Lash is associate dean at the University of Southern California Law School. Johnson is a justice on California's Second District Court of Appeal. Lash and Johnson are co-chairs of the California Commission on Access to Justice. The full report can be viewed at (www.calbar.org). In her year-long odyssey through the California justice system, Katherine, a 35-year-old single mother with three children, experienced failure at every turn. Leaving her abusive husband, she moved into the only apartment she could afford, and soon discovered a broken toilet and non- working oven, rats and roaches, and a fourthfloor landing with no railing. She began withholding rent pending repairs her landlord refused to make, but then her Medi-Cal benefits were cut off when she could not provide rent receipts. She lost health care for her children and herself, although she is a borderline diabetic in need of medication and her children were suffering from rat bites. Katherine tried to seek help through the courts. Representing herself at an administrative hearing, she lost her appeal to restore Medi-Cal benefits because she did not have proper documentation of the rent account. When she went to a courthouse to file a complaint against her landlord, she found the process so confusing that she gave up and went home. According to "The Path to Justice: A Five-Year Status Report on Access to Justice in California," prepared by the California Commission on Access to Justice, Katherine is just one of 4.6 million poor Californians whose basic civil legal needs -- often involving such critical needs as housing, health care, education, employment, safety and transportation -- are not being addressed. California has a critical dearth of legal services for the poor, and, as this report makes clear, it is imperative that the state join with the federal government and private funders to increase resources so that all Californians, regardless of income, have equal access to our justice system. Our justice system is predicated on the assumption that both parties will be represented by lawyers who act as gatekeepers and guides through a complex legal system that would otherwise be inaccessible to many of us. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable members of our society are the least able to afford legal services. California does have a strong network of legal aid organizations that try to help meet the needs of the poor, but there's just one legal aid lawyer available per 10,000 poor people. We may promise "justice for all," but for those who can't afford a lawyer, that promise is often a lie. In its new report, the Commission on Access to Justice notes some significant steps toward providing equal access to justice for all Californians.

Question: "What positions do the co-chairs of the California Commission on Access to Justice hold?"

Response: "They are partners in the private law firm : Lash and Johnson, LLC"

A: no

Washington The Iraqi government has agreed to let U.S. Rep. Tony Hall visit the country next week to assess a humanitarian crisis that has festered since the Gulf War of 1990, Hall's office said Monday. The Dayton Democrat, who has traveled to other crisis points including Sierra Leone and North Korea, will spend three days visiting hospitals and other facilities to seek understanding why aid has been ineffective in stemming malnourishment and other medical problems. Iraq has been under economic sanctions since the war ended, which some say have thwarted the country's ability to recover from the devastation of the bombing campaign. The Persian Gulf War destroyed much of the country's medical infrastructure, according to a report by the World Health Organization. In 1996 the WHO found that much of the population existed in a state of ''semi-starvation.'' Hall will be only the second member of Congress to travel in Iraq since the war, according to Hall's office. The last visitor was then-U.S. Rep. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who went to help a pair of U.S. oilmen in diplomatic trouble. Hall flies to Amman, Jordan, on Friday, where he'll spend the night before driving to Iraq. Flights are not permitted into Iraq. Hall is to return to Washington on April 22. Story Filed By Cox Newspapers

Question: "Why is the population in a state of semi-starvation?."

Response: "Because Iraq has been under economic sanctions since the war ended"

A: yes

Elaan is a declaration of war against the reign of terror unleashed by the ganglords . The story revolves around an upright and principled Police Officer , A.C.P. Ramakant Chaudhary whose eldest son Vikas is killed in a pre-planned accident . But the A.C.P. is unable to nab the culprits for want of valid evidence . Consequently , the A.C.P. , his wife Revati and younger son Vishal are griefstricken over the loss of young Vikas . While the atmosphere in the city is already vitiated by the atrocities of ganglords Baba Khan and Manna Shetty who enjoy the support of some unscrupulous police personnel , the A.C.P. vows to make the ruthless gangsters bite the dust , without taking the law in his own hands . On the other hand , Vishal an angry young man , can not stand this injustice since the police had failed to arrest his brother's killers , and he silently resents his A.C.P father's inaction in dealing with the culprits . The ideologies of the father and son clash - Which lead to a conflict between a dutiful father and a reckless son . The only one who understands the agony of Vishal is Mohini , the daughter of head constable Devkinandan Sharma . The day comes when Vishal confronts Baba Khan and Manna Shetty Which leads to tension and gory situation for the A.C.P. , as the ganglords threaten to eliminate the A.C.P. as well as his wife Revati and son Vishal .

Question: "Why did Vishal become angry?"

Response: "He was angry that the police had failed at killing his brother's killers"

A:
yes