NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES RADIO
CAMPAIGN
"Protecting Our Rights, Protecting Our
Courts” Will Highlight the Role of the Judiciary
The New York State Bar Association unveiled its latest
radio campaign, “Protecting our Rights, Protecting Our
Courts,” featuring radio spots that focus on two key issues:
educating the public on the important role the judiciary plays in our
system of justice; and highlighting the need to extend the ‘right
to counsel’ to indigent New Yorkers in cases where basic human
needs are at stake. The radio announcements are narrated by New York
State Bar Association President Kathryn Grant Madigan (Levene Gouldin
& Thompson LLP).
“More Americans
can name a judge on American Idol than the Chief Justice
of the US Supreme Court. Fewer than one-third know that our
courts are one of the three co-equal branches of government.
These radio spots are intended to raise
awareness about the vital role judges play in
protecting the rights of all New Yorkers and why an independent
and impartial judiciary is essential to our system of
justice,” Madigan said. “We hope this campaign will
help the public understand that when a judge issues a decision it
is based upon the facts and the law, not politics and perhaps think
twice before unfairly criticizing a judge for a decision that has been
correctly decided. Another radio spot dispels a commonly held
belief that poor New Yorkers have guaranteed right to counsel
in civil matters. When basic human needs are at stake -- family
law/domestic violence, housing, health, wrongly denied benefits such as
social security and veterans' pensions -- no one should be denied access
to justice because they cannot afford a lawyer."
The radio ads were produced and distributed in
coordination with the New York State Broadcaster’s Association as
part of an on-going campaign to raise public awareness about a wide
variety of legal issues that affect the lives of New Yorkers.
The radio spots will run from April 14 through May 11,
2008. It is anticipated that the ads will air several thousand times
throughout the month-long campaign. The four radio spots are as
follows:
Civil Gideon (60 Seconds; MP3
format)
This is Kate Madigan, President of the
New
York State Bar
Association. If you are accused of a crime, you have the right to a
court appointed lawyer if you cannot afford one. But if you are in
danger of being evicted from your home, face the loss of health care or
public benefits, there is no guaranteed right to counsel. It can mean
the difference between losing a home or keeping it, suffering from
domestic abuse or finding refuge, gaining or losing custody of a child.
Despite the thousands of hours of free legal services provided by
New
York Lawyers each year, we
can only meet 20 percent of the civil legal needs of the poor. We can
and must do better. The promise of equal justice for all must extend to
every citizen. When basic human needs are at stake, everyone deserves
the right to counsel.
Brought to you by the New York State Bar Association in cooperation with the New
York State Broadcasters Association.
Lawsuit Explosion (30 seconds; MP3
format)
This is Kate Madigan, President of the
New
York State Bar
Association. You may have heard that there
is a litigation explosion in New York. But that is not the case. In fact, the number of
lawsuits filed in New York is
actually lower than it was 10 years ago. We need to preserve our justice
system, which gives every one the ability to protect their rights in
court. Access to justice. That’s what democracy is all
about.
Brought to you by the New York State Bar Association in cooperation with the New
York State Broadcasters Association.
Our Courts: Least Understood Branch of
Government (60 seconds; MP3 format)
This is Kate Madigan, President of the
New
York State Bar
Association. Did you know that more people
can name the three judges on American Idol than the Chief Justice of
the United States Supreme Court? Did you know that
even fewer can identify our three independent branches of
government? Our founding fathers created
this system to protect us from abuses of power. Three separate and co-equal
branches -- the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary –
with checks and balances to prevent any one branch from breaking the law
or violating our rights. The founders of our
country believed an independent judiciary was essential – they
didn’t want judges beholden to politicians – and it has
remained that way for over 200 years. Independent judges protect our Constitution, protect our rights
and deserve our respect.
Brought to you by the New York State Bar Association in cooperation with the New
York State Broadcasters Association.
Judges as Referees (30 Seconds; MP3
format)
This is Kate Madigan, President of the
New
York State Bar
Association. Fair and impartial judges who make decisions based on the
merits play a vital role in our democratic society. Judges are like referees. They make
tough decisions and enforce the rules, even if it’s
unpopular. They consider the facts and the
law, not politics. A fair and impartial judiciary is essential to
protecting our rights under the Constitution.
Brought to you by the New York State Bar Association in cooperation with the New
York State Broadcasters Association.
The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is
the official statewide organization of lawyers in New
York and the largest
voluntary state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, NYSBA
programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved
the justice system for more than 130 years.
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