273-1900.

  Budget Division. Phone, 202-273-2100.

  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.

  Legislative Affairs Office. Phone, 202-273-1120.

  Magistrate Judges Division. Phone, 202-273-1830.

  Public Affairs Office. Phone, 202-273-0107.

  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.

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