On March 23, the Court heard oral argument in Turner v. Rogers (No. 10-10).
Members of the Supreme Court appeared frustrated during an argument about whether poor people facing jail time for failing to pay child support are entitled to court-appointed lawyers.
The case involved a South Carolina man, Michael D. Turner, who was repeatedly held in civil contempt and jailed for as much as a year at a time for not paying child support.
Amicus Brief – the Brennan Center for Justice: http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/turner_v._rogers_amicus_brief/
SCOTUSBLOG article: http://www.scotusblog.com/2011/03/argument-preview-right-to-counsel-for-civil-contempt-cases/
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/23/134736601/supreme-court-weighs-rights-of-deadbeat-parents?ft=1&f=1001
NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/us/24scotus.html?_r=1&src=twrhp
ACLU: http://www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/aclu-urges-state-supreme-court-affirm-right-counsel-indigents