Align SFMTA Tow Policy with Economic and Racial Justice

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
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Car being towed
BayLegal, along with 26 other organizations and individuals, has submitted a letter to the Director and Board of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) advocating for the end of poverty tows in San Francisco, and for a tow and impound policy aligned with economic and racial justice. “Poverty tows” for unpaid tickets, in the …

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Updates on BayLegal’s Advocacy with the Judicial Council of California

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
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California Judicial Council Seal, which includes a picture of Roman goddess Minerva
The Judicial Council is the policymaking body of the California courts. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BayLegal has worked with the Judicial Council to advocate for the needs of low-income litigants and for overall public safety within the legal system, supporting the statewide suspension of eviction proceedings along with court closures and changes to procedures to …

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Q&A: Economic Impact Payments, Unemployment, and Outreach to Unhoused Bay Area Residents

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
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The San Francisco Chronicle last week published this useful Q&A on public benefits and emergency relief linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Business columnist Kathleen Pender reached out to several Bay Area organizations serving public benefits recipients and unhoused people for answers on Economic Impact Payments, unemployment, and related topics. BayLegal Regional Managing Attorney for SSI …

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Court of Appeal Ruling Could Invalidate Thousands of Driver’s License Suspensions

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2020 Media Contact: Taylor Brady, Bay Area Legal Aid, Tbrady@baylegal.org, (510) 250-5234   ***PRESS RELEASE***  Court of Appeal Ruling Could Invalidate Thousands of Driver’s License Suspensions SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA —The California Court of Appeal ruled that the Department of Motor Vehicles cannot suspend the licenses of drivers who fail to …

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Updates on CARES Act Stimulus Payments: Fraud Alert and Information on Direct Payments

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
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A purple-gloved hand lays on top of a check from the U.S. Treasury
Fraud Alert The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) informs the public that there have been reports of nursing homes and assisted living facilities requiring residents to sign over their Economic Impact Payments. According to the FTC: [T]hose economic impact payments are considered tax credits and tax credits don’t count as “resources” for federal benefits programs like …

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Fighting for Second Chances: BayLegal’s Reentry Unit

| By BayLegal
Categories: 20th Anniversary, Anniversary Interview Series, Anniversary Timeline, Client Story, eNewsletter Story, News
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A cartoon figure stands behind bars with the barriers to reentry listed in red around them
“Fear isn’t holding me back as much”   Luke is the father of two boys. One is three years old, the other seven. He works for a subcontracting company in the East Bay, where he spoke to us by phone from the company’s warehouse. “We’re still working during the pandemic,” he explained. “A lot of …

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“Towed Into Debt”: Major New Report Shows How Towing Practices in CA Unfairly Harm Low-Income Drivers

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News, Other
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Today Bay Area Legal Aid announces the publication of “Towed Into Debt.” This major new report looks at the economic, legal, and policy aspects of municipal tow and impound practices across multiple cities in California, where approximately 1 million vehicles are towed by public agencies each year, and finds compelling evidence that: Towing is often …

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Celebrating a significant victory against the criminalization of poverty

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
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BayLegal joins our colleagues at Public Counsel, and the allied organizations with whom we partnered in an amicus brief, in celebrating yesterday’s decision by the CA Second District Court of Appeals in People v. Dueñas. The court’s decision represents an important step against the criminalization of poverty and the imposing of court fees on defendants …

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