Homeless Courts In California Gaining Traction

The American Bar Association is embracing a new movement that helps people who are homeless deal with legal issues through a Homeless Court. The PATH Mall is one location where Homeless Court presides.

Here is a media alert distributed today:
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WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- American Bar Association President Michael S. Greco will join several of California's top judges, public defenders and district attorneys to announce a unified call to expand the Homeless Court Program throughout the Golden State and around the country.

Homeless courts are special Superior Court sessions for the homeless in which they have the opportunity to resolve outstanding criminal cases. The program was originally designed to assist homeless veterans, who make up a large portion of the homeless population. Currently, there are 12 active homeless courts in California with another six in development. There are another 10 homeless courts across the rest of the country.

Media availability will take place on March 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the
Veterans Village of San Diego. The Homeless Court session begins at 2:00 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Village.

The first homeless court program was created in San Diego in 1989, and features a judge, clerk, public defender and prosecutor. What started as an annual session for veterans has become a monthly event, and has expanded to serve battered and homeless women, residents at city-sponsored cold weather shelters, and the general homeless population. In 2005 the San Diego program resolved more than 2,100 cases, up from the 451 cases in the program's inaugural year.