President Donald Trump's discretionary budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, released last week, would cut funding entirely from 19 organizations, including the Legal Services Corporation.
News Story (Texas)
John Bogna
Houston Press
April 27, 2017
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Funding: Federal
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Services Corporation (LSC), Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Lone Star Legal Aid, National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ) at Fordham Law School
News Story (Texas)
John Bogna
Houston Press
April 27, 2017
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Funding: Federal
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Services Corporation (LSC), Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Lone Star Legal Aid, National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ) at Fordham Law School
DETAILS
Civil cases also cover issues like income, disability, and medical benefits. Gomez, who spent years handling pro bono cases at King and Spalding law firm before joining Houston Volunteer Lawyers, explains that unlike in criminal court, defendants in civil cases are not guaranteed an attorney, which could have dire consequences for the defendant.
“What if you’re facing losing a child?” Gomez tells the Houston Press. “What if you’re being evicted from your home?”
One case Gomez presented was someone wrongfully punished for debt run up on a credit card fraudulently taken out in his name. Even though the defendant did not make the purchases, the wrecked score affects his ability to rent an apartment, let alone buy a home down the road.