[blindlaw] Issues in attending court proceedings alone as blindattorney?

[Nightingale, Noel]

This month's Straight Talk About vision Loss episode, episode 28, is about the Intel Reader, which sounds like technology that would be useful in the courtroom situation you described.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Patti chang 
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 3:22 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Issues in attending court proceedings alone as blindattorney?

I use a K-NFBI Reader.

Patti Gregory-Chang
President, NFBI
Sent from my KNFB mobile. 

-original message-
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Issues in attending court proceedings alone as blindattorney?
From: "Ford, Tim (CDPH-OLS)" <Tim.Ford at cdph.ca.gov>
Date: 11/23/2009 11:24 AM

If you will be going to court hearings by yourself, at a minimum I suggest you have a laptop with scanning software, and take one of those very little flatbed scanners.  I think they are only about $60 or less, and they work fine.  The one I have, which is actually several years old, works strictly off of the USB cord, so you do not need to find a power plug.  The unit is only an inch think, and weighs a pound or less.
It is great for the situations you describe.


-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Rod Alcidonis
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 12:52 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: [blindlaw] Issues in attending court proceedings alone as blindattorney?

An angle of this question has once been discussed here; however, I am interested in some more precise issues or possible situations that I have been thinking about. 

Assuming going to court was only to deal with one's case file and make arguments, sign a few papers here and there, I do not think there would be any problems for a blind attorney to participate in court proceedings without a sighted assistant. I know of several blind attorneys who go to court with an assistant, and some on here I think, who do not. For those of you who do not, how do you guys go about handling such situations:

 where an opposing counsel brings you documents in the morning of the hearing at the court house which you have to review for a hearing that day, that afternoon, or an hour later? Or, the judge makes an order, which you have to review at the courthouse for an afternoon hearing? Or, the opposing party, not counsel, brings a document to court on the day of the hearing and you are given a copy? 

Assuming one does not have an NFB Reader, what have you guys done or what would you do in such situations? Would you ask for an extension of time? Reschedule the hearing (some courts would push your next date months down the line).

I know the ADA covers courthouses, but what types of accommodations have you guys been able to receive? Getting the clerk to save orders on thumb drives? Getting clerks to e-mail stuff, or save them on electronic devices?

I know this is a lot and the best answer would be to get an assistant, but this is not an option at the moment. Thanks for all of the suggestions in advance.

Rod Alcidonis
Attorney and Counselor at Law
Philadelphia, PA
Licensed in PA -- NJ Oath pending
C. 718-704-4651
Attorney at alcidonislaw.com
"A lawyer is either a social engineer or a parasite." - Charles Hamilton Houston _______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/tim.ford%40cdp
h.ca.gov

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/pattichang%40att.net


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/noel.nightingale%40ed.gov