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Marin Cares

Marin Cares: Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

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Marin Cares

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Marin Cares

Marin Cares

Marin Cares

Marin Cares: Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

Marin Cares: Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

Marin Cares: Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

Marin Cares: Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
2 Campaigns |
San Rafael, United States
$10,445 USD 82 backers
69% of $15,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk

Marin Cares - Justice

$10 USD
9 claimed

Marin Cares - Friend

$25 USD
7 out of 50 of claimed

Marin Cares with Style!

$60 USD
4 out of 200 of claimed

Marin Cares - MCC Advocate

$100 USD
13 out of 150 of claimed

Marin Cares - MCC Major Donor

$500 USD
0 out of 25 of claimed
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

MARIN CARES


Help Marin Residents Find Guidance and Resources with Marin Community Court.

Every month the dining room at the St. Vincent De Paul Society of Marin is transformed into a working courtroom known as the Marin Community Court. The second Tuesday of each month is reserved for helping disadvantaged Marin residents become more self-sufficient and rise above the citations that drastically impact their lives.



Marin County Superior Court Judge Beverly Wood presides over official court proceedings.  Dedicated volunteers screen, counsel and advocate for participants in preparation for the moment they are called before Judge Wood (herself a volunteer along with the Clerk and the Bailiff). April 8, 2014 marks the 3 year anniversary of the Marin Community Court — and to keep this Heart of Marin Award-winning court going—we need your help! Please donate today!

ABOUT MARIN COMMUNITY COURT

The Marin Community Court is a partnership of Legal Aid of Marin, the St. Vincent DePaul Society of Marin County and the Marin County Superior Court.  It was created to help “…disadvantaged defendants with minor offenses, who are often homeless and frequently mentally or physically disabled, . . .  successfully resolve their cases in the court system while also connecting with much-needed social services, medical treatment, rehabilitation services and job seeking assistance.” – Court Executive Officer for Marin County Superior Court, Kim Turner.  The Marin Community Court is a local and accessible Court targeted at a population vulnerable to “quality of life tickets” “lifestyle infractions” and other similar citations.


THE COURT ADDRESSES EVERYDAY PROBLEMS

These citations include sleeping in a parked vehicle or outside in a park. Marin County has very few permanent shelter beds for the county’s homeless and at-risk-of-being homeless population. The Marin Community Court attempts to address the laws that fine individuals that are poor.  The court also addresses minor traffic tickets.  Traffic tickets can push an already indigent person into homelessness.

We had one case of a woman who had a suspended license due to an old ticket for not having insurance and registration. The Community Court judge ordered her to bring proof of insurance and registration; she did, and got her ticket zeroed out, and her license reinstated.

WHO MARIN COMMUNITY COURT HELPS

The people served at Marin Community Court do not have the money to pay the fines or enough personal stability to deal with the adverse consequences of these minor legal violations.  Instead, they are ordered to perform activities such as job searching, drug or alcohol treatment, education offerings and/or community service.  The objective of the sentence is to reduce recidivism and get participants on the path to self-sufficiency and stability. 

"Social workers, attorneys, and the Court all come together to help individuals take the needed steps to resolve their past legal troubles and better their future, helping both the participant and bettering our community." – Matthew Briggs, Volunteer Attorney


Photo: Dede Teeler, Legal Aid of Marin Community Court Coordinator; George Shea, Marin Community Court Volunteer Attorney; and Paul Cohen, Executive Director of Legal Aid of Marin

MARIN COMMUNITY COURT SUCCESSES

In the last three years of the Marin Community Court, we have seen hundreds of successes.  “A number of defendants have improved their personal situations by gaining housing, getting jobs and maintaining sobriety because of the level of monitoring and personal support provided to them by the Marin Community Court team.Not only is this a benefit for defendants, it can also be a big win for the community as these defendants find their way off the streets and into supportive and productive living situations.”  – Kim Turner, Court Executive Officer for Marin County Superior Court

The court sessions are possible because a lot of screening and activity happens behind the scenes before and after each session of the Marin Community Court.  We need your help in supporting this work.  It takes about 30 staff hours per week to maintain the program at its current level and Legal Aid of Marin needs to provide administrative staff time dedicated to this program.  We want to keep this program going into the future which will only be possible with your support. Your donations will help keep the Marin Community Court a viable and permanent part of our community.  Help show that #MarinCares.  Please Donate Today!


As it says on the wall of Marin Community Court...

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -Winston Churchill

Thank you for giving!



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