Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich yesterday signed legislation doubling the dollar limit for small claims court from $2,500 to $5,000. HALT, a national group seeking to improve access and accountability in the civil justice system, was instrumental in the passage of Senate Bill 4. HALT’s attendance at the signing was the culmination of a three-year campaign to increase court access for the people of Maryland.

“The increase in the small claims jurisdictional limit is an important step toward full access to the legal system,” said HALT Senior Counsel Thomas Gordon. “Small claims courts are the only courts where people can settle everyday disputes without an attorney. We are pleased that Maryland will now allow people to use this important avenue to resolve disputes over matters with greater value than damaged dry cleaning.”

HALT has worked closely with this legislation’s sponsors since 2001, when a similar bill was introduced in the Maryland House. HALT testified last term in support of the bill to the House Judiciary Committee. Although the bill was unanimously passed by the legislature in both 2001 and 2002, it was vetoed both times by then-Governor Glendening. Glendening cited a request of the state’s trial lawyers as the reason for his vetoes, earning him widespread criticism, including an editorial rebuke from the Washington Post. In 2003, HALT testified before the Senate Committee on Judicial Proceedings, and the bill again passed both houses unanimously. Yesterday’s action raised the small claims ceiling from eighth-lowest in the country to just above the national median of $4,500.

HALT’s Gordon cautioned that further reform is still needed to ensure full access to the courts: “Although this increase will help many Marylanders resolve their legal disputes, there are many more people who are still stuck outside the system. There are small claims courts with dollar limits over $20,000 that have served people very well. A jurisdictional limit of $20,000 would allow people to resolve their disputes without the prohibitive expense of hiring an attorney.”

Founded in 1978, HALT is the largest consumer legal reform group in the country, with over 50,000 members nationwide. HALT pursues an aggressive education and advocacy program that challenges the legal establishment to improve access and reduce costs in the civil justice system.