By Amaris Elliott-Engel
Of the Legal Staff
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille said in a statement Thursday that he agrees with an auditor's recommendation that court filing fees should be turned into a permanent funding stream for legal aid organizations.
The Access to Justice Act was passed into law in 2002 and is set to sunset this year. The act imposes a $10 fee on state court filings, $2 of which goes to civil legal service organizations, the news release said.
Castille also noted that the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network is performing positively with the funds it receives according to an audit by the state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. The LBFC also suggested that legislators consider making permanent another $1 surcharge on filing fees that goes to legal services. That surcharge is slated to expire in January 2012.
The LBFC found that legal services clients are 80 to 100 percent satisfied and that there are few issues with the use of funds, the release said.
"The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network provides legal assistance and access to the courts for Pennsylvanians whose family income is less than 125 percent of poverty level -- those who don’t have the financial means to access the courts in these difficult economic times, but for whom that access is now more critical than ever," Castille said in the statement. "Even with the assistance of legal aid, approximately 50 percent of eligible Pennsylvanians seeking services are turned away due to resource constraints."
Amaris Elliott-Engel is a reporter for The Legal. She can be contacted at 215-557-2354 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @AmarisTLI.
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