St. Petersburg Legal Clinic Draws Crowd of Hundreds to Get Rights Restored
ST. PETERSBURG LEGAL CLINIC DRAWS CROWD OF HUNDREDS TO GET RIGHTS RESTORED
St. Petersburg Legal Clinic Draws Crowd of Hundreds to Get Rights Restored
Florida Justice Center and Trulieve provided free rights restoration legal services to underserved South St. Pete.
St. Petersburg, FL (March 11, 2022) –
Florida Justice Center organized a legal clinic sponsored by Trulieve to assist low-income community members in South St. Petersburg. Held on February 26, 2022, from 10am to 4pm at the Historic Manhattan Casino Event Hall, over 200 people attended the festivities which included free ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.
Located in one of the most underserved areas in Tampa Bay, this clinic brought services directly to those who need it most. A huge success, 147 people were helped with 245 unique legal problems. Most attendees needed assistance with sealing and expunging arrest records and reinstating their driver license from suspension, but a large number also needed help with clemency and obtaining government benefits. With an average annual income of $13,368 and 85% of those attending the event self-identifying as Black, multi-racial or Hispanic/Latinx, the event drew those most disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system.
The event attracted media attention from several historic Black newspapers and two local radio stations.
“We are excited to have been able to help so many people get a fresh start,” said FLJC Executive Director Jonathan Bleiweiss. He continued, “The War on Drugs has ravaged communities of color for far too long. It is time for all of us to work together to abolish these antiquated laws, right the past wrongs, and create a positive future for those affected.”
The clinic featured several community partners. Among them:
- Ben & Jerry’s Team Primo provided free ice cream to community members
- Florida Rights Restoration Coalition helped pay outstanding fines and fees
- Metro Inclusive Health conducted medical screenings for blood pressure and diabetes
- Florida Rising hosted a live radio show during the event and purchased meals for attendees
- League of Women Voters registered eligible voters
As always, Florida Justice Center provided its standard services that included bail assistance, clemency, criminal defense, driver license reinstatement, early termination of probation, reentry support, sealing and expungement, technical probation violations, voting rights restoration, and warrant assistance.
ABOUT TRULIEVE
Trulieve is an industry leading, vertically integrated cannabis company and multi-state operator in the U.S. operating in 11 states, with leading market positions in Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Trulieve is poised for accelerated growth and expansion, building scale in retail and distribution in new and existing markets through its hub strategy. By providing innovative, high-quality products across its brand portfolio, Trulieve delivers optimal customer experiences and increases access to cannabis, helping patients and customers to live without limits. Trulieve is listed on the CSE under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol TCNNF. For more information, please visit Trulieve.com.
ABOUT FLORIDA JUSTICE CENTER
Florida Justice Center is the first and only nonprofit legal aid organization authorized by the Florida Supreme Court to provide criminal legal assistance. FLJC is dedicated to reducing incarceration rates in Florida using a holistic approach that combines legal and reentry social services. Helping thousands of people a year, FLJC’s growth is limitless.
3469 N Dixie Hwy
Oakland Park, FL 33334
(954) 758-7555
Media Contact:
(954) 758-7555 x601
media@FLJC.org
Learn more at www.fljc.org
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