The second day of trial - by agreement with my direct testimony. Larry had a funeral, and the panel had expressed the fact that it was not going to allow him the time to attend the funeral. (his aunt - or some other close relative had died, and in Jewish tradition the funeral was required to be held within I believe 48 hours) As it would have been extremely difficult for me to conduct my own examination, Larry had to do it. Thus we were accommodated.
The net was the fact that the morning was taken up by my examination. After Lunch it was Dr. Patel and Farenga. The last witness of the day was me - and my cross examination. Dr. Patel testified that he received a letter from me and he just put the letter in his file. He did nothing with it and never responded to it. Farenga was the next witness and after telling people that she received over 500 e-mails from me. (The number that she received was more probably less than fifty) she admitted that she never blocked a single e-mail or did anything to stop the flow. Indeed, she was so hungry to hear from me that she ran out and when to not only your blog but NASGA and others so that she could garner every golden word that I uttered. She then testified that 1) it is higly unusual for a GAL to still be in the picture after a appointment of a guardian, and 2) even though she was well aware that Carolyn was opening safety deposit boxes neither she nor Stern really cared and they ahve no idea what is in the box. She told the panel that her interest in the case and whether or not Mary was being railroaded so as to lose her liberty, her property, her civil rights and human rights was so intense that she never went to visit Mary! Carolyn brought Mary to Farenga's office so that Farenga could write a report.
Larry 'ate Farenga up." (What a disgusting way of putting that!) It was reported that after she left the stand she was crying as she left the ARDC proceeding.
My cross examination was memorable. The young male ARDC attorney repeatedly attempted to intimidate and brow beat me. He kept asking me if I was sorry for my action in reporting to law enforcement and others the violations of Mary and Gloria Sykes' rights. I informed him that I not only had a legal responsibility to do so, but as a human being I had a responsibility. Indeed, I said: As long as the Lord allows me to reside on earth and the stars and stripes flies over the United States of America I would fully and completely exercise my First Amendment Rights. He then asked me if I was repentant! I told him essentially that acting as my conscience required was an act that I was proud of and had no intention of repenting.
In final argument Ms. Black pointed out that my failure to be intimidated by the specter of the ARDC was grounds for disbarrment and I should be disbarred. My worst crime was not participating in the 'cover up' and therefore the public might discover that the appointment as 'court official' (i.e. Farenga, Stern, et al) was not an acknowledgment of 'sainthood' and that the 17 judges and the dozens who had to resign during Greylord was an anomaly and not business as usual. Speaking the truth about the 2nd oldest profession is clearly unethical.
The panel took the case under advisement.
~Ken Ditkowsky
http://www.ditkowskylawoffice.com/
Lawyers killedl most of the Constitution!
ReplyDeleteAnd discipline panels will kill what's left of honest lawyer whistleblowers.
What a crock!
It would certainly make the ARDC look bad if Ken Ditkowsky were disciplined for advocating for an elderly person, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis account of ARDC HEARING is absolutely frightening and un-American. An honest lawyer who speaks out with his discoveries is threatened by an agency, the ARDC supported by who? We the People?
ReplyDeleteWho pays their salaries? Who paid for this hearing? We the Taxpayers?
If that is the case, I think We the People, We the Taxpayers have a duty, we have 'standing' to take the participants to a venue with teeth and grill them for their intent.
Enough is enough.
How many other cases are there like Attorney Ken Ditkowsky?
Most complaints against lawyers are based on other causes of action for example: ineffective counsel, negligence missing deadlines, over billing, 'misappropriation' of assets, fraudulent billing, showing up hung over in court, sleeping through a hearing, a long list of serious actions and inactions related to unethical conduct, criminal activities and worse.
Here we have a lawyer who has the _________ who is informing those who should be informed, those individuals and agencies who have the power and authority to do something, to protect the person and estate of Mary Sykes. Ken did and is doing the right thing informing our leaders and law enforcement to take action, to investigate 'alleged' wrongdoing and worse.
Here we have a rare individual a lawyer who is acting in good faith, standing up and shouting out loud against the protection racket's actions and inactions.
In summary In My Opinion: Those who authored our Constitution are crying in their graves.
Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.iardc.org/mission_statement.asp
ARDC Mission Statement
The mission of the ARDC is to promote and protect the integrity of the legal profession, at the direction of the Supreme Court, through attorney registration, education, investigation, prosecution and remedial action.
As an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Illinois, the ARDC assists the Court in regulating the legal profession through attorney registration, education, investigation, prosecution and remedial action.
Through our annual registration process, we compile a list of lawyers authorized to practice law. We provide ready access to that list so that the public, the profession and courts may access lawyers’ credentials and contact information.
We educate lawyers through seminars and publications to help them serve their clients effectively and professionally within the bounds of the rules of conduct adopted by the Court. We provide guidance to lawyers and to the public on ethics issues through our confidential Ethics Inquiry telephone service.
The ARDC handles discipline matters fairly and promptly, balancing the rights of the lawyers involved and the protection of the public, the courts and the legal profession. Grievances are investigated confidentially. Disciplinary prosecutions are adjudicated publicly and result in recommendations to the Court for disposition. Our boards consist of independent, diverse groups of volunteer lawyers and non-lawyers who make recommendations in disciplinary matters.
We advocate for restitution and other remedial action in disciplinary matters. We seek to provide reimbursements through our Client Protection Program to those whose funds have been taken dishonestly by Illinois lawyers who have been disciplined.
Approved by the ARDC Commission on April 16, 2010
Here we have the Mission Statement of the IL ARDC.
1)Did those representing the ARDC act according to the mission statment according to their sworn duties in ARDC vs Attorney Ken Ditkowsky?
2) If not, what recourse does the defendant Ken Ditkowsky have?
3) If not, what recourse do we the taxpaying, people have?
ILLINOIS NASGA MEMBER
Ken Ditosky is standing up for human rights and for the Bill of Rights. He is to be commended as an outstanding American who represents the best of the legal profession.
ReplyDeleteI agree with StandUp; the IL ARDC has to make an important decision that will stick like glue, now how do they do this? By punishing the good guy?
ReplyDeleteWell if they do punish the good guy, the ARDC will have to live with that, they will be exposed in this case 100% guarantee on that.
Thank you SO much Ken for the honorable actions that you have displayed since learning of Mary Sykes plight, wherein she was illegally guardianized, stripped of her rights, and financially raped at the hands of the Cook County Probate Court.
ReplyDeleteThere are many other similar cases; my loved one was victimized on the 18th floor of the Daley Center as well.
Unfortunately, many of the victims (wards of the 18th floor) and their families must remain publicly silent for fear of retaliation against the ward. However, we may act by reporting these crimes to appropriate authorities.
We can only hope and pray that as the new Greylord unfolds, that similar miscreants, as well as ethical professionals, decide to do what is right, and be standing on the right side of the fan when the *** hits.
To report unethical and illegal behavior on the parts of judges, lawyers, GALs, nurses, social workers, nursing home owners, case management companies, etc., please visit:
www.probateabusemanual.blogspot.com
It appears as though the ARDC is caught between a rock and a hard place..... do they prosecute the honest attorney for doing what is right and speaking up against the court-sanctioned guardian abuse he has witnessed?
ReplyDeleteOr, will the ARDC prosecute the miscreant ones and expose the corruption?
What to do, oh what to do.
I pray the ARDC ( a function of the IL State Supreme Court) considers the repercussions or their verdict as the next Graylord unfolds. I pray the ARDC does the right thing.
The ARDC has a history of not prosecuting the wrong-doing of unethical activities on the 18th floor of the Daley Center.
ReplyDeleteVisit www.probatesharks.com and go to the index on the right of the page. Go to the article entitled "ARDC Audit Results".
KUDOS TO Ken Ditkowsky. A true man of honor and a hero as he becomes the voice for the victims in the cook county probate court.
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray someone in the ARDC has a conscience. It's not often is it when we see a lawyer stand up against wrongdoing and wonder why most lawyers join the club, represent their clients with no intentions of exposing wrongdoing while billing for their services?
ReplyDeleteGod Bless America and Ken Ditkowsky!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping ARDC absorbes the evidence and thinks this one through.
ReplyDeleteI thought of how Mary Sykes would have smiled if she could have been at the hearing. She would have been so proud of Ken.
We need role models like Ken Ditkowsky nowadays instead of sports figures!
Yeah, let's not worry about the crooks, let's go after Mr. Ditkowsky.
ReplyDeleteI just found NASGA'S blog and am reading about Mr. Ditkowsky. Sir, you are an honest lawyer and a gentleman. I wish you were a lawyer in my state.
ReplyDelete