Marin County’s first ever Community Court for homeless defendants – a project co-founded by Legal Aid of Marin Staff Attorney Maura Prendiville – has quickly grown from a good idea to a great community asset. Since launching as a pilot project in the spring, the Marin Community Court has helped dozens of down-on-their-luck defendants clear up hundreds of citations and violations and “get back on their feet,” as a front page headline in the Marin Independent Journal put it.
In a separate editorial, the IJ lauded the court as “an impressive program” and “terrific collaboration,” that is a “creative approach to tackling homelessness.”
Encouraging words indeed as Prendiville works with co-founding partners at the Marin Superior Court and St. Vincent de Paul Society to transition the project from the
pilot to permanent stage. "We're seeing clients turn their lives around and have a positive courtroom experience," said Prendiville. The success stories of Marin Community Court clients have also been featured on KCBS news radio.
The project has also received recognition in both the Harvard and New York University law school websites.
To listen to or read the full reports, click on the hyperlinks above.
