John S. Han and High Swartz LLP are pleased to announce John's appointment to the Criminal Justice Panel (“CJA”) Selection Committee of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of PA. The CJA panel is comprised of attorneys chosen by the Board of Judges who possess the competence, experience, and commitment to provide outstanding criminal defense representation for indigent people facing prosecution in federal criminal cases.
The panel’s attorneys are selected from the nine counties of the Eastern District, including Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia. John was recently informed of his 3-year term of appointment by Senior United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage.
John stated, "The panel attorney's primary objective is to offer skilled criminal defense to individuals who lack the financial means to secure adequate legal counsel." A panel attorney is appointed when a defendant cannot afford an attorney or when the public defender’s office cannot represent the defendant due to a conflict of interest. Panel attorneys are expected to possess extensive knowledge and experience with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
John remarked, "Many attorneys possess experience in state courts, but the Board of Judges specifically seek attorneys with substantial federal court experience in selecting members of the CJA panel. It's a highly competitive and comprehensive application process, and federal court experience is a prerequisite."
John anticipates that a substantial portion of his assigned cases will originate from the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia, and possibly even from the Edward N. Cahn U.S. Courthouse in Allentown, PA. He expects that the range of cases assigned to him will encompass fraud, firearms offenses, drug offenses, gang-related charges, RICO violations, and organized crime indictments.
"It is an honor to be part of this distinguished panel. Participation on the CJA panel will afford me the opportunity to leverage my prior experience as a federal prosecutor to assist indigent clients facing investigation and prosecution by federal law enforcement authorities," John said. "I am eagerly looking forward to getting started."