WASHINGTON — The U.S. federal court system will begin furloughing employees and curtailing non-essential operations on Monday after depleting funds reserved to maintain paid operations during the government shutdown, according to an internal judiciary memorandum issued Thursday.
Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, notified all federal judges, circuit executives, and court administrators that Phase 2 of the appropriations lapse takes effect at midnight October 20, 2025. Employees will receive furlough notices Monday morning before orderly shutdown activities commence.
The funding crisis hits the federal judiciary significantly harder than during previous government shutdowns. Court units and federal public defender organizations exhausted contingency funds after operating just 17 days into fiscal year 2026 without congressional appropriations.
Shutdown Operations and Excepted Activities
During Phase 2, judiciary entities must operate according to pre-approved shutdown plans and perform only activities “excepted” under the Anti-Deficiency Act to avoid criminal violations of federal spending law. The Act prohibits federal agencies from incurring obligations or making expenditures exceeding available appropriations.
