Great Press for Massachusetts Appleseed!

Appleseed Centers all over the US and Mexico are working hard – and receiving excellent press coverage for their work. 

Last month, we featured the work of Missouri Appleseed and this month we are proud to share that Massachusetts Appleseed's own Deborah Silva was quoted in the most recent issue of the ABA Journal. Silva was interviewed for an article discussing court bans on electronic devices: “‘It's a real barrier to access to justice. The burden of this policy really falls to those who can't afford to hire an attorney.’" 

In the article, Silva also pointed out that "these types of bans disproportionately impact litigants who are representing themselves because they can't share evidence or look up information they might need using their phones." Finally, she shared her hope that courts consider underserved populations and make a decision that will deliver justice to all. "’Ideally, in a perfect world we'd just like to see the cell phone bans lifted and have everyone allowed to bring cell phones in. And if someone does act in a way that's disruptive or intimidating, deal with that situation other than making up a blanket ban.’"

We want to congratulate Deb for the media mention and for her team's in-depth work on this topic, shared in their report titled Cell Phones in the Courthouse: An Access to Justice Perspective (PDF). Visit their website to learn more and support their work.