Civil RTC News
This page lists all of the most recent developments on civil right to counsel across the country. These could be newly created rights to counsel, significant publications, public events, advocacy efforts, or other things that don’t fit into a neat category.
Legislation: civil forfeiture
These bills would permit a court to appoint counsel for a third party intervening in a civil forfeiture action.
Legislation: civil forfeiture
A pending Delaware bill would eliminate civil forfeiture and require appointment of counsel in criminal forfeiture proceedings.
Arkansas parents entitled to counsel at emergency child welfare hearing
A bill passed in 2017 requires parents to be appointed counsel at an emergency ex parte dependency hearing.
Bipartisan call for legislative right to counsel in civil forfeiture cases continues to grow
Calls to reform civil forfeiture proceedings have come from all sides of the aisle, with legislation filed at the federal and state level.
New Utah law guarantees counsel for criminal debt collection
A 2017 law organizes all collection of criminal debt into contempt proceedings and requires the appointment of counsel.
Legislation: civil forfeiture
Several bills would provide a right to counsel for all or certain forfeiture proceedings.
Legislation: children in dependency cases
This bill would require appointment of counsel for a child in child protective proceedings who is living with a relative.
Articles, studies make case for right to counsel in debt cases
Two new articles in the Harvard Law & Policy Review support the right to counsel in debt cases.
Legislation (dead): parents in private adoptions
Two bills would have provided a right to counsel for parents in private adoption cases, codifying a NJ Supreme Court ruling.
Legislation: timing of appointed counsel for parents
A bill would specify that parents are entitled to appointed counsel early in the child welfare process.
Legislation (dead): fines/fees cases
A series of bills would have required appointment of counsel prior to incarceration for failure to pay fines/fees.
Legislation (dead): civil forfeiture
A bill would have required the public defender to be appointed in civil forfeiture proceedings.
