Something as simple as the lack of an Internet connection and a working printer can prove to be an unscalable barrier for people trying to navigate the court system.
So a group of judges, attorneys and court staffers in Adams County launched a program in January designed to help people navigate their way through the court system, whether that’s explaining the process or providing access to a computer and printer so they can leave with the paperwork they need.
“With the economy, fewer people are able to afford counsel, and people are afraid and anxious when they come to the courthouse, and the staff in the traditional lines — the windows — they can’t give legal advice and they don’t have time to help people,” said District Judge Patrick Murphy. “So this was an opportunity for us to provide not legal advice but access to information.”
The Self Help Resource Center is located in the old jury commissioner’s office on the first floor of the county courthouse in Brighton.
The center is partially funded by proceeds from the Sean May Memorial Run, held in honor of the Adams County prosecutor who was murdered in August 2008 outside his Denver home. His killing is unsolved.
This year’s run is scheduled today at Barr Lake State Park.
Currently, the center is open two days a week — 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays and 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays.
The center’s aim is largely to help people figure out how to navigate their way through civil matters — but the center’s workers will try to answer any question.
“We really are open to anyone who comes,” said Kyla Stopperan, a judicial assistant in Adams County District Court.
Stopperan is currently the only person staffing the center, but others have volunteered time there — and the hope is that next month the center will be able to add more hours and that county court clerks will take turns in the office.
To date, the center has seen 410 people.
Jennifer Wascak, a deputy Adams County attorney, said she found working in the center “one of the most professionally rewarding” things she’s done even though the work didn’t involve legal research or advice.
“Even without providing legal representation, just the access to the information they need is so appreciated,” she said. “The clients we served were so grateful to have somebody help them work their way through the system.”
