Page 16 - sept oct 16 II

National Legal Aid Plan Adopted
By Terry Mangum – State Immediate Past President

The Board of Directors is com- By going with the National Plan the $64.00 per year per active working

prised of the State Trustees, the State State Lodge would not be under a li- member and eligible affiliate mem-

Executive Board, and the State Past ability for multiple cases of this na- ber.

Presidents and we held our Fall ture. The National Legal Aid Plan is an

meeting on August 11 in Asheville. Those favoring bolstering our exceptional program and does pro-

During the Fall Board of Directors State Legal Aid Plan presented data vide excellent legal coverage for par-

meeting, an extensive discussion was to provide actual numbers for use in ticipating members. Only time will

held to determine whether or not the considering whether or not to switch tell if we were wise to go with the

State Lodge would discontinue crim- our coverage. It was reported that National Legal Aid Plan or if we

inal and civil coverage provided un- since we began our State Legal Aid would have been better served to in-

der our State Legal Aid Plan in lieu Plan in 1999, we had not had a big crease the funding of our State Legal

of having all active working and eli- criminal case like the Kerrick case Aid Plan for our coffers. One thing

gible affiliate members sign up for which began in 2013 and that we had we can all agree on is that we hope

the National Legal Aid Plan. There not had one since. An increase of we never have another unfortunate

was much dialog on the subject with $12.00 per member would bolster case like Wes Kerrick had to en-

varying opinions on what we should our State Legal Aid Plan and the data dure. CMPD Chief Monroe and At-

do. There were basically two from the five previous fiscal years torney General Cooper pursued this

schools of thought on this legal aid demonstrated that this increase case for apparent political reasons,

issue - those individuals who pro- would have provided more revenue but the NC State Lodge supported

posed going with the National Legal than the overages which had oc- this officer from day one and we can

Aid Plan for criminal and civil cov- curred during three of the last five all rejoice that we prevailed.

erage for an additional $64.00 per years. It was pointed out that The State Legal Aid Plan will

member, and those individuals who the three overage years were also continue to handle the approved ad-

wanted to maintain our current State Kerrick years. ministrative cases for our members.

Legal Aid Plan with a slight increase The data for Fiscal Year 2015- Additionally, the State Legal Aid

of $12.00 per member. 2016 demonstrated that approxi- Plan will handle approved Adminis-

The 2013 Wes Kerrick case was mately 25% of our legal payments trative, Criminal, and Civil cases for

undoubtedly what generated the dis- were for Criminal cases and over those Affiliate members who are not

cussion and was the catalyst for the 75% of our legal payments were for eligible for the National Legal Aid

individuals wishing to switch to the Administrative cases. It was sug- Plan. The affiliate members who are

National Legal Aid Plan for Criminal gested that the company administer- not eligible for the National Plan will

and Civil cases. It was pointed out by ing the National plan must under- be required to pay the additional

the State Plan side, by considering stand that more money will be paid $64.00 to the State Lodge for the

the current number of active and af- out on administrative cases than Criminal and Civil coverage.

filiate members, over $321,000.00 criminal and civil since the Adminis- The assessment for the National

per year would be paid to the com- trative part of the National Legal Aid Legal Aid Plan of $64.00 per active

pany administering the National Plan is an additional $200. working member and affiliate mem-

Plan. The data presented demon- Both sides had ample time to be ber will begin with the 2018 dues and

strated that for the 2015-2016 Fiscal heard and both sides presented im- assessments collection at the end of

Year, the State Lodge paid legal bills portant and meaningful arguments in 2017. It is important that the Local

for Criminal and Civil cases which support of their position. When the Lodges begin now informing their

amounted to less than $30,000.00 vote was taken both sides voted for members of the change and prepar-

(not including the Kerrick legal bills what they thought would be the best ing for this new assessment.

which payments have now been for the members and the State Please note that the State Legal

completed). The biggest concern ex- Lodge. When the dust had settled Aid Plan will continue to function as

pressed by the individuals who sup- and the votes were counted, the deci- it has for all of our members and their

ported the National Plan was to ques- sion of a majority of the State legal aid requests until 2018 when

tion what we would do if we had an- Board of Directors was to go forward the National Plan begins.

other big case like Kerrick's with with the National Legal Aid Plan for

multiple officers like in Baltimore. Criminal and Civil cases at a cost of

www.ncfop.org