Fathers' Rights Metro (FRM), with headquarters located in Brooklyn, NY, is conducting a civil rights legal defense project, a public awareness campaign, and a nationwide hotline. To combat the blatant discrimination and violation of basic constitutional rights in the matrimonial and Family Courts, FRM has launched a Federal Civil Rights Class Action Lawsuit against the State of New York, the Department of Social Services (of New York), and the Office of Court Administration (of New York) by retaining the services of the chief attorney for the Democratic Party, Donald Dinin Esq. of O'Connan & Hannin. The exposure to the public of public corruption, discrimination and violations of basic constitutional rights by the lawsuit will force legal reform; resignations of corrupt public officials; monitoring of the courts, mental health professionals, and facilities; and prevention of discrimination by auditing of public funds provided to mental health professionals and facilities. FRM works with other civic action groups such as Americans For Legal Reform and politicians such as New York State Assemblymen Howard Lasher and Dov Hikind.
In addition, FRM monitors the professional ethics of lawyers and mental health professionals and makes referrals to people in need of matrimonial and family litigation. FRM would like to expand this service by having a lawyer on retainer to serve members who can not afford proper legal counsel and can not receive legal aid due to the peculiarities of family law and their income brackets. Referrals and information about matrimonial and family laws, and court systems are given at FRM's general meeting and on FRM's hotline. Since its founding, FRM has provided public forums and literature at FRM's monthly general assembly and outside the courthouses within the five boroughs. FRM is expanding the public awareness campaign to include public service announcements on radio and TV; and newspapers advertisements.
Funding comes from membership dues and donations by members. These donations are in the form of cash, goods (leaflets, handouts, office equipment) and services (discounted attorney fees, discounted counseling fees, telephone, postage, research). FRM has requires expanded funding. The legal defense project includes a Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit that was filed Jan. 1, 1994. The civil rights lawsuit necessitates a much larger public awareness campaign then before. The public awareness campaign now requires major newspaper, TV and radio advertisement to bring the message to the people. As the civil rights lawsuit has made FRM much more visible, many more people are calling our hotline from across the country and requesting our services. FRM needs to expand its hotline services.
The cost of initiating the lawsuit has been $8,000- and has been financed by dues, contributions (of legal services) and interest free loans. FRM projects a total cost of $100,000- over a four year period for this litigation. The projected cost for 1994 will be $25,000-. Having a lawyer on retainer would cost approximately $100,000- a year. The current hotline yearly maintenance financed by dues is $2,400-. In addition, crisis counseling and operating expenses are provided by board members and volunteers at their own expense of $2020- per year. Newspaper ads are quoted at $10,000 per run. Running a monthly ad will cost $120,000- per year. The production of a TV commercial/PSA will cost $5,000-. Bimonthly, TV ads will cost $120,000- per year. The yearly total for the projected expansion will be $370,000
Send Editorial Comments to The Backlash!
Please report all problems to The Web Master