September 17, 2019
South Carolina Legal Services invites you to our 7th Annual Constitution Day Legal Forum. This year’s topic is “Removing Barriers”. Whether it is a criminal record, suspended driver’s license or unpaid debt, there are different types of legal barriers that can get in the way of obtaining a financial stability, job, or education. Join our legal experts as they walk you through your options and the steps necessary to get your life back on the right track.
If you’re a professional working with justice-involved individual, this legal forum will provide you with the tools you need to help your clients.
Pardon Me!
Jack Cohoon, Employment Unit Head, South Carolina Legal Services
In South Carolina, there are over thirty-eight thousand difference legal consequences from having a criminal record. A criminal conviction can be an obstacle that prevents someone from accessing public benefits, housing, employment, education, and more. Pardons is an excellent tool to help people deal with convictions in South Carolina state courts.
Street Legal
Jack Cohoon, Employment Unit Head, South Carolina Legal Services
Tiffney Love, Barriers to Employment Lead Attorney, South Carolina Legal Services
There are many different things that can interfere with your having a driver’s license. If you are having driver’s license issues, how do you solve it? Where do you start? There are two phases of the process. First, trying to resolve the issue in court. Second, trying to resolve the issue with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Expungements
Tiffney Love, Barriers to Employment Lead Attorney, South Carolina Legal Services
Expungement is the destruction of criminal records related to an arrest or criminal conviction. After a successful expungement, all court records of the charge or conviction are destroyed and no longer reported on your SLED report. But how do you get an expungement? What crimes are eligible? How much does it cost? Getting your criminal record expunged can give you a second chance.
Correcting Errors on Your SLED Report
Tiffney Love, Barriers to Employment Lead Attorney, South Carolina Legal Services
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) keeps a data report on everyone of us that includes information about arrests, dismissed charges, convictions, and more. This report can be an obstacle to getting employment, housing and other benefits. But what if there are errors on your report? There is a process to get the record corrected.
Your Money, Your Goals
Susan Ingles, Consumer Unit Head, South Carolina Legal Services
For justice-involved individuals, the financial challenges after reentering society can be just as difficult as the legal challenges. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a toolkit “My Money, My Goals: Focus on Reentry” that outlines the various challenges and provides tools and options that justice-involved individuals may have after having served their debt to society.
Criminal Justice Debt in the South
Abby Shafroth, Staff Attorney and Leader of Criminal Justice Debt Project, National Consumer Law Center
Criminal Justice Debt are financial obligations imposed as result of interactions with our justice system. It can be a fine or restitution, but also court fees, surcharges and other add-ons. What are the problems with current criminal justice debt practices and what are some policy changes that could help individuals struggling with criminal justice debt?
South Carolina Legal Service is a statewide law firm that provides free civil legal services to eligible, low-income South Carolinians. If you wish to apply for our services, call us at 1-888-346-5592 or apply online.
Thank you for joining us for Constitution Day Legal Forum. We hope to see you again next year.
