The St. Clair County Circuit Court was awarded a $15,000 grant to improve access to justice for pro se litigants.
Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson applied for the grant to allow St. Clair County residents to better utilize the courts.
“Many people in St. Clair County do not have computers or the ability to attend court Zoom hearings,” Gleeson stated. “This grant will provide webcams and headsets for computers in the county law library for self represented litigants so more people will have access to our court system.”
Gleeson applied for the grant after finding that some litigants have missed Zoom hearings because they did not have the technology to access the court proceedings.
“Everyone should have the right to attend court, whether it is in person or virtually,” he stated.
The grant will also be used to purchase a conference table and chairs for litigants to use while filling out forms.