Longstanding problems with the system that handles about 8,500 adult guardianship cases in Clark County each year were exposed in a series of Review-Journal articles published in April. Cases highlighted by the newspaper showed a lack of oversight by the courts, such as failing to require guardians to file annual accounts of a ward’s finances even though it is required by state law.
Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty petitioned to form the panel last month. The panel will listen to public testimony and make recommendations about the system.
The panel will include several judges from across the state, including: Hardesty; Nevada Court of Appeals Chief Judge Michael Gibbons; Washoe County district court judges Frances Doherty and Egan Walker; Clark County district court judges Cynthia Dianne Steel and William Voy; and Elko district court judge Nancy Porter.
Two deputy district attorneys — Jay Raman from Clark County and Timothy Sutton from Nye County — and three legislators — Assemblymen Michael Sprinkle and Glenn Trowbridge and Sen. Becky Harris — were also named to the panel.
Others named to the panel include: Trudy Andrews of Pacifica Senior Living; Deborah Bookout of Legal Aid of Southern Nevada; Rana Goodman of The Vegas Voice; Terri Russell of Reno’s KOLO-TV, Channel 8; Kim Spoon of Guardianship Services of Nevada, Inc.; Susan Sweikert, a victim’s advocate; Julie Arnold of Southern Nevada Senior Law Program; Clark County Public Guardian Kathleen Buchanan; Susan Hoy of National Guardian Services, LLC; Reno attorney Kim Rowe of Maupin, Cox, and Legoy; David Spitzer of Washoe Legal Services; and Las Vegas attorney Elyse Tyrell.
The first meeting of the panel will be held in mid-July, the release said.
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Panel appointed to improve Clark County’s troubled guardianship system
I am so please to see victim advocates on the panel, most of all Rana Goodman!
ReplyDeleteProgress! Applause and standing ovation to the Nevada Supreme Court of Nevada for making this happen. Now if only other states would open their eyes and come out of denial by taking long overdue actions to correct the wrongs that have been underway for decades and decades.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Rana Goodman for your sacrifices, hard work and dedication to this cause.
Rana will be a voice for families and wards. I'm so happy she's on the panel too!
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