A portion of $2 billion in punitive damages awarded in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder litigation has trickled down to legal aid services for the poor through the court victims compensation fund.
The Missouri judiciary is allocating some $125 million to help low-income residents access civil legal services of which Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is receiving $36.5 million.
“We are thoughtfully and carefully looking at all the ways that we can best use this non-recurring money to further our mission,” said Daniel K. Glazier, executive director and general counsel at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. “Will we have additional resources to add staff? Yes, we will.”
As previously reported, a St. Louis Circuit Court ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $4.4 billion but the punitive damages were eventually reduced on appeal to $2 billion.
“When this fund was established, they had the foresight to say that 26% of these penalty damages would go to legal aid programs in the state of Missouri,” Glazier told the St. Louis Record
The Legal Aid of Western Missouri will receive $41.1 million, Mid-Missouri Legal Services is receiving $10.2 million and Legal Services of Southern Missouri is receiving $37.1 million.
“We’re representing folks who are survivors and victims of domestic violence who don't have the economic wherewithal to be able to protect their families so we are right there in the middle of the battlefield, so to speak, working alongside our clients,” Glazier said.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri services more than 300,000 low-opportunity individuals in 21 counties.
“We’re looking to expand into new areas,” Glazier said. “COVID has highlighted many issues that our clients face that we haven't had the resources for.”
Among the new areas of expansion is utility advocacy
“So many people are facing the challenge of meeting their rental needs, especially as a result of the pandemic, but then they have to choose whether to pay the rent or utilities,” Glazier added. “We'll fight for them to keep their utilities on. We'll fight for them to get the resources they need to pay their rent.”