Location and Hours
Community Building
35 West Main, Suite 300
Spokane, Washington 99201
(509) 835-5211
The Center for Justice is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except during the noon hour and on court holidays.
Our Stories
An idea for safekeeping
Jacob came to see us regarding how to protect a document that he had written offering a new approach to a rehabilitation challenge. We were able to research copyright law and give him the information he needed to protect his intellectual property rights.
Read An idea for safekeepingGood driver, bad checks
Gabe was working for a trucking company that started to go out of business. As the company continued its decline, Gabe was paid with three bad checks. The Center was able to prepare documents so Gabe could seek wages and damages from the company. After Gabe finally filed the case in small claims court, the company agreed to an out of court settlement.
Read Good driver, bad checksMoving out and moving on
A family came to us with a landlord/tenant problem. The mobile home they lived in was in terrible shape, with mold, damaged carpets, with ceilings and walls damaged because of leaks. The City condemned the unit. The Center held rent for the tenant until a severance could be worked out with the landlord. Ultimately, the held rent money went towards relocation fees for the family when they were able to break the lease and move.
Read Moving out and moving onNew life, new job
Karl came to the Center to find help. He’d vacated his criminal record three years earlier only to find that it was still showing on his record and preventing him from getting certain jobs, including one he cared deeply about. The Center sent a copy of the order vacating his record to the Washington State Patrol so they could update his record. Copies of the order were also sent to the local background check agencies so they could update his file. When this was completed, one of the background companies sent the information to the business where Karl had so badly wanted to work. Now he does work there, and is a full-time employee.
Read New life, new jobThe boyfriend’s truck
Danielle routinely borrowed her boyfriend’s truck to run errands. But one day after she’d borrowed the truck and parked it overnight, it was stolen. Worse, the thief wrecked the vehicle. Danielle’s boyfriend accused her of stealing and wrecking the truck. The insurance company then came after Danielle and said that she must pay for the damages. The Center was able to prove that Danielle had no involvement in the wreck and that she wasn’t responsible for paying for the damages.
Read The boyfriend’s truckSiding isn’t free
Bill was a local contractor who agreed to install the siding on a building. He diligently completed the job but was never paid for his hard work. The Center advised him of his rights and helped him fill out the paper work for small claims court so that he could finally get compensated for the job.
Read Siding isn’t freeNew accident, old car
Bob called us after he received a surprise call from an insurance company telling him he was responsible for paying the damages on an auto accident. The problem was, he hadn’t been involved in an auto accident. The Center was able to help him find out that he’d forgotten to fill out the proper paper work when he sold his old car to a new owner. The Center helped him fill out the right paper work so he wouldn’t be held responsible for the accident of the new vehicle owner.
Read New accident, old carA year of overtime
Candy agreed to work overtime shifts for her local employer. But, as time went by and her overtime hours increased, she never got compensated for the extra hours. Eventually, she built up over a year’s worth of uncompensated overtime. The Center was able to advise her on how to pursue her unpaid wages in small claim court. The judge awarded her a sum that was double the amount of her unpaid wages.
Read A year of overtimeA painter goes to court
Rick verbally agreed to a contract to paint murals for a local business. He completed the project but never received compensation for his work. A Center volunteer helped him understand his rights and complete the paperwork necessary to take the complaint to small claims court. He not only won his case, but received twice the original agreed upon amount when it was all finished.
Read A painter goes to courtChecking the checks
David was receiving social security before being sent to prison. While he was in prison Social Security kept sending him checks. But David didn’t cash them. Instead, he sent them back. After he was released and reapplied for Social Security he was stunned to learn that he was now being instructed to repay Social Security for the amount of the checks he received while he was imprisoned. The Center stepped in and was able to prove David didn’t receive any money while he was in prison and that he was applicable to begin receiving money again.
Read Checking the checksA big pile of bills
Mark had recently gotten out of prison and was taking the necessary steps to become a contributing member of society. It was then that he suddenly began to feel ill and had to be hospitalized. It was the beginning of a long and expensive ordeal. Doctors were unable to diagnose his illness. He returned home only to return to the hospital several more times. All of these trips were without insurance and the medical bills piled up beyond his means to pay them. Under the weight of this debt, Mark turned to The Center’s Community Advocacy program. He was paired with a legal intern who was able to get three fourths of his medical bills forgiven. This was accomplished through the Center’s negotiations with the local hospital and being able to package funds from a hospital charity and a private foundation, together with an agreement with a collection agency for Mark to pay the remainder of the bills.
Read A big pile of billsOld record, new dream
When he was a young man, Billy was convicted on a drug possession offense. Years later, and without any further convictions, he wanted to pursue his goal of working with professional athletes. Unfortunately, he learned he was disqualified from the position he sought because of the possession conviction from his youth. The Center was able to help expunge his record so that he would be able to pursue his dream of working with professional athletes.
Read Old record, new dreamTroubled by a landlord
Maggie recently came to us after she had landed a new apartment and paid security deposit. Only after she’d paid the deposit did she learn that the landlord was a convicted felon. Feeling unsafe, Maggie sought our services to help get her out of the lease so she could seek an apartment elsewhere. The landlord first refused even though Marie had yet to move in. Center volunteers were able to help Marie out of the lease and get some of the money she had spent refunded.
Read Troubled by a landlordThe father and the principal
Danny received a notice saying that he would no longer be allowed to attend his son’s school events because of his criminal history. Among the activities he would be missing out on included sports games, open houses, and parent-teacher conferences. He contacted the Center because he felt it unfair that he would have to miss out on all his son’s events just because he had make a few poor choices a decade earlier. The Center petitioned the school principal requesting school visitation rights and was able to reach an agreement that Danny would be able to attend large school events, thus allowing him to retain at least some connection to his son’s school activities.
Read The father and the principalGood Question
Northwest Fair Housing asked the Center to research whether a person’s eligibility for Social Security/Social Security Disability payments would be compromised by their receiving monetary payments resulting from a lawsuit judgment. The Center collaborated with Community Minded Enterprises to quickly determine that lawsuit payments would not make a person ineligible for SSI/SSDI.
Read Good QuestionDouble Troubles
Eduardo came to us after two major setbacks. First, his social security benefits were cut off because he left California to tend for his son, who’d become ill in Washington. Years later, he received a notice telling him that he owed more than $33,000 in back pay. This bolt from the blue, he learned, was due to a previous felony in California that had cast him into felony fugitive status. An intern at the Center was able to do some research that ultimately resulted in getting Eduardo’s warrant dismissed and the back-pay demand dismissed. Social Security also reimbursed him for a period in which they’d stopped sending his checks and also confirmed that he could continue to receive benefits in the future.
Read Double TroublesA Nurse’s Dream
Karen was in her mid-40’s when she first came to the Center seeking help. She‘d been a nursing assistant for years and decided to go back to school to get her degree in nursing. She applied for nursing school but was denied because of past criminal convictions. The Center helped Karen get her past convictions expunged from her record and she was able to pursue her dream of attending nursing school.
Read A Nurse’s DreamA daughter’s pain
Pauline came to us after watching her bed ridden daughter suffer with cerebral palsy. In order to alleviate constant back pain, Pauline’s daughter needed Botox treatments to alleviate the stress on her back. But the treatments were denied. The Center stepped in and helped negotiate a year long approval for her daughter to receive these treatments and allow her a better quality of life.
Read A daughter’s painThe Parking Lot
To expand its parking area, a local bank bought adjacent property in a residential neighborhood. In order to placate neighbor concerns about the expansion, the bank promised to provide adequate fencing and lighting. But the expansion occurred, and the promised improvements did not. Drivers trying to reach the bank were cutting across neighbors’ yards. The neighbors approached the Center for help in getting the bank to honor its commitment. After a year of negotiating with the bank, the Center succeeded in getting the bank to install a fence and proper lighting.
Read The Parking LotThe Scooter
Sally was involved in an auto accident while riding her scooter and the scooter was badly damaged. Her insurance company wanted only to pay for repairs. The Center advocated for Sally to get the scooter replaced. The negotiations with the insurance company lasted for a year and a half, but Sally finally received a new scooter.
Read The ScooterThe Wheelchair
Kara had been a faithful employee for a quarter century. But during this time she became disabled to the extent that she needed a wheelchair at work. As a result of her limited mobility, Kara felt she was being discriminated against and feared that her job was in jeopardy. The Center was able to help her negotiate for a proper wheelchair, secure extended family leave, and get access to long-term disability funds until she retires.
Read The WheelchairThe Caregiver
Mary had been a caregiver for a person who’d passed away. The son of the deceased person wouldn’t allow her to remove her personal belongings from the premises. She sought legal representation, but was stymied by transportation difficulties. The Center stepped in to represent Mary and help her get permission to retrieve her things. It took one year, but Mary was able to get her belongings back.
Read The Caregiver