Street Law

The importance of knowing your rights and how “the system” works cannot be overstated when it comes to the criminal justice system in America. Knowing the legal process from an initial interaction with law enforcement through an arrest all the way to a potential citation/sentence gives one a large advantage when navigating troubled waters. When do you need an attorney? How do you find one? How can you avoid going to court for a traffic ticket without paying the full $220 for going 75 in a 50? Similarly, knowing what to do when a lease is broken, an agreement is violated, or your employer fires you for a shady reason is also very important. What steps should you take if someone sues you? What can you do if your new car keeps breaking down? Understanding why we have laws, how those laws work, and how laws are made, enforced, and changed is the key to advocating for yourself and others. What laws seem unfair and biased against certain groups? How do you go about getting those laws changed? There are a great number of important questions regarding the American legal system, and we will try to answer many of them in this MITY class.