Steve Miller: Judge Steel Frees Three "Wards" From Exploitive Court Ordered Guardianship On Same Day

LAS VEGAS - In a unprecedented flurry of court action, on June 30, newly appointed Clark County Family Court Judge Cynthia Dianne Steel freed three previously court appointed wards of the court from the custody of their for-hire guardian April Parks.

What would normally have taken years of expensive court hearings, motions, and lawsuits, in two short hearings conducted in one afternoon, over the protests of Parks and her attorney Lee A. Drizin, Judge Steel patiently listened to family members of three of Parks' wards as they, acting without attorneys, explained that their parents were being exploited, and must immediately be released from Parks' guardianship.

In the case of Elizabeth Indig, her daughter told the court that Parks and her attorney allowed her mother's Henderson home valued at over $200,000 to be foreclosed upon and sold at auction for only $22,000 with Drizin's full knowledge, and without the court's required accounting or oversight.

Attorney Drizen was reportedly furious after the accusation and filed a motion with the court to have the family member who was representing her mother pro per, fined for vexatious litigation, and harassing April Parks. Judge Steel will hear Drizen's argument on Thursday July 2, but is not expected to rule in his favor based on her June 30 ruling in favor of the release of Elizabeth Indig from Parks' guardianship in which the family member acted as her own attorney in spite of Drizen's loud protestations.

In the case of Rudy and Rennie North, their daughter told the court that her parents were not mentally impaired and do not need to be under court ordered guardianship. That during Parks' guardianship, the North's assets were taken, and the court did not require an annual accounting.

In both cases, family members told Judge Steel that Parks initially came to their parent's homes impersonating a police officer, and ordered the elderly people to come with her to a rest home, or face arrest.

April Parks 

In both cases, family members were not informed of Parks' actions until after the parents were removed from their homes.

At subsequent hearings held before appointed Family Court Hearing Master Jon Norheim, (a former mob lawyer) neither Norheim or his boss Judge Charles Hoskin listened to the pleas of family members, and after being informed by Parks or her attorney that the adult children were either "unfit," "exploiters," or "drug addicts," ruled that Parks be granted permanent guardian status for the rest of the parent's lives.

Following a series of stories in The Vegas Voice, and on KNTV Ch. 13 News, the Boulder City Police Department opened an investigation of April Parks, and soon thereafter, her name was stricken from the State of Nevada's list of professional guardians.

It is not yet known whether the families of Parks' victims plan to take legal action to try to recover the monies Parks allegedly converted from their parent's estates.