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Contact: Contact Kristin Weber at 202/887-8255, kweber@halt.org
Washington, DC—In a letter to Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski, HALT offered support of a House Bill that, once signed into law, will significantly increase the state's jurisdictional dollar limit on small claims. Alaska House Bill 227 stands to lift the state's ceiling on small claims from $7,500 to $10,000, which would leave far fewer people stuck outside the justice system.
"Many Alaskans are stranded in a legal no-man's land because their routine legal problems have a dollar value above the state's ceiling on small claims, yet they cannot afford to hire an attorney for such a simple matter," stated HALT Senior Counsel Tom Gordon. "These people are effectively shut out of the legal system."
Small claims courts, which use simplified procedures and require plain language, have tremendous promise as a means of empowering ordinary people to take charge of their own routine legal needs. HALT's Small Claims Reform Project advocates for states across the nation to raise their jurisdictional limits to $20,000 in order to open up small claims courts. Realizing that the $20,000 mark is an ambitious goal, HALT views House Bill 227 as an excellent first step. A $10,000 limit would make Alaska's limit tied for third highest in the nation.
Earlier this month, HALT released its 2004 Small Claims Report Card, grading all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their small claims courts. While Alaska's score was ninth best in the nation, its "C" grade leaves room for improvement.
Gordon cautioned increasing the dollar limit is only the first step in ensuring full access to small claims courts. HALT recommends several other user-friendly reforms necessary for Alaska's small claims court system: providing assistance with collecting judgments; authorizing small claims judges to issue court orders; expanding small claims dispute resolution programs; and making small claims courts user-friendly by adding additional hours of court operation and simplifying procedures.
Founded in 1978, HALT—An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform is a non-partisan, non-profit public interest organization. HALT pursues an ambitious education and advocacy program that challenges the legal establishment to improve access and accountability and reduce costs in the civil justice system. Please visit www.halt.org for more information.
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