Poor Economy Hits Courts, Hurts Programs For Poor

Source: Associated Press

(01-23) 15:13 PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --

Timothy Cook needed help fast: His home was on the brink of foreclosure, and the six relatives and friends who lived with him were at risk of being put on the street during the coldest weather in years.

Cook was desperate to find a lawyer who could buy him some time. Because he had no job, he turned to a free legal-assistance center.

"Hopefully, maybe, God willing, I'll find an attorney who will do this pro bono for me," Cook said after getting some quick advice from the center at the county courthouse.

But that kind of help may not be available much longer. Public defenders and legal aid programs are facing their deepest budget cuts in years just as the recession creates more demand for their services.

"The courts may be facing a 'perfect storm' of funding shortfalls," according to a report from the National Center for State Courts.

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were a target of the right. It was fine for large corporations and wealthy individuals to have legal assistance, but not the working poor.
Even the legal system itself became a short-lived target. Remember cries of "tort reform" and ranting against "jury nullification"?

Remember 'The Dwarves' -- the original cadre of neo-nazi attorneys that started the Whitewater witch hunt.

In good times republicans argue that they're not needed. People should be able to take care of themselves.

In bad times republicans argue that we can't afford them. People will have to do without.

Historically democrats have caved in and compromised, which meant meeting the republicans half way and carving off enough from these programs to keep the republicans quiet for a little while. It's always the poor who suffer most.

It's going to get much worse before it gets better, and there are a whole lot more of us who are poor now. :(