Established in 1975, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington operates under the authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, to provide legal representation to people charged with committing federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The Court appoints our Assistant Federal Public Defenders to represent accused persons before they are charged, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review.