A 34-day shutdown has left 12,000 federal defense attorneys unpaid, threatening defendants' constitutional right to counsel.

A 34-day government shutdown has left about 12,000 private federal defense attorneys unpaid since July, as Congress has not reauthorized funding under the Criminal Justice Act. Many have stopped taking new cases, raising concerns that defendants are being denied their constitutional right to counsel under Gideon v. Wainwright. Full-time federal public defenders have also worked without pay since mid-October. Courts continue operating, but delays and disruptions are growing, including trial postponements and the inability to pay expert witnesses. Judges have rejected motions to dismiss charges, citing expected future funding, but the crisis threatens the fairness and integrity of the federal justice system.