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June 24, 2011

Blog Posts

U.S. Supreme Court Examines Civil Right to Counsel

From Sam Milkes on the PLAN Blog:

On June 20 the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Turner v. Rogers. This case deals with the question of whether a non-payer in a civil child support contempt case is entitled to a right to counsel when there is a risk of incarceration. While the holding in the case was that this defendant’s due process rights were violated, it is very disappointing that the court could find there was not a right to counsel, for a person who was low income, could not afford counsel, and was sentenced to 12 months incarceration for his failure to pay support.

The Court held that under the circumstances of this case, Turner’s incarceration violated due process, but it also found that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause does not automatically require the State to provide counsel in such civil contempt proceedings.

News

Unemployment Benefits Bill Cuts Future Benefits Without Fixing System

Unemployment Benefits Bill Will Help Long-Term Unemployed Now, But It Cuts Future Benefits Without Fixing the Financing of the UC System

Harrisburg lawmakers have agreed to a compromise bill that will allow an estimated 135,000 long-term unemployed Pennsylvanians to continue receiving unemployment benefits that are funded by the federal government. But this agreement makes permanent cuts in the state’s unemployment compensation (UC) program, without addressing the program’s flawed financing system that has caused the insolvency of the UC Fund.

Fall 2011 HotDocs & A2J Training

LawHelp Interactive - Legal documents made simpler LawHelp Interactive will be holding its Fall 2011 HotDocs and A2J Training on August 11-12, 2011 at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois.

The training will have one beginner track for people who are new HotDocs and A2J author. If there is enough interest, an advanced track will be developed with help from those requesting advanced training. The training will be taught by Capstone Practice Systems and the Center for Access to Justice and Technology at Chicago-Kent.

Registration for this training is free to participating legal aid and pro bono program staff as well as selected court system staff.

HUD and NeighborworksÂ® America Announce Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program

Program is Designed to Help Homeowners at Risk of Foreclosure

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks® America has announced the launch of the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP), to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure in 27 states across the country and Puerto Rico.

Congress provided $1 billion dollars to HUD, as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to implement EHLP. The program will assist homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, due to economic conditions or a medical condition.

Under EHLP program guidelines eligible homeowners can qualify for an interest free loan which pays a portion of their monthly mortgage for up to two years, or up to $50,000, whichever comes first.

PUC Announces Appointments to Consumer Advisory Council

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has announced appointments to its Consumer Advisory Council (CAC), which provides input to Commissioners on consumer-related issues.

The Commission reappointed the following CAC members to two-year terms from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2013: Robert A. Christianson; Cynthia J. Datig; John Detman; Harry S. Geller; Timothy B. Hennessey; Thomas C. LeCrone; Renardo L. Hicks; Lee Tolbert; and Joseph E. Toner III. The Commission also ratified the following appointments of other state officials: Pedro L. Anes; Michael Bannon; Lillian Carpenter; and George J. Silvestri Jr.

IRS Identifies Organizations that Have Lost Tax-Exempt Status; Announces Special Steps to Help Revoked Organizations

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that approximately 275,000 organizations under the law have automatically lost their tax-exempt status because they did not file legally required annual reports for three consecutive years. The IRS believes the vast majority of these organizations are defunct, but it also announced special steps to help any existing organizations to apply for reinstatement of their tax-exempt status.

PA Courts Expand Use of Video Conferencing, Saving $21 Million

A survey released by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reveals that a day in court for many individuals charged with a crime no longer means a trip to a courtroom. Instead, defendants often remain in a correctional facility or booking center as judges increasingly use video conferencing technology to conduct preliminary arraignments and other court proceedings, saving taxpayers an estimated $21 million annually.

Pennsylvania to Share in $3 Million Weichert Financial Services Settlement

Pennsylvania will receive $300,000 as part of a 10-state settlement resulting from an examination of Mortgage Access Corp., doing business as Weichert Financial Services. The examination, conducted jointly by banking regulatory agencies from each state, found that Weichert, headquartered in Morris Plains, N.J., circumvented state mortgage licensing laws and allowed and paid for unlicensed individuals to originate and process mortgage loan applications.

The result was a $3 million settlement to be divided equally among the 10 states, including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.