The Legal Mobilization Project - The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law - News Feed

Are US minorities being denied voting rights?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Groups Wage Battle Over Voter ID Laws

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

With many states passing voter suppression legislation, voting rights activists have had to work to minimize the damage of harsh policies. New laws that enact photo ID requirements, limit third-party voter registration, require proof of citizenship, and decrease early voting days have a disproportionately negative impact on minorities, students, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Many of these individuals rely on the easy accessibility of third-party registration drives to register and the convenience of expanded early voting days to cast a ballot. Furthermore, these groups often lack the resources to get an acceptable ID or have limited access to resources the state may offer.

Civil rights groups, including American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the Brennan Center for Justice, point out that these restrictive election reforms could prevent as many as 5 million eligible voters from casting ballots in the November election. Hoping to diminish the negative effects of restrictive legislation currently in place, these groups are attempting to challenge these issues from multiple angles—challenging legislation at the state level, lobbying the United States Attorney General, and educating voters on the ground.

Speaking to the added difficulties of having to confront this legislation on so many levels, Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Voting Rights Project for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, discusses the struggle to aid voters with navigating the increasingly complex voting process on top of normal registration questions. “Now, we are finding ourselves also having to ensure that [voters] can actually cast a ballot, make sure that they have the documents they need and educating them on how to get the documents they need,” explains Johnson-Blanco.

Read the full Roll Call article

Lawyers' Committee & Davis Polk File Fourth Suit Targeting Loan Modification Scam in Nassau County

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK, NY - The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers' Committee) and pro bono counsel Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Davis Polk) have filed their fourth lawsuit against a network of for-profit loan modification companies. The suit, Masheyeva v. Law Offices of David M. Green, was filed in New York Supreme Court in Nassau County, on behalf of 18 homeowners from New York and six other states. It alleges that the loan modification scam, operated by multiple corporate and individual defendants centered around David M. Green and his Nassau County-based firm, Law Offices of David M. Green, defrauded vulnerable homeowners out of tens of thousands of dollars by falsely promising—for substantial upfront fees—to obtain much-needed mortgage modifications on their behalf, but then consistently failing to deliver results. The case seeks to recover monetary damages, including the illegal upfront fees paid by plaintiffs, and injunctive relief to put an end to the deceptive practices of the named defendants. The Lawyers’ Committee and Davis Polk are representing the plaintiffs free of charge. (Click here to view Complaint)

The scheme at issue in this case is alleged in the complaint to have operated as follows:

In exchange for sizable advance fees of up to $5,000, collected in violation of New York law, defendants promised to work directly with plaintiffs’ lenders to renegotiate their home loans and to secure lower monthly payments and interest rates, and, in some instances, avoid impending foreclosure.
They lured plaintiffs by touting their specialized experience in the industry, offering the services and expertise of seasoned attorneys, and claiming to have personal connections with key employees of plaintiffs’ lenders.
Ultimately, defendants performed little to no work on plaintiffs’ loan modification applications, typically failing to make any contact with their lenders.

“The impact of this type of scam activity on financially distressed homeowners has proven devastating,” said Jon Greenbaum, Lawyers’ Committee chief counsel and senior deputy director. “Not only are homeowners being defrauded out of thousands of dollars, but they ultimately sustain a variety of other losses, including late fees and damage to credit scores and, in the worst cases, are brought closer to the brink of foreclosure as a direct result of the scam.”

Masheyeva v. Law Offices of David Green is the Lawyers’ Committee’s sixth loan modification scam lawsuit filed nationally part of the Lawyers’ Committee’s work with the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network (LMSPN) litigation effort seeks to put an end to the fraudulent and deceptive behavior of so-called loan modification “specialists. LMSPN is a broad coalition that also includes representatives from key governmental agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the offices of numerous state Attorneys General. Since the launch of the national LMSPN database in February 2010, more than 21,000 homeowners nationwide have filed complaints regarding scams or potential scams, representing over $60 million in monies lost to such scams. More than 1,100 of these reports have been submitted by New York homeowners, who have reported losses of over $4 million in fees paid to alleged loan modification scammers.

Homeowners who believe they have been victims of a scam or have information about a scam, or potential scam, are encouraged to report such scams either by calling 311 in New York City or by entering such information online at: http://www.preventloanscams.org and clicking the button “Report a Scam!”

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The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers' Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law.

For over 160 years, the lawyers of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP have advised industry-leading companies and global financial institutions on their most challenging legal and business matters. The firm has a long and distinguished history of providing pro bono legal services to those who could not otherwise obtain legal representation and views pro bono work as a central responsibility of the firm its lawyers. For more information: http://www.davispolk.com/pro-bono.

NAACP Asking U.N. Human Rights Council to Condemn American Voter ID Laws

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Seeking more support in its fight against recent voter ID laws, the NAACP has announced its plans to present these issues in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Hoping that the council will come to the United States to examine the impact of the states’ legislation, civil rights advocates want the U.N. to stand behind them in condemning the suppressive effects of requiring voter ID.

The NAACP argues that many of these new identification requirements are actually part of a bigger push to suppress the votes of minority populations. Referencing a report released in December, NAACP president Ben Jealous says the Human Rights Council will be shown the “direct connections between the trend of increasing, unprecedented African American and Latino voter turnout and an onslaught of restrictive measures across the country designed to stem electoral strength among communities of color.”

The Human Rights Council will be in session until March 23. The upcoming agenda includes conversations about “issues pertaining to nation or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.” Jealous has stated that two eligible citizens will testify in front of the panel on March 13, discussing their difficulties voting under new state laws.

Read the full CNSNews.com article

Civil rights groups attempt to block S.C. voter ID law from taking effect

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

More than 200,000 registered voters in South Carolina who have already proven their residency and eligibility to vote, could have their right to vote taken away if a new state law goes into effect. The new law requires registered voters to present a current, valid government-issued photo ID in order to vote, but many voters, especially the elderly, people with disabilities, students, low-income voters, and minorities don't have the required ID.

"The state's own data show that the photo ID requirement would have a negative impact on minority voters, and the state has provided no justification for this new barrier to voting," said Robert Kengle, co-director of the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The Lawyers' Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, and other civil rights organizations are suing to block the law from being implemented.

Read the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article

Feds target HAMP scammers bilking owners

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

"Once again, mortgage servicers are hitting ordinary New York homeowners where it hurts.

The latest evidence is widespread scams tied to the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, which was supposed to help up to 4 million troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure.

Servicers, which manage loans day to day, have collected a cool $666 million from the government for participating in HAMP. Too bad servicers make the HAMP application process so difficult for the ordinary homeowner, they’ve opened the door to bogus “experts” who claim to help — for a big fee. [...]"

To read the full article at NY Post, click here.

WSJ: "Mortgage Scams in a Weak Housing Market"

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Lawyers' Committee Senior Counsel Yolanda McGill is quoted in the Wall Street Journal article on "Mortgage Scams in a Weak Housing Market."

Check out the article here or above and read some of our tips for avoiding foreclosure rescue scams below:

HOW TO SPOT A FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAM

A company/person asks for a fee in advance to work with your lender to modify, refinance or reinstate your mortgage.
A company/person guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or get your loan modified.
A company/person advises you to stop paying your mortgage company and pay them instead.
A company pressures you to sign over the deed to your home or sign any paperwork that you haven't had a chance to read, and you don't fully understand.
A company claims to offer "government-approved" or "official government" loan modifications.
A company/person you don’t know asks you to release personal financial information online or over the phone.

HOW TO REPORT A FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAM

CALL 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) OR VISIT www.preventloanscams.org.

Voter ID Under Fire At Progressive Conference; Obama Calls Restrictions A 'Big Mistake'

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In an article published in TPM on October 4th, Ryan J. Reilly discusses the debate over voter ID laws that are taking place within the progressive community. He says that "[p]rogressive groups are taking the threat posed by new voting laws passed by mostly Republican legislatures across the country this year pretty seriously, and with good cause. A study put out this week by the Brennan Center claimed that up to five million voters could be kept from the polls due to the laws."

Mr. Reilly also quoted Eric Marshall, the Lawyers' Committee's manager of Legal Mobilization, who said at a recent convening that, "[w]e need to change the current [pro-voter ID] narrative and the current debate, because it's not conducive to our issues, which are expanding access to the ballot box."

To read more of article, including what President Obama has had to say on the issue as of late, please click here.

Law and Order: A group of pro bono lawyers are pursuing fraud cases

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The October 2011 issue of American Lawyer includes a "Bartalk" spotlight on the great work of the Lawyers' Committee's Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network and the cases it has brought with pro bono partners Davis Polk in New York.

Head over to the American Lawyer website to read the piece.

Borrowers win $68G award against loan modifier

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Via Newsday:

"Nine borrowers have won a $68,000 judgment against a now-defunct loan modification company that illegally charged upfront fees -- and did little to lower mortgage payments.

State Supreme Court Justice John Galasson in Mineola trebled damages against Save My Home, which operated nationwide from Garden City and went by other names. Its employees told on-time borrowers to default, took money from those ineligible for federal loan modifications, and guaranteed lower payments, the suit said.

"I gave them $3,000 . . . and they didn't call me when I called," said Flushing taxi driver Mohammed Shukran, who took Save My Home's advice to default. "For one and a half years they were playing games with us."

The ruling is the latest victory in three unusual lawsuits filed this year by the nonprofit Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, and Manhattan-based Davis Polk & Wardwell. It's a pro bono effort against Save My Home, its successor, Express Home Solutions, and another closed loan modification company, Homesafe America of Levittown, its successor businesses and employees. Court papers said the companies used the same tactics to get clients, then avoid them.

These suits are the first of several planned by the Lawyers' Committee[...]"

To read the full article, click here.

The Assault On The Fundamental Right to Vote

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

"Barbara R. Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law since 1989, said a “voting rights wall of shame” is being erected in this country that could disenfranchise minorities and youth in 2012. Just last week, a federal judge in Washington reaffirmed the continued need for the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and its extensions after a challenge by Shelby County, Alabama..."

Read the full article here.

Assault on Voting Rights Panel This Thursday

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This Thursday, the Lawyers' Committee is hosting an exciting panel discussion exploring how we can best fight back against the current assault on voting rights at 10 a.m. at Arnold & Porter, 555 Twelfth Street NW, Washington DC 20004. It promises to be a powerful conversation that will help to define the fight for voters' rights as we head not the 2012 elections. To RSVP, send an email to info@lawyerscommittee.org.

The discussion will be moderated by Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and a founding leader of the Election Protection coalition. Joining Barbara on the panel will be:

Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Mark Schneider, Associate General Counsel, SEIU
Wendy Weiser, Director, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
Deborah Vagins, Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Office

The current assault on voting rights is far from over. Reversing the trend will require a comprehensive year-round campaign joined by all those who work to ensure full participation in our democracy that includes: voter education and empowerment, changing the narrative about the problems plaguing our system of elections and real solutions that will expand access to voting, and where possible challenging these harmful laws in court, and Election Protection.

Join us for our action oriented panel discussion on the assault on voting rights. Learn what you can do now in your communities and nationally to help protect the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans.

The event will be held on Thursday, September 8th at 10am at Arnold & Porter, 555 Twelfth Street NW, Washington DC 20004. Admission is FREE and open to the public. To RSVP for this event, send an email to info@lawyerscommittee.org

If you can't make it to our panel in person, the full video and key highlights will be made available on our websites, www.lawyerscommittee.org and www.866OurVote.org

Court Shut Down of NY Loan Scammer Homesafe America Picked Up By Reuters, New York Daily News, etc.

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week the Nassau County Supreme Court issued a sweeping order shutting down one of New York’s largest mortgage scam operations pending trial. The order is the most substantial victory to date in a year-long legal campaign against “loan modification scams” in New York and nationwide. The court order ceases the operations of Homesafe America Inc. and its successor corporation, United Solutions Law Firm, which are alleged to have scammed more than a thousand low- and middle-income homeowners by falsely promising to help customers modify the terms of their mortgages. Check out the news coverage on this case after the jump.

From Reuters:

"A Long Island judge on Monday ordered the temporary shutdown of New York-based companies accused of using "fast-talking salespeople and masterfully deceptive websites" to defraud more than a thousand homeowners in a multi-million mortgage loan modification scam..."

Click here for the full article.

From New York Daily News:

"The Levittown, L.I., firms allegedly charged homeowners across the country - including some in Brooklyn and Queens - illegal upfront fees ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Then they did little or nothing for the money..."

Click here for the full article.

From Law360:

"A New York judge on Monday halted the operations of United Solutions Law Firm, a home mortgage modification company accused of running a scam that has snared thousands of low- and middle-income homeowners.

A group of homeowners claim United Solutions, Homesafe and nearly two dozen employees falsely told poor and middle-income homeowners that they could renegotiate their mortgages to obtain more favorable terms.

The homeowners sued in June for fraud, deceptive practices and false advertising, demanding at least $1.5 million in punitive damages."

Click here for the article (subscription required).

Further coverage can be read at:

Long Island Business Press - http://libn.com/2011/08/15/judge-shuts-down-li-mortgage-modifier-firm/

NY Foreclosure Law Blog - http://nyforeclosurelaw.com/2011/08/15/court-shuts-down-one-of-new-york%e2%80%99s-largest-mortgage-scam-operations/#more-295

Real Estate Rama New York - http://newyork.realestaterama.com/2011/08/16/injunction-obtained-in-new-york-loan-modification-scam-lawsuit-against-homesafe-america-inc-ID01571.html

Compliance Exchange - http://compliancesearch.com/compliancex/mortgage-fraud/mortgage-firm-takes-advantage-of-over-1000-homeowners/

Housing Predictor - http://www.housingpredictor.com/2011/mortgage-operation-shutdown.html

5 Signs of a Foreclosure Rescue Scam

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On July 31, the National Bar Association held a panel to discuss the impact of the foreclosure crisis on communities of color at its 86th annual convention and exhibits. Black Enterprise spoke with two of the panelists—Yolanda D. McGill, senior counsel of the Fair Housing and Lending Project with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Vicki King Taitano, director of the Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project with the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau—to get their thoughts on this growing problem. McGill noted the rise of scammers as one. "The overrepresentation of minorities in our scam database is very troubling and likely has many causes, such as the wealth gap that leaves struggling homeowners no savings or family funds to lean on and drives them to seek foreclosure rescue and modifications more often,” she says. “We also know that scammers tailor their marketing language to ethnic minorities, and there are organizations trying to determine if this activity is in violation of the law." With that in mind, here are five signs of a foreclosure rescue scam.

—Sheiresa Ngo

Announcement: PREP will hold a workshop and consultation clinic in San Diego on August 20th!

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Upcoming PREP Event – Saturday, August 20^th

PREP will participate in the New ERAA Back to School Conference, Rally for Education & Festival on Saturday, August 20, 2011 in San Diego at Lincoln High School, 4777 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92113.

Promoting Student Success Through Parent Engagement Workshop

Time: 9:40 - 10:35 a.m. (in English)

Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. (in Spanish)

Learn about:

· The current best strategies in parent engagement

· The barriers parents face in becoming engaged in their child’s education

· Solutions to promoting effective parent engagement

Educational Consultation Clinic

Time: 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

At the clinic, parents who register for a special one hour appointment will be able to:

· Meet with a volunteer advocate for an hour to discuss their child’s educational needs

· Ask volunteer advocates about questions regarding their child’s education

· Create an action plan to support their child's success

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The event is free, all parents are welcome, and Spanish-speaking interpreters will be provided at the clinic.

We look forward to seeing you on the 20th!

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To Register:

This PREP Workshop & Clinic will be presented as part of the New ERAA Back to School Conference and Festival.

To sign up for the conference and PREP Workshop:
http://www.pazzaz.org/forms/NewERAA.registration-Eng2.pdf

To make an appointment for the PREP Clinic:
please call (202) 662-8350 or email PREP@lawyerscommittee.org

States' Rights Redux: Voting Rights Act + 46

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Voting Rights Act at 46: A Time for Reflection

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a reason to celebrate. Forty-six years after President Lyndon Johnson signed this transformational piece of legislation into law, the Act still evokes the struggles of the civil rights community and its allies to guarantee equal access to the polls. This year’s commemoration, however, must be tempered by the resolve to face new challenges threatening the progress that was made possible by the Voting Rights Act.

Since January 1 of this year, 34 states have introduced legislation that would force voters to provide more identification than previously required before casting their ballots. As of August 1, 14 states have signed into law bills that require or request a narrow list of government-issued photo identification from voters. Another 16 have enacted legislation that calls for some form of photo or non-photo identification. Many of these states have also placed unnecessary restrictions on same-day registration, third-party registration, and early and absentee voting. These suppressive measures not only echo the discriminatory voting practices employed by Southern states half a century ago, but they also impose a real burden on voters today.

State legislatures have enacted these laws under the pretense of curtailing voter fraud. For example, advocates of photo ID bills typically argue that they are needed to prevent voter impersonation. In reality, there already are laws in place to deter such election crimes, and the evidence indicates that those laws have been highly effective. Voter ID advocates are unable to point to any pattern of voter impersonation prosecutions or convictions, and studies have repeatedly shown that voter impersonation fraud is all but non-existent.

In reality, the only thing these pieces of legislation will accomplish is to keep more qualified voters away from the polls and to run up states’ administrative costs. African-Americans, Hispanics, students, the elderly and the indigent lack photo identification at higher rates than the overall U.S. population. In order to keep their photo ID bills from being stricken down on their face as unconstitutional poll taxes, states adopting these requirements offer some form of “free” photo identification cards. However, the underlying documents needed to obtain “free” photo ID, such as birth certificates, can be expensive, time-consuming -- or in some cases impossible -- to obtain, and there is nothing “free” about expending time and resources to travel to a DMV office. Under these photo ID laws citizens living at the edge of their economic means must decide whether voting is a choice they can afford.

Judging by the number of states that have recently attempted to pass voter ID bills, it is clear that on the 46th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, voter suppression is alive and well. However, vetoes on voter ID bills by the governors of Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina illustrate that good sense and the spirit of the Act live on and can prevail.

Lawyers' Committee and Partners Ask DOJ to Block South Carolina's New Photo Voter ID Law

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On August 5, 2011, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, American Civil Liberties Union's Southern Regional Office, Brennan Center for Justice, and League of Women Voters of South Carolina wrote to the Department of Justice urging a denial of preclearance for the state's new photo voter ID law.

To read the letter, please click here.

To join us in standing up for all voters' rights, please click here to send your own letter requesting that the Department of Justice reject South Carolina's voting change and that it review all photo voter ID laws with strict scrutiny, please click here.

To view the Lawyers' Committee's resources for combatting all types of disenfranchising legislation, please click here.

Deceptive Absentee Ballots Sent to Wisconsin Voters

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Wisconsin voters in at least two state senate districts have reportedly received misleading absentee ballots, underlining the need for legislation that combats voter deception and intimidation during and around elections.

Yesterday, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board warned of absentee ballots that instruct voters to return them after the date of the state senate recall elections. Politico.com reported that Americans for Prosperity is behind the absentee ballots in question, which have allegedly been sent to "solidly Democratic voters."

While Wisconsin law already prohibits false representations affecting elections and using fraudulent means to restrict the ability to vote, there needs to be a clear intent, which is often difficult to prove. A deceptive practices and voter intimidation prevention law would remove the hurdle of proving intent and create an even more effective legal structure to penalize lawbreakers. It could also institute a system for providing affected communities with correct election information, reducing the effect of fraud in elections.

This is hardly the first instance of election fraud. In June of this year, two members of former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich's campaign were charged with conspiring to violate Maryland's election laws and attempting to suppress voter turnout. Ehrlich aide Paul Schurick and Political consultant Julius Henson allegedly placed robocalls to voters the night of the 2010 elections, instructing them that they need not vote even though the polls were still open.

Protecting Voting Rights in Florida

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Floridians Protest New Voting Law; Civil rights groups have urged the Justice Department to reject the law.

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

50-Plus Americans a Favorite Target of Mortgage Rescue Scammers

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Seattle pi

Older Americans are among the hardest hit by scams preying on distressed homeowners by offering foreclosure counseling or loan modification assistance for a fee.

As of July, homeowners nationwide have reported more than $40 million in losses from fees paid to fraudulent and deceptive “rescuers,” complaints submitted to the Lawyer’s Committee’s for Civil Rights Under Law since February 2010 show. Homeowners age 51 and older reported losses of more than $16 million, a 41 percent of the losses reported.

The Lawyer’s Committee, a group of attorneys that addresses racial discrimination, announced these results this week, as the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau opened its doors.

“I am excited that the CFPB is finally becoming a reality,” Lawyers’ Committee Executive Director Barbara Arnwine said in a statement. “Consumers, particularly people of color, have gone far too long without proper protections from bad actors and discriminatory practices in the financial market which has adversely impacted the middle class. This new agency will demand better accountability for those providing financial products to consumers.”

Arnwine said the group is encouraged to see that one of the CFPB’s specific initiatives includes its Office of Older Americans, set to begin operations early next year.

Please click here for the external article.

Getting the "free" Voter ID in Wisconsin an ordeal

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Getting the "free" Voter ID in Wisconsin proves to be an ordeal for one citizen whose personal banking statement was scrutinized.

In the video accompanying the article, a DMV employee explains that unless a voter insists that the ID is for voting only, they will be charged a fee - and that the fee may be applicable anyway.

Click here to read the article in full. (external link, opens in a new window)

Watch the video:

Lawyers' Committee Supports New Supportive School Discipline Initiative

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law welcomes Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announcement of the creation of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative. The Lawyers’ Committee is dedicated to promoting federal, state, and local initiatives to address the school-to-prison pipeline and supports Attorney General Holder’s and Secretary Duncan’s joint initiative.

The Initiative is a collaboration between the two agencies that hopes to target the school disciplinary policies and in-school arrests that push youth out of school and into the justice system. The initiative announced last Thursday has four parts: building consensus for action among federal, state and local education and justice stakeholders; collaborating on research and data collection needed to shape policy, such as evaluations of alternative disciplinary policies and interventions; developing guidance to ensure school discipline policies and practices are in line with the federal civil rights laws; and promoting awareness and knowledge about evidence-based and promising policies and practices.

As Attorney General Holder remarked, “Ensuring that our educational system is a doorway to opportunity – and not a point of entry to our criminal justice system – is a critical, and achievable, goal. “ The Lawyers’ Committee fully supports the goals of the initiative and views it as a great complement to the ongoing work of the Educational Opportunities Project.

A press release about the announcement of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative is available by clicking here.

New Ohio Law Ends Popular Voting Options

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Four in 10 Franklin County voters would have to find a new time, place or way to cast their ballots under election-rules championed by Ohio Republicans in a new law.

Experts and the people who run local elections fear lower turnout or longer lines on Election Day as a result.

"If we put 140,000 people back on Election Day, you have to wonder," said William A. Anthony Jr., director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, citing the approximate number of people who took advantage of the conveniences the county offered in 2010 that allowed them to vote without going to the polls.

Click here to read the rest of the article. (external link, opens in a new window)