On June 8, 2009, the Louisiana Supreme Court announced the establishment and membership of a “Pro Se Litigant Task Force. The full press release is as follows:
Chief Justice Catherine D. “Kitty” Kimball announced today that the Louisiana Supreme Court has appointed 16 members who will sit on the newly established Pro Se Litigant Task Force. According to Chief Justice Kimball, “The purpose of the committee is to study the issue of pro se, or ‘self represented,’ litigants and to examine what steps can be taken to assist such litigants and to make appropriate recommendations.”
The committee is comprised of judges and lawyers from a wide array of public interest law practice. Judge Harry F. Randow, 9th Judicial District Court, is the Chairman of The Pro Se Litigant Task Force. The other members are: Judge Jerome J. Barbera, III, 17th Judicial District Court; Judge Christopher J. Bruno, Orleans Civil District Court; Judge Scott J. Crichton, 1st Judicial District Court; Bernadette D’Souza, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; Christy Kane, Louisiana Appleseed; Kathleen McNelis, Louisiana Bar Foundation; Monte T. Mollere, Louisiana State Bar Association-Access to Justice; Mark Moreau, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; Joseph R. Oelkers, III, Acadiana Legal Services; Judy Pace, Judge Kent D. Savoie, 14th Judicial District Court; Marta Schnabel, Louisiana State Bar Association -Access to Justice; Lisa Stansky, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services-Pro Se Court Project; Judge Stephens H. Winters, 4th Judicial District Court; and Judge Lisa Woodruff-White, East Baton Rouge Family Court.
For more information on the Pro Se Litigant Task Force, contact Brian Wiggins with the Louisiana Supreme Court Judicial Administrator’s Office at 504-310-2568.
4 Comments
My brother and I are Pro se civil litigants in Louisiana and have been since December 2007. I find it rather amusing that the La SC would appoint a Pro Se Litigant Task force composed of lawyers and judges, the very people who are adversely impacting Pro se litigants. If this committee wanted to do something to require courts to comply with the law and various rules for courts, they first must know what rules and laws are being violated and by whom. As you certainly know, there was a similar committee formed in 2004 and a well read “Guidelines For Best Practices In Pro Se Assistance” which is downloadable from the ABA web site, is an excellent document. The problem is, the courts still are not following this guideline. They are not even following La. CCP or Rules for District Courts.
Pro se litigants in Louisiana have a zero chance. The blatant acts of deprivation of the Constitutional Rights to Due Process deprived by the 5th Circuit Court, then swept under the carpet by the La. SC is pitiful.
In current litigation, the judge has violated La. CCP Art 153 three times and his own Stay Order twice and the 2nd Circuit wouldn’t even grant a Stay Order. Pitiful! The judge acknowledged under oath, that he routinely does not follow the Rules for District Courts, specifically Rule 9.5 and Rule 9.9. If the Judge does not enforce the Rules for District Courts promulgated by the Supreme Court, who will? Not the Court of Appeals, that is for sure.
If this committee wants to do something positive, there should be Pro se parties on the committee, for no one but one who has been there knows what is truly going on in the Louisiana Courts.
We are not Pro se because we can’t afford a lawyer. We had the best legal representation available for the first five years of this litigation, but when the Courts do not follow the law, it doesn’t do much good to pay lawyers to represent you when they are not going to come up against the judge.
JDW
JDW -
Very interesting comments. I think you’re spot-on about the hole in the LSBA’s “Pro Se Task Force.”
The task force is going to be loaded with attorneys who see things one way only. The recommendations are going to be bland, and do very little to change the reality of pro se litigants and the changing legal system. Unfortunately.
Good luck with your litigation as a pro se litigant.
This is going on all over. My husband and I are Pro Se in a civil case where Midland Mortgage(MidFirst Bank)and Barrett Burke Castle Daffin Frappier by their Attorney Steven Leyh comitted FRAUD UPON THE COURT by filing false documents in the 405th district court in June 2009. They won summary judgement by stating that we agreed to settle a lawsuit for 40,000 all while I was in the hospital from May 3,2009 thru May 11, 2009, they stated we breached an unsigned, undelived, unagreeable settlement agreement that we never saw. Proof of May the 11th was given to the Judge that I was in a hospital unable to consent or contract by law. The Judge has decreed that we take the 40,000 and sign an agreement that we never saw or agreed to.Texas R.Civ.P 11 and 13 was violated by our former attorney and the Defendants attorney. We filed with the Bar, no hope there.This is almost like an outside’LYNCHING’to make you sign a settlement agreement that you dont agree with.Google ‘Zombie Debt Refuse To Die’
Well Mr.Wright injustice in the courts against Pro Se Litigants continue to be in full swing all over. You are right,it would be good if they added a Pro Se person to their team.They’re on the right track,it’s better than nothing.Like you said, if you are Pro Se you don’t stand much of a chance.It’s sort of like the Baptist Church I grew up in,
the pulpit was reserved for men only,it was to holy for women. So the Courts are reserved for practicing attorney’s
only,you can quote every law in the book,but if you are a Pro Se Litigant you might as well tuck your tail and run or decide that what ever it takes you are willing to fight.
We’ve decided to fight,we filed a CIVIL RIGTHS lawsuit on Dece 31.2009 alleging conspiracy,Fraud,denial of fair trial
Constitutional deprivation 5th,6th,7th,14th and under Color
Of Law 42 USC 1983,1985,1986,1988,also 241,242,1001,Bill of Rights violations. This opens up lawsuits on Judges and attorney’s who conspire with the Judge or who ever violate’s a Litigants rights.It’s called a Civil Rights Complaint,they are easy to file.I’ll be posting our’s on the web in a few weeks.You may send a copy to your Attorney
General,Media,and to The Dept Of Justice in Washington,
civil rights dept.Judge Wayne Mallia decreed and ordered that we sign an unagreeable settlement agreement that we never saw, the defendants attorney,Steven Leyh filed docs that were fraudulant,made false statements,sign and filed an invalid Rule 11 agreement,the Judge was made aware of such conduct and took no action.We also appealed it to the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston.So dont give up.There is a Power Greater than thiers,the heart of a King is in His Hand!!.