E qual treatment under the law ranks as one of the great ideals ? and mandates ? of the United States justice system.
The 14th Amendment says, “No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws.”
That?s pretty clear.
So is the fact that we the people run the government. A close reading of the document can not find any reference to “we the rich.”
So it?s disheartening when government makes it impossible for the common man to participate in running the affairs of his community without a large bank account. That is exactly what happened in Dundalk.
Members of the Greater Dundalk Alliance asked Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Dana Levitz to, at a minimum, temporarily halt SPS Limited Partnership from dredging in allegedly contaminated waters near the shipyard. Judge Levitz ordered the company to stop work ? but only if the community could post a $750,000 bond as collateral ? within a day.
We?re not necessarily anti-dredging, and protecting the company from loss inflicted by a frivolous lawsuit is understandable.
But we see no harm in giving the citizens? group a fighting chance to share their side in court by giving it more time to raise bond money.
The median income in Dundalk is less than $40,000 per year, and the alliance relies on pro bono and reduced fee legal work.
It?s not as if residents could easily whip out their checkbooks to raise $37,500 to finance the bond.
Not surprisingly, Carolyn Jones, the Alliance president, told The Examiner that the group could not raise enough money, so dredging resumed.
But Jones said the alliance created a legal defense fund to finance the fight set to resume in court in January. So far, the Alliance has spent $6,500 on legal fees, said Jones.
To help make justice attainable for Dundalk residents, you can send donations to The Greater Dundalk Alliance at 3016 Dunmore Road in Dundalk, MD., 21222.
