TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Oct 21, 2025

The federal public defender’s office in Memphis is being overwhelmed by cases stemming from the Memphis Safe Task ForceThe Daily Memphian reports. The situation has prompted a federal judge to warn that private attorneys on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel will need to take on more indigent defense work. The strain also comes as CJA attorneys nationwide have not been paid since July due to funding lapses and the federal shutdown, leaving them to work without compensation for now. Despite these challenges, local CJA attorneys say they remain committed to providing legal representation according to the paper. In related news, the surge in arrests from the task force also has pushed the Shelby County Jail beyond capacity, forcing officials to find alternate housing for inmates. Action News 5 reports on new data tracking arrests since the task force's implementation.