Tuesday, June 16, 2015

What’s behind the Blue Ribbon Panel?


The month of May saw the establishment of the Clark County Blue Ribbon Panel Commission on Guardianships in Nevada. The Commission was formed upon testimony from Clark County District Courts’ Chief Judge David Barker to the Clark County Commissioners.

The Las Vegas Tribune reported the panel is the precursor to numerous lawsuits against the State of Nevada and Clark County. Chief Judge Barker knows of these lawsuits in his capacity as overseer of Eighth Judicial District Courts Divisional monthly meetings. The three divisional monthly meetings take place with the Eighth Judicial Criminal, Civil and Family Divisions. Chief Judge David Barker Administrative Duties Over the Criminal, Civil and Family Divisions.

When elected chief judge by his peers, David Barker became overseer of court administrative duties. In this capacity, Chief Judge Barker hears reports of court errors in each division of the Eighth Judicial District. Chief Judge Barker is responsible for reporting to the Nevada Supreme Court the court’s errors and how he addresses the errors. Chief Judge Barker has discretion as overseer of the Court Administrator as to how to address these court errors.

Each of the divisional meetings have written agendas. The Court Administrator is responsible for placing the court’s errors on the agenda. The divisional meetings result in meeting minutes. The meetings are not open to the public; however, the meetings’ minutes are court-ordered released and continue to be withheld by Clark County District Attorney Wolfson.

DA Wolfson withholds the quantified errors reported by Eighth Judicial District Court Administrator Steve Grierson. The last public report of errors stated 3 percent of court filings contain errors. One must remember that Court Administrator Grierson reports errors made by him and his staff.

This reporting cannot be relied upon because the report is not generated by an independent audit. Additional Administrative Duties of Chief Judge David Barker

In his capacity as Chief Judge, David Barker oversees the duties of the appointed presiding judges of each division and the court administrator. Court Administrator (over all three divisions), Steve Grierson, is required by the United States Department of Justice to quantify and report court errors. The former Family Division administrator, Brandi Wardel, testified on the witness stand the errors are “numerous.”

Litigants in cases containing court errors have sought remedy. However, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld Mack-Manley v. Manley and sent the erring court orders to re-hear cases. Family Division Presiding Judges have chosen not to deviate from their original decisions.

Litigants then moved to another division within the Eighth Judicial District. Still receiving no remedy, the litigants are moving to new venues. The Tribune is tracking these cases which are moved to functioning, transparent judiciaries.

Chief Judge Barker Oversees Family Division Presiding Judge Charles “Chuck” Hoskin Family Division Presiding Judge Charles Hoskin oversees guardianship lawsuits. These include lawsuits against protected citizens — minors and elders. One need only read social media (i.e. blogs) to learn of the errors of Judge Hoskin. A review of Judge Hoskin’s history might explain his errant discretion in guardianship cases.

Attorney Charles Hoskin teamed with attorney Robert Graham running a family law business. Their secretary was named Teri. After dissolution of the law firm, attorney Robert Graham reported his former law partner, “Chuck” Hoskin, left his wife and three children, one a baby, for his secretary, Teri. The two formed a new law firm. Mrs. Teri Hoskin was now the office manager. When $1,000 went missing from the newly-formed law firm, Teri Hoskin filed an affidavit in court contradicting a receipt signed by the law firm’s employee that the law firm received the $1,000.

The troubles afflicting attorney Hoskin’s firm continued when he staffed an employee named McLaughlin. The Nevada Supreme Court case of McLaughlin v. Primmer resulted in the fact finding by the Nevada Supreme Court that procedural errors occur in the Eighth Judicial District Court Family Division. Presiding Judge Hoskin is now overseeing cases in his administrative capacity in which he was a part of the problem as attorney Hoskin. Transparency and truthfulness by Chief Judge David Barker will be key in plaintiffs’ proceedings against Clark County and State of Nevada in their new venues.

Full Article & Source:
What’s behind the Blue Ribbon Panel?

1 comment:

  1. There should be a Blue Ribbon Panel looking at Clark County and then also a statewide investigation too.

    ReplyDelete