A Colorado civil legal aid organization with a Greeley office is part of a group seeking signatures to allow for the creation of a new license plate to help fund their efforts in serving low-income Coloradans.
Colorado Legal Services, which has a Greeley office at 912 8th Ave., is part of the push, which would take a portion of the fee for the proposed license plate and distribute it to several legal aid organizations across the state, according to a news release from the nonprofit.
Colorado Legal Services provides legal aid in civil cases to low-income individuals and older Coloradans. The nonprofit estimates about 1 in 8 Coloradans qualify financially for assistance from the nonprofit.
“Representation in civil court is vital to ensuring people have a chance to secure justice,” Colorado Legal Services Executive Director Matt Baca said in the release. “From a person being illegally evicted to someone facing debt collection for a medical bill, they should never have been asked to pay. That’s why we’re asking for the Colorado community’s support for this effort.”
To sign the petition, go to qrco.de/legalaidplate.
Along with Colorado Legal Services, Colorado Access to Justice Commission, Colorado Lawyers Committee, Community Economic Defense Project and Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network are supporting the effort.
Colorado requires 3,000 signatures to consider creating a new license plate. The petition — which was launched in mid-January — is about 900 signatures short as of Tuesday.
“Colorado’s legal community is at its strongest when we work together,” Executive Director of the Colorado Lawyer’s Committee Kristin Bronson said in the release. “The organizations that would benefit from this special Colorado license plate are an indispensable part of our justice ecosystem.”
The move to petition for a new license plate comes as Colorado continues to face a shortfall in legal aid funding. The state ranks 10th of 14 Western states in per capita funding for legal aid, according to a study by the Colorado Access to Justice Commission. The reports shows Colorado receives just $0.73 per capita, opposed to $5.08 in California.
The lack of funding leads to low-income citizens not receiving the legal help they need. According to a study by Legal Services Corporation, only 8% of low-income Coloradans facing civil legal problems receive legal help. That forces them to confront issues — such as losing housing, fighting for protection from a domestic violence abuser or working to preserve their incomes — on their own.
“We’re seeing civil aid organizations have to turn people away because they don’t have enough resources,” Executive Director of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission Emo Overall said in the release. “Each story of someone who cannot secure justice because of the high cost of attorneys is heartbreaking and we’re asking Coloradans to continue supporting their neighbors who can’t afford representation.”
To contact the Greeley branch of Colorado Legal Services, call 970-353-7554 or go to coloradolegalservices.org/get-help.
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