Winchester VA — The financial crisis is bringing more poor people in contact with the courts, and lawyers can’t keep up with the demand.

Attorney Anna Hammond of the nonprofit Blue Ridge Legal Services discusses the recent overload in her offices at 119 S. Kent St. in Winchester.

“Most people think you get a court-appointed lawyer no matter what, and that’s not the case,” said John Whitfield, executive director of the city office of Blue Ridge Legal Services, the region’s provider of free legal services for low-income residents with civil cases.

The nonprofit organization has seen a large increase in demand since last fall, and the local branch at 119 S. Kent St. is turning away all but the most urgent cases.

That means many of the area’s most needy citizens must get though court proceedings on their own.

“It’s a dirty little secret that even though the law might be on your side, if you don’t know what to say or where to file [court documents], it’s like you have no rights at all,” Whitfield said.

Criminal cases aren’t legally allowed to proceed unless the defendant has access to an attorney, and when a defendant can’t afford a lawyer, the court appoints one.

That’s not the case with civil matters, such as child custody battles or bankruptcy filings. For those cases, people who can’t afford a lawyer must do without or call upon legal aid.

Read full article via Winchester Star.