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ABA Day includes two ELPO attorneys
by Mandy Hicks
The American Bar Association holds an annual event in Washington, D.C., and invites select ABA members to attend and meet with their representative members of Congress. This year, Charles E. English Sr. and Buzz English of ELPO participated in ABA day in Washington, which was held April 13 to 15.
Major issues discussed include:
– Funding for the Legal Service Corporation (LSC). LSC distributes funds to entities such as West Kentucky Legal Services that provides civil representation to individuals below the poverty line. These individuals would not have access to the justice system but for the fact that a LSC lawyer represents them.
– Voting on federal judicial nominations. Currently, more than 10 percent of the authorized judgeship on the federal judiciary remain vacant. “This has become a burden on the remaining judges,” says attorney Buzz English. “It has slowed the ability of the court system to resolve disputes. Many nominations are simply languishing in the Senate for no apparent reason. If an individual is not qualified, the Senate should vote to reject the nomination. The nominee, however, is entitled to a vote one way or the other.”
– Crime Victims Restitution and Court Fee Interceptor Act. “We asked the Kentucky delegation to support the Crime Victims Restitution and Court Fee Interceptor Act,” says attorney Charles E. English. “This bill would give the IRS the ability to intercept from federal tax refunds unpaid restitution or court fees. This legislation would help financially strapped state courts collect overdue judicial debts, including restitution owed to crime victims, without costing the federal government a dime.”
