Multiple public interest groups, including the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania, have sent letters to the state Supreme Court urging the justices to abandon a new filing deadline policy that the groups claim hurts indigent people in court.

The policy at issue limits lawyers to one-week extensions when requesting extra time to file appellate briefs. The protesting groups said the limited time would negatively impact people represented by short-staffed agencies like public defenders’ offices.