You are here

Criminal Justice Act

The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel is a roster of qualified, court-approved private attorneys who are eligible for appointment by the federal courts to represent individuals who are financially unable to retain counsel. The CJA Panel serves an important function at the District Court of the Virgin Islands by ensuring that indigent defendants have access to qualified legal representation when the Federal Public Defender has a conflict of interest or is otherwise unable to provide representation.

Current CJA compensation rates are available on the United States Courts website. Pursuant to the CJA Plan for the District Court of the Virgin Islands, panel members serve for a period of twenty-four (24) months unless earlier termination is requested. Panel members may seek reappointment, with no limit on the number of terms served. Attorneys may indicate an interest in the St. Thomas/St. John Division and/or St. Croix Division. Attorneys residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are allowed to claim actual travel time as per guidelines; however, travel expenses are not allowed unless specifically authorized by the presiding judicial officer.

Application Information

Applications are due annually on October 31st. The CJA Panel Application is available on the District Court’s website.  To ensure accuracy, the Court will accept only typed, signed applications completed in full. Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the CJA Standing Committee, and an Order will be issued accordingly.

Submission Instructions

To apply to serve on the CJA panel, submit a completed Application for Membership on the Criminal Justice Act Panel to the address listed below or email to cjapanel@vid.uscourts.gov, with the subject heading “CJA Selection Committee.”

CJA Selection Committee
Ron de Lugo Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse
5500 Veteran’s Drive, Suite 310
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802-6424

Provisional Approval for Admission  

Once an attorney has been provisionally approved by the CJA Standing Committee, admission to the District Court Bar shall be governed by LRCi 83.1 (b)(3). The attorney has forty-five (45) days from the date of Order to submit a completed Special Admission Application package. Failure to do so will result in the provisional approval being rescinded without further notice.

Required Documents for Special Admission

Applicants who are not admitted to the District Court Bar must submit the following original documents:

  • An original Certificate of Good Standing issued within 60 days of submission.
  • A signed (wet signature) Special Admission Application, available on the Court’s website.
  • Payment for the admission fee, which may be made by money order, check, or electronically via Pay.gov,
  • All original admission documents must be mailed to the address listed below.
Admissions Coordinator
Ron de Lugo Federal Building  & U.S. Courthouse
5500 Veteran’s Drive, Suite 310
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802-6424

Admission Process

Once the Admissions Coordinator has reviewed the application package, the applicant attorney will be notified of its status. Upon issuance of the Order of Admissions, the Admissions Coordinator will contact the applicant attorney to schedule the administration of the oath. 

For questions regarding the CJA Panel or the admission process, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (340) 774-0640 (St. Thomas) or (340) 718-1130 (St. Croix).