One of the most dramatic changes in priorities proposed by the City Council would shift $25.6 million from funding for court-appointed lawyers to the Legal Aid Society. In a document released yesterday to justify its reordered priorities, the Council contended that Legal Aid can achieve greater economies of scale than lawyers appointed pursuant to Article 18-B of the County Law. The Council document also noted that "inexplicably" 18-B lawyers are handling 50 percent of the indigent criminal cases in New York City, even though their mandate is to handle only multi-defendant cases where the Legal Aid Society had a conflict. In past years, the City Council had consistently added $5.6 million to the $54.7 million proposed for the Legal Aid Society by former Mayor Giuliani, bringing the total to just a shade over $60 million. But this year for the first time, the Council is proposing shifting more than $20 million in funds earmarked by the Mayor for 18-B lawyers to the Legal Aid Society, which would increase its total funding to $80.4 million. That would reflect a jump in its current finding of about one-third. Meantime, the City Council proposed slashing the Mayor's allocation of $62.8 million for 18-B lawyers by 66 percent, to $21.4 million.

Question: "In the past $5.6 Million was the allotted amount added, what is the amount they are proposing this year?"

Response: "Around 20 million dollars, $60 million"
OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

A: no

An atom is the very smallest particle that still the elements properties. All the atoms of an element are alike. They are also different from the atoms of all other elements. For example, atoms of gold are always the same. It does not matter if they are found in a gold nugget or a gold ring. All gold atoms have the same structure and properties. For example, all gold atoms contain 79 protons. One of golds unique properties is that it is a great conductor of electricity. Gold is a better conductor of electricity than copper. Gold is more rare and expensive than copper. Copper is used in house wiring. Gold is far too expensive.

Question: "Do atoms of Gold differ?"

Response: "Yes"
OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

A: no

The Washington Supreme Court is asking the Legislature to approve a $90 surcharge on a court filing fee to help provide legal help for the poor in civil cases, Chief Justice Gerry Alexander said Wednesday. "Some might say, why should we support this when we face tough financial times?" Alexander asked in his State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Legislature. "It seems to me in America, where we rejoice in the fact that we are a nation devoted to the rule of law, we should not ration access to justice." The recommendation comes from the court's Task Force on Civil Equal Justice Funding, created in 2001 to look for ways to cope with the sparse amount of money available for such cases. As the task force was studying the issue, $900,000 was cut from state support for civil equal justice services. That prompted the state's two main legal services providers - Columbia Legal Services and Northwest Justice Project - to cut their staffs, Alexander said. The change would increase the cost of filing a lawsuit in Superior Court to $200. The total fee would be split, with 54 percent going to counties and 46 percent going to the state for a newly created equal justice account. Alexander also requested money for five additional Superior Court judgeships and one additional District Court judgeships, arguing that increased caseloads require more judges. Two of the Superior Court judges and the District Court judge would be in Clark County, with one Superior Court judge added in the joint district that serves Benton and Franklin counties and one each in Kittitas and Kitsap counties.

Question: "When $900,000 was cut from state support for civil equal justice services, the task force was studying what issue?"

Response: "Supreme Court asking Legislature to approve a surcharge that would benefit the poor during civil cases"
OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

A:
yes