Opinions

The clock is ticking on the 2020 Census and time is running out. We’re one week out from the September 30 response deadline and communities across Northeast Arkansas are trailing behind.

I want to take this opportunity to let each of you know that I have enjoyed and have found purpose in the privilege of writing Guest Writer comments that were included on the editorial page of the Star Herald these past several weeks. These are momentous times—it seems there are multiple “big stories” happening at once—the pandemic and the search for an effective vaccine; the economic crisis with no end in sight; heightened concern and turmoil over racial injustices; a changed global society where face masks are the new norm in an otherwise unrecognizable world; rumblings of international confrontations in the face of constantly shifting and unsettling alliances among world leaders; climate change-driven natural disasters that seem to be piling up in frequency and intensity on planet earth; and, complicated and connected to all that, we face in less than six weeks what is being described as one of the most significant and contentious presidential elections in our history.

So what happens when you need to sue someone for $4,000.00 but it costs at least $2,500 to hire the lawyer and you don’t have the money? This is a common problem, as there are many cases that do not involve enough money to justify hiring a lawyer. These cases are usually taken to small claims court, where the limits of suing are currently at $5,000.00 and attorneys are usually not allowed to appear in the courtroom. In these cases, the judge works hard to let the parties put on their own cases, often loosening up the rules of civil procedure to reach a decision. But the law stays the same and most of the rules still apply, so it helps to know what to expect.