Fully retained. In the Western District of New York, they have a practice of asking retained attorneys whether they are "fully retained," i.e., retained for the duration of the case, to avoid mid-trial motions for the appointment of counsel once the defendant's money has run out. This policy was challenged in United States v. Parker, which was decided on February 21, 2006. The Second Circuit held that the policy is proper. The decision can be found at the Second Circuit website.