Judge Gray Recognized
The 2011 Honorable Thomas Wood. Jr., Equal Access to Justice Award was presented to Lycoming County Judge Richard Gray. Danna Rich-Collins, of the Williamsport Legal Services office, explained the reasons for the award:
Tonight’s recipient may be accused of double dipping—When he was a practicing attorney he was a significant player in his firm’s pro bono commitment to the Law Association’s and NPLS’ pro bono program and along with his firm was awarded the outstanding volunteer award in 2000—well it is now time for the 2011 awards and he is still a major contributor to the cause—a new position and a different way of contributing but still MAJOR.
The mortgage foreclosure epidemic did not miss Lycoming County. It may have looked a little different , not so many second homes and people living way above their means as portrayed in the media but individuals who lost their jobs, became disabled, experienced an interest rate change due to change in mortgage from fixed to adjustable rate are the main causes of foreclosure in cases seen here.
Around the country and the state, Mortgage Diversion Programs started springing up—opportunity for the borrower and lender to come together and quite frankly put some pressure on the lender to modify or otherwise work with the borrower when feasible –the end result to save a home.
The need for such a program was seen here on several fronts. Legal services, the law Association the housing counselors and the courts saw this need.
Tonight’s recipient didn’t just hope for a solution but he acted on bringing one about. While he would be the first to say he did not act alone and that is true he enlisted Fellow Judge Anderson, the court administrator, and the above mentioned “agencies” he spearheaded the movement and kept it on track.
I have reviewed the closing forms that pro bono attorneys send back upon completion of a case and have been able to track the progress of this program. What started out as a conference where quite frankly the lender would often appear without authority to settle or alleging not to have received the necessary paperwork has turned into sometimes several conferences and “judicial” encouragement to act with good faith and be prepared to settle if warranted.
He has become a spokesperson and a mentor for such programs state wide—prompting a fellow judge in a neighboring county to lament that he doesn’t know how Judge Gray gets such good results. He has said himself that he has a much different understanding of the problem and its causes and solutions than he did at the start of the program and he has shown litigants that he is serious about these settlement conferences.
When all facets of the legal system work together justice is the hoped for end result. Just like our pro bono system here in Lycoming county—when the judiciary lead the charge there comes with that leadership a commitment by all to see that equal access to justice is a reality—For that leadership, vision and action both as an attorney and now on the bench this year’s Honorable Thomas Wood, JR. Equal Access to Justice Award goes to the Honorable Richard A. Gray.
