FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/6/2011
Contact: Contact: Bonnie Sashin, APR
Communications Director
(617) 778-1902
Court Budget Cutbacks Causing Real Pain for Real People -- So Says BBA President Lisa C. Goodheart
Learning that severe cuts to the MA Trial Court's budget over the last
three years will now soon result in reduced public office hours at 38 courts,
Boston Bar Association President Lisa C. Goodheart issued the following
statement:
"The budget cuts to our state courts over the last three years have resulted
in staff reductions of historic proportions, already causing unacceptable delays
in many of the court divisions. Despite the unwavering commitment of our judges
and remaining staff to soldier on - making diligent efforts to do more with
less - we can no longer pretend that it's business as usual. The access to
justice that we have taken for granted under our state constitution will
be seriously compromised, inflicting real pain on our most vulnerable citizens.
As president of the BBA, I urge our members to call their
local state representatives and state senators and ask them to restore
funding to the trial court."
For a list of changes in public office hours at 38 courts, click
here
The Boston Bar Association is a non-profit, voluntary membership organization of 10,000 attorneys drawn from private practice, corporations, government agencies, legal aid organizations, the courts, and law schools. It traces its origins to meetings convened by John Adams, the lawyer who provided pro bono representation to the British soldiers prosecuted for the Boston Massacre and went on to become the second president of the United States.