NEWS FROM U.S. DISTRICT COURT
May 9, 2025
Registration Information. Registration is now open for the 2025 Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference. The conference will be held in Kansas City, Missouri in late July. More information is available on our website. Registration is also open for the 2025 Virtual Power Act.
Multifactor Authentication Coming Soon. On May 11, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) will begin implementing multifactor authentication (MFA) to enhance system security for CM/ECF and PACER. MFA provides an added layer of security to accounts by helping protect against cyberattacks that steal passwords, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Once implemented, all CM/ECF and PACER users will be able to enroll in MFA. Users with filing and all other types of CM/ECF-level access will be required to enroll in MFA, while users with PACER-only access will have the option to enroll.
Continuing Budget Resolution Impacts Courts. A shortfall in this year’s congressional appropriations is taking a toll on the Judiciary’s ability to ensure security at courthouses. The Judiciary’s Court Security program was already frozen in FY 2024 at the FY 2023 funding level. Now, it’s been frozen for a second consecutive year, resulting in further reductions to courthouse security at a time when there has been a significant rise in threats to federal judges.
South Dakota Judge Appointed to New Task Force. District Judge Karen Schreier has been appointed to the Judicial Security and Independence Task Force. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts recently established the Task Force to identify, analyze, and propose responses to ensure the continued security and independence of courts and judges. The Task Force hopes to identify and help the Judicial Branch respond to current risks while also anticipating new ones.
Interruption of CJA Payments. An upgrade to the Judiciary Integrated Financial Management System (JIFMS), the judiciary’s accounting and payment system, and a funding shortfall in this
year’s congressional appropriations will impact payments to attorneys appointed under the
Criminal Justice Act (CJA).
JIFIMS will go offline on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, and will remain offline until June 26, 2025. During this period, the eVoucher system will remain open and vouchers may be submitted and processed as usual. Please be advised that payments certified after June 5, 2025, will be held in a queue and will not be uploaded for processing until the upgrade is complete.
Additionally, the Defender Services program does not have enough funds to cover all the CJA payments this fiscal year. This means the program will have to defer all payments when it runs out (sometime around July 23rd) until the following fiscal year, which starts October 1st.
Closure Reminder. The Court will be closed on Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day.