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Traffic Court Discourages Lawyer’s Service Dog

Posted Apr 20, 2007, 06:36 pm CST
By Martha Neil

A disabled Rockville Centre, N.Y., lawyer arranged a plea deal for her client in a hallway this week after Nassau County traffic court officials discouraged her from entering the crowded courtroom with her service dog.

Court officials say they asked her to wait until there was more space, the AP reports, but quadriplegic attorney Jeanie Waters, 48, said she needs her golden retriever, Elli, to push her wheelchair, collect items she drops and carry her briefcase.

"People joke that Elli does the plea bargaining for me," says Waters. "We go everywhere. It would be like saying: leave your wheelchair home and crawl in."

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