A judge awarded guardianship of 79-year-old Bob Queener of Des Moines to his niece and a state senator, ending a seven-month battle with the Iowa Department of Human Services over who should oversee his health, housing and general well-being.Polk County Associate Probate Judge Ruth Klotz appointed guardianship of Queener, who has dementia, to Cheri Jensen of Altoona and Sen. Dennis Black, D-Lynnville, overruling DHS’s opposition.
“Now we’re able to work on filling his bucket list,” said Jensen, who celebrated today’s news with her uncle and several relatives. “Bob’s welfare is what this means to me. He’s still able to walk and talk, and why keep him locked away just because we have a short-term memory problem?”
Queener’s relatives spoke out publicly after a DHS worker removed him from his home Dec. 8 without notifying any family members, who panicked when they discovered he was missing.
The court-approved emergency removal led to a series of decisions that were outside the family’s control. Queener was isolated for months in locked psychiatric and nursing home units, unable to leave on family outings. A court-appointed conservator began to dispose of Queener’s possessions without his knowledge – including memorabilia from his military service – then put up for sale the mortgage-free house he’d kept tidy for four decades.
In her ruling Wednesday, Klotz made a point to say that despite criticism about what happened to Queener, she believes DHS officials followed the law “in all instances.” Klotz also defended the two volunteers the court appointed to serve as guardian and conservator.
Full Article and Source:
Court Awards Guardianship Over Bob Queener to His Niece, State Senator
View Judge Ruth Klotz' Ruling
See Also:
Update on Bob Queener Case
12 comments:
No way did DHS "follow the law."
The Constitution is the law; and it says you can't take, life, liberty or property without due process.
The first element of due process is the requirement for NOTICE.
Go back to school, judge!
I am glad for the ruling, but not glad for the judge's comments. Pretty scary in fact
Here we go....Judge Klotz had an opportunity to set DHS straight and thus protect or even prevent the next DHS victim, but no, she passes.
Wonder how much the staff at DHS contributed to her election?
I am glad to see the niece win and DHS lose.
I wonder how much this whole unnessary mess cost Mr. Queener.
HEY KLOTZ, you wouldn't feel DHS was so great if it had happened to you or your family!
I think if I was an old person in Iowa, I'd think about moving.
Queener family, please file a grievance on Judge Klotz for her comments.
Don't let her get away with that attitude.
I am OUTRAGED! DHS did no wrong?
Is Judge Klotz asleep at the switch?
I am glad Mr. Queener gets to have his niece and the state senator as his guardian and DHS didn't get their way.
DHS should be under full investigation for how they mishandled this case and mistreated Mr. Queener.
Thank you for this article, but it sure got my blood pressure.
Judge Ruth Klotz is the same judge that sits on every abusive guardianship case. She likely has no empathy and is callous. She certainly is not a good steward of the law.
Of course Judge Klotz is going to say DHS "followed the law" becuase there are probably 1,000's of other DHS cases in Iowa in which the same thing has been done that Judge Klotz is involved with. The Judge is just covering her butt from future attacks. Pathetic.
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