Dollars For Depositions Program

Midwest Litigation Services launches Dollars for Depositions program pledging $21,000 in support of the Missouri Coalition for the Right to Counsel.
ST. LOUIS - June 28, 2017 - PRLog -- MIDWEST LITIGATION SERVICES LAUNCHES DOLLARS FOR DEPOSITIONS PROGRAM

Pledges $21,000 in Support of the Missouri Coalition for the Right to Counsel

ST. LOUIS, June 28, 2017 – Midwest Litigation Services announces the Dollars for Depositions program, which will provide up to $21,000 in funding for deposition services for the Missouri Coalition for the Right to Counsel (MCRC), a non-profit partnership that allows young attorneys to gain case and trial experience by taking on cases from the public defender's office on a volunteer basis, thus helping to ease their caseload.

"After learning about the important work that MCRC is doing – a private-public partnership bringing swifter justice to the indigent – it was an easy decision to join many of our partner law firms in supporting their efforts," said Debbie Weaver, President of Midwest Litigation Services.

The Missouri public defender's office last year saw a 12 percent increase in cases to 82,000. MCRC was launched earlier this year to help ease that case load, and founders believe it could make a significant impact in the future, potentially creating a model for other states facing similar challenges.

"I was astonished to learn that the Missouri public defender's office ranks 49 out of 50 states in terms of funding per case, and with such tight budgets, public defenders are only able to depose four percent of cases and take only one percent to trial. We are committed to being part of the effort that changes that," Weaver said.

As part of MCRC efforts, the Missouri State Public Defender's office has trained 100 volunteer lawyers to date. Currently, 52 active cases from the public defender's office have been assigned and accepted by MCRC volunteers, each of which is eligible to take advantage of the Dollars for Depositions program.

"This Dollars for Depositions program is not only exceedingly generous, it also validates that our volunteers are doing important work and others, like Midwest, are out there to back them up as they represent the indigent defendant on the front lines of the justice system," said Richard Scherrer, chair and co-founder of MCRC.

In addition to the scheduling and coordination provided by Midwest Litigation's internal staff, many of the independent court reporters and videographers in their network have pledged support as well.

"We believe everyone deserves access to a good defense. If you're assigned a public defender, it shouldn't be limited because the state doesn't have the budget," said Weaver. "We know how important the discovery process is to building a strong case, which is why we are supporting this program with deposition services."

About Midwest Litigation Services - http://midwestlitigation.com/


Since 1985, Midwest Litigation Services has provided court reporting, video and trial support. From its headquarters in downtown St. Louis, its president, Debbie Weaver, has grown it to 12 office locations and over 250 litigation service partners, including court reporters and videographers. Its sister companies include Midwest Trial Services, which provides on-site audio-visual support in the courtroom, war room services, demonstrative design and more, and Aequitas, which offers alternative dispute resolution services. For more information, visit midwestlitigation.com.

About the Midwest Coalition for Right to Counsel

The MCRC, believed to be the only U.S. nonprofit organization of its kind, facilitates and encourages law firms to volunteer their attorneys to represent clients of the Missouri public defender's office, thus easing the system's difficult caseload.

PR Contact:

Debbie Weaver
debbie@midwestlitigation.com
314.644.2191

Contact
Kristian Robert
***@midwestlitigation.com
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