The Story Behind the Story

In November 2005, the Los Angeles Times published a four-part investigative series titled "Guardians for Profit." The series shed light on unjust aspects of the business of professional conservatorship. The story was co-written by three Times reporters: Robin Fields, Evelyn Larrubia and Jack Leonard. Their reporting found that the elderly in California could be put under the complete legal control of a conservator with little to no notification, input or reason. Once under the thumb of a conservator, not only was it nearly impossible to remove the designation, but the conservator would often sap the financial resources of the victim, bleeding them dry. The story detailed shocking, saddening and ultimately scary accounts of seniors having their independence pulled from them before being isolated from loved ones and taken advantage of, with little to no judicial oversight.

But reporter Jack Leonard said digging up the truth was far from an easy task when it came to "Guardians for Profit." His story behind the story gives some insight into what it really takes to cut it as a journalist.

The story of how "Guardians for Profit" came to be starts in the summer of 2002, more than three years before it was published.

Full Article and Source:
Guardians Of The Truth

Guardians For Profit:
PART ONE GUARDIANS FOR PROFIT
When a Family Matter Turns Into a Business
By Robin Fields, Evelyn Larrubia and Jack Leonard
Photos: Part 1: A Sudden Loss of Independence
Conservators are supposed to protect the elderly and infirm. But some neglect their clients, isolate them -- even plunder their assets.
November 13, 2005

PART TWO GUARDIANS FOR PROFIT
Justice Sleeps While Seniors Suffer
By Jack Leonard, Robin Fields and Evelyn Larrubia
Photos: Part 2: Neglect — and Outright Theft
Probate courts are supposed to watch conservators' conduct and discipline those who abuse their authority. They've failed dismally in this vital role.
November 14, 2005

PART THREE GUARDIANS FOR PROFIT
Missing Money, Unpaid Bills and Forgotten Clients
By Evelyn Larrubia, Jack Leonard and Robin Fields
Photos: Missing Money and Unpaid Bills
Anne L. Chavis, a churchgoing nurse, had sweeping power over wards' lives. It took years for the VA and others to rein her in.
November 15, 2005

LAST OF FOUR PARTS
For Most Vulnerable,a Promise Abandoned
By Robin Fields, Evelyn Larrubia and Jack Leonard
PHOTOS: A Public Agency’s Painful Decline
GRAPHIC: Little room for the needy
L.A.'s public guardian, stripped of county funding for over a decade, turns away many in need.
November 16, 2005