The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has called a special work session for Thursday, Jan. 18, where the board will consider whether the county should create a Legal Support Center that would help people who are attempting “Pro se” legal work – that is, those handling their own civil matters in the Guilford County court system.
It wouldn’t affect people who are handling criminal matters themselves.
The center would not give legal advice but would instead help those who are working lawyer-less on their own behalf navigate the system and it would take some pressure off of court staff.
County officials say similar models have worked well in Wake County and other counties in the state and, at the January 18 work session, the Guilford County commissioners will consider whether the program – requested by Guilford County court officials – would be a good idea for this county.
The board already had a regular scheduled meeting for 5:30 p.m. on January 18 and this newly called work session will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Carolyn Coleman Conference Room on the first floor of the Old Guilford County Court House at 301 W. Market St. in Greensboro..
In addition to discussing funding for a Legal Support Center, the board is also scheduled to get financial updates on the current 2023-24 fiscal year budget as well as an update on the construction of the Law Enforcement Administration Center. That’s the Sheriff’s Department’s planned new administrative headquarters that ran into a brick wall in early 2023 when the Board of Commissioners pulled out of a $20 million contract with Samet Corp. for reasons that were never entirely divulged.
At the work session, the board will also discuss the status of old Erwin Elementary school – a building the county has taken over from the school system.
Anyone who wants to watch the afternoon work session may attend, or watch and listen by via Zoom by going to https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1619974303, completing the webinar registration, and selecting the option to join from the confirmation email prior to the start of the meeting.
The work session will also be livestreamed on Guilford County’s Facebook page.
Copies of the agenda for the work session will be available for review prior to the start of the meeting at https://guilford.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Those interested can contact Deputy Clerk Ariane Webb at awebb@guilfordcountync.gov with any questions.
Isn’t this what Legal Aid of NC is supposed to do? They are a failure and have been for years. Let’s hope this program will be successful.
Quit wasting white taxpayers money skip. Pos
I’ve tried legal aid in the past. No help. Many of us can’t afford legal advice, so we are just SOL. There are so many laws on the books, that you need all the books. Law enforcement can find something on which to charge you.
Name something our govt does well.
Give away taxpayer money to friends of the city council for unproven and worthless programs. They do this very well.
This is an expense to the taxpayers of Guilford County that is not justified. The court staff is looking for a way to decrease their workload. How many county employees have whined to a commissioner? There are too many legal cases presently, and taxpayers should not be paying to add to the load. Nowhere in any law is it written that government should/can be engaging in helping a pro se sue someone, or for a pro se to defend against a suit. Bad idea. If someone needs legal help, see Legal Aid. Guilford County taxpayers should be upset that this idea would be considered.