Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Post

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Sixty-one years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court established the right to legal counsel for anyone accused of a crime, requiring the state to provide an attorney for those who cannot afford their own. Today, the right to an attorney is understood as a cornerstone of fair and equal justice. But that right doesn't exist for people facing eviction or other non-criminal legal issues. While nearly all Los Angeles landlords have legal representation in an eviction case, the vast majority of tenants are forced to navigate the process alone. Yet without a legal advocate by their side, tenants are almost certain to lose their cases—and their homes. Does that sound like justice to you? For #PublicDefenseDay, revisit this piece in the Daily Journal by Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Executive Director Silvia Argueta and Legal Services Corporation President Ronald Flagg about how a tenants' right to counsel can help prevent homelessness by protecting low-income families from unfair evictions. #RightToCounsel #Eviction

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Rob Piper

Partner at Coal Creek Law, LLP

7mo

Civil Gideon ought to have farther reaching implications than eviction court. There are myriad “civil” proceedings which divest a citizen of fundamental and ancient Constitutional rights but in which the citizen has no right to assistance of counsel if indigent.

Silvia Argueta

Executive Director at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

7mo

Proud to have co-authored this pieced with Ronald Flagg. Right to Counsel is necessary in our continued war on poverty!

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