Judge Tierra Jones Dismisses Most Of Jason Hanson's Guardianship Fraud Lawsuit

LAS VEGAS - On Thursday, December 21, Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones dismissed without prejudice the majority of 28 year old cerebral palsy victim Jason Hanson's complaint against his Clark County Family Court appointed guardians, trustees, and attorneys.

Attorneys for Defendants private guardian Jared E. Shafer, attorneys Francis Fine, Elyse Tyrell, and Dara Goldsmith, and Clark County Public Administrator John Cahill, had argued at an earlier hearing that Hanson's case was time barred because he should have filed it when he turned 18 in 2007, not ten years later in 2017 when he first became aware his inheritance was missing.

Judge Jones agreed with the Defendants, then approved their motion to give them Judicial Immunity because they were all court appointed to care for Hanson by Hearing Master Jon Norheim, an unelected jurist appointed by Family Court Judge Charles Hoskin to help him with his case load. Prior to taking the bench, Norheim was the criminal defense attorney for known mob associate Rick Rizzolo.

Judicial Immunity is a form of legal immunity which protects judges and others employed by the judiciary from liability resulting from their judicial actions. 

Because the case was dismissed without prejudice, it can be reopened in the event new information becomes available. Attorneys for Hanson are considering appealing Judge Jones's decision to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Source: 

Steve Miller:  Judge Tierra Jones Dismisses Most Of Jason Hanson's Guardianship Fraud Lawsuit

See Also:
Jason Hanson Goes To Court

Steve Miller: Jason Hanson's Case May Have Been Compromised

Steve Miller: Jason Hanson Sues Jared Shafer And Others For Civil Racketeering, Fraud, And Embezzlement

Jason Hanson Goes To Court

Federal Court Judge Rules In Favor Of Guardianship Abuse Victim

Overrules defendants 15 times, and remands case back to state court for an expedited trial

"You could feel the oxygen leave the room the moment Hanson rolled into court to take his place at the plaintiff's table."

Inside Vegas by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
September 18, 2017

LAS VEGAS - On Friday morning, September 15, 2017, Jason Hanson made his first court appearance in an emotion charged exploitation lawsuit involving prominent Las Vegas attorneys, a disgraced private guardian, a defrocked judge, and the Clark County Public Administrator, all of whom are accused of conspiring to steal Hanson's inheritance and estate with the full cooperation of several Family Court judges.

Because of the logistics involved in transporting the 27 year old cerebral palsy victim to the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, Hanson arrived at his hearing fifteen minutes late.  When Hanson arrived in court, you could hear a pin drop while two court bailiffs helped him make his way to his lawyer's side. When United States Federal Court Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey resumed hearing the arguments of the five attorneys representing defendants Francis Fine, Elyse Tyrell, Dara Goldsmith, Jared Shafer, and John Cahill, all eyes were focused on Hanson instead of paying attention to the jurist's pleas to keep the case in Federal Court, and dismiss all claims against each of their clients.

Hanson arrived several minutes after his attorney Jacob Hafter had finished his opening statement telling the court why he believed his client would be better served in state court.  Hafter explained that he originally filed the case in the lower court because matters move at a much faster pace there, and that juries need only to reach a majority decision in state court rather than being required to reach a unanimous verdict in the federal court system.

With his client now by his side, Hafter successfully argued that one of the defendants, Clark County Public Administrator John Cahill, purposefully filed a motion to move the case from state to federal court jurisdiction for the sole purpose of stalling the case to give advantages to the defense, and that his client Hanson seeks swifter justice based on his physical condition.

Defendant's attorneys Robert Hernquist, Thomas Dillard, Jason Smith, Terry Brian, and Steven Parsons each argued unsuccessfully to have the case remain in federal court, and that Hanson's initial complaint filed in July 2017 was time barred because he became of legal age in 2007, and should have filed his lawsuit then.

Hafter told the court that in 2007, Hanson twice asked Family Court Hearing Master Jon Norheim to appoint him an attorney, and was refused.  Hafter explained that Norheim twice told Hanson to file his request for an attorney in writing, but Hanson's physical limitations prohibited him from doing so. Hafter also told the court that Hanson was not aware his inheritance was being stolen until 2016 when he confronted Elyse Tyrell, one of his court appointed trustees, at a Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commission hearing, only then learning she had been holding a check for him for over nine years without his knowledge.  Attorney Hafter plead that the statute of limitations began running in 2016 when Hanson first learned of the fraud, not 2007 when Hanson turned 18 and had no idea he was being robbed.

Several days after the 2016 Guardianship Commission hearing where Hanson appeared on local TV news demanding to know what happened to his inheritance,  a mysterious check for $5,530.74 was delivered to Hanson's group home.  Tyrell told reporters that it represented the entire remaining proceeds from the sale of Hanson's late father's ADA equipped condominium in a Las Vegas gated community that Jared Shafer sold for only $47,000.  Tyrell tried to explain that over $40,000 was used to pay "fees" generated by Shafer and his attorneys to facilitate the condo's sale.

Prior to what was called a "fire sale," Clark County Public Administrator John Cahill appraised the 1,200 square foot unit for $170,000 and charged his fee accordingly, then Cahill obediently transferred the title to his colleague Jared Shafer who purportedly sold the unit for much less, hence Cahill's inclusion in Hanson's lawsuit.  Prior to Cahill's election, Shafer held the same Public Administrator position, and helped Cahill win election to succeed him.  Shafer owns Signs of Nevada, the outdoor advertising company used by most Nevada politicians - including family court judges - and is the man to see for inexpensive political signs around election time. 

Jared Shafer has been referred to as the "Mastermind" in other guardianship fraud cases based on his ability to help certain politicians and judges get elected and re-elected, the same judges who have consistently appointed him legal guardian over wealthy wards of the court.

In court, Jacob Hafter told the judge, "Since I became Mr. Hanson's attorney, I get calls all the time from other guardianship victims seeking my help. They say they were all abused or exploited by the same group of players and judges," as he peered at the cadre of five discouraged looking defense lawyers sitting to his left with two of their clients, Francis Fine and Dara Goldsmith (Tyrell, Shafer, and Cahill were not present).  Hafter then said he will only represent Jason Hanson, and his client could easily win a unanimous verdict today if he were called as a witness and personally allowed to tell his story to any jury.


Attorney Jacob Hafter

..
.
          Defendants: Francis Fine, Dara Goldsmith, Elyse Tyrell, Jared Shafer, John Cahill
                     (Click on image of Jared Shafer to view KTNV TV News video)


                         Click on image to view KTNV News video

Hearing all she needed to hear, Judge Dorsey ruled in favor of Hanson thereby fulfilling his request to remand his case back to state court and not honor the defendant's motions to dismiss their clients, or time bar the case.

After the hearing, a court observer told Inside Vegas, "Mr. Hanson attending the hearing made all the difference in the world. You could feel the oxygen leave the room the moment Hanson rolled into court to take his place at the plaintiff's table."

FULL LAWSUIT:
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/JasonsAmendedComplaintWithCorrectNRS1.pdf

MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/7-24-17_Inside_Vegas.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/2-1-16_Inside_Vegas.html
 
Full Article & Source:
Jason Hanson Goes To Court

See Also:
Steve Miller: Jason Hanson's Case May Have Been Compromised

Steve Miller: Jason Hanson Sues Jared Shafer And Others For Civil Racketeering, Fraud, And Embezzlement

Steve Miller: Jason Hanson Sues Jared Shafer And Others For Civil Racketeering, Fraud, And Embezzlement

LAS VEGAS - 27 year old cerebral palsy victim Jason Hanson, after waiting since April 2016 for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Abuse and Neglect Detail to present Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson with Requests for Prosecution of the persons who stole the majority of his inheritance, on July 17, 2017 took the next step and filed a Civil Racketeering and Embezzlement lawsuit against his exploiters in Nevada State Court.

"I decided to take matters into my own hands," responded Hanson when asked by KTNV TV Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears why it was taking the police so long.

Hanson hired Las Vegas attorney Jacob Hafter to determine if he had grounds to sue private guardian Jared E. Shafer of Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada (PFSN), Clark County Public Administrator John Cahill,disgraced ex-judge Francis Fine, attorneys Dara Goldsmith and Elyse Tyrell after waiting over nine years to receive his inheritance that they collectively controlled, an inheritance that once included a Special Needs Trust fund of over $100,000, and a handicapped equipped 1,200 square foot two bedroom condominium in a gated community in southwest Las Vegas.

In winter 2017, it had been nine years since he reached legal age of majority and was taken off guardianship, however, Hanson had yet to receive a dime of his inheritance that was looked over by the defendants in his lawsuit, and an incompetent, or collusive, Clark County Family Court system.

When Jason turned 18 in 2007, and his youth guardianship automatically terminated, Francis Fine and the other Trustees NEVER refiled to be guardian over him as an adult, and never had him mentally evaluated, rendering the whole guardianship over him for the next 8 years non-existent! Had they had him mentally evaluated, they would have learned that he's intellectually gifted, and was not in need of guardianship. For this he repeatedly asked the court to appoint him an attorney, and was repeatedly refused.

In January 2016, Hanson testified before the Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commission where Shafer's lawyer Elyse Tyrell was somehow appointed as a Commissioner. He confronted Tyrell on local TV news about the whereabouts of his money. Several days later, Tyrell coughed up a one year old check in the amount of $5,530.74 that she had kept secret from Hanson. When asked about the year old check by reporters, she represented that it was the total remaining balance from the sale of Jason's house after Shafer and his attorneys finished deducting their fees. It was later learned that while on Tyrell, Fine, Goldsmith, and Shafer's watch, Jason's original guardian Susan Rousselle stole $39,000 from his $100,000 trust. No thanks to Tyrell, et. al., It was only learned after the woman confessed to the crime in a plea bargain. The remaining $60,000 in the Trust was never mentioned by anyone purportedly looking out for Jason, and only recently was discovered in the unclaimed funds account of the Pennsylvania State Treasurer, the state where Rousselle lived before being caught.

In the meantime, Hanson has been living at taxpayer expense for almost ten years.

Full Article and Source:
Jason Hanson Sues Jared Shafer And Others For Civil Racketeering, Fraud, And Embezzlement

See Also:
READ Jason Hanson's lawsuit

The Vegas Voice: "My Family's Nightmare"

My father’s guardianship nightmare began in 2009, a result of not being able to find dad after mom died; someone took advantage of him being in shock and grief after the sudden loss of his wife of 63 years. Mom had been ill-advised to become guardian of my father’s “person” due to his physical disabilities; my father was never incompetent. I called Guardianship Commissioner Norheim’s office for help. I knew nothing of the Family Court’s bad reputation at the time. Norheim’s office gave me Jared E. Shafer’s phone number. Shafer said I needed an attorney to help my father and sent me to Elyse Tyrell, who assured me that if Shafer were to be made temporary guardian he would get my father away from the person hiding him and in no time I could take my father back to California. Tyrell did not tell me she was Shafer’s attorney.

As soon as Shafer became guardian, Tyrell, who I had a legal agreement with, told me she did not work for me, she worked for “Jared” and to go find another attorney! This “temporary” guardianship turned into a permanent one and any objections I had were consistently dismissed by Norheim. Shafer and his attorneys made false statements about me to the court which Norheim accepted.

Thus began a long expensive battle to free my father of Shafer’s guardianship over person and estate. Shafer and his attorneys told the court that their extensive legal fees billed to my father were my fault for challenging his guardianship!

Several state statutes were violated during my father’s guardianship, in particular NRS Chapter 160, which restricts guardians to having no more than five wards and limits how much they can bill if they have even one veteran as a ward. Our attorneys pointed out these violations but Norheim approved all of Shafer’s actions.

Shafer did not provide an attorney for my father and prevented dad from attending his own hearings. When we finally brought dad to court Shafer and his attorney laughed at him and Norheim was reluctant to let him speak. My father stated in court that he wanted to go back to California but his testimony was ignored.

After that hearing my father asked my husband and I to take him back to California because he was fearful and wanted to be with us. Shafer immediately had the judge issue a bench warrant on me for contempt of court but he told everyone it was for kidnapping. He spent thousands of dad’s money trying to have the warrant transferred to California without success.

No family member should fall for the threats and false statements made by any guardian. The guardians are experts at intimidating families from taking action. I believe we were the first to save a parent from Shafer. Despite the losses we are happy we did what was necessary, resulting in my father spending his last years as a free man. His final years were happy; he enjoyed his family, his VFW Post and his friends. He never went anywhere without his WW2 Veteran cap and loved all the attention and “thank you for your service” comments.

Source:
The Vegas Voice:  

See Also:
NASGA:  Lupe Olvera, CA/NV Victim

Steve Miller: Elyse Tyrell Resigns As Jared E. Shafer's Sign Company's Attorney

LAS VEGAS - Possibly sensing that she's being judged by the company she keeps, or that she has a serious conflict of interest, elder law attorney and Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commission member Elyse Tyrell on February 17 removed herself as Jared Shafer's political sign company's Registered Agent. Note that she resigned two weeks after my AmericanMafia.com article (below) was published.

THEN:

NOW:

SIGNS OF NEVADA LLC
Status:   Active File Date:   1/17/2012
Type:   Domestic Limited-Liability Company Entity Number:   NV

Business ID:   NV20121040410 Business License Exp:   1/31/2017

Action Type:   Registered Agent Change
Document Number:   20160071172-17 # of Pages:   1
File Date:   2/17/2016 Effective Date:  

Registered Agent Information
Name:   CARL DUNN Address 1:   3030 ANCHORMAN
Address 2:    City:   NORTH LAS VEGAS
State:   NV Zip Code:   89031

  

Officers  Include Inactive Officers
Manager - AMY VIGGIANO-DEITTRICK
Address 1:   P.O. BOX 50790 Address 2:  
City:   HENDERSON State:   NV
Zip Code:   89016 Country:   USA

When Shafer stepped down as Clark County's elected Public Guardian in 2003, he opened two private businesses at 5858 Pecos Rd. in Henderson; Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada, Inc. (PFSN, Inc.); and Signs of Nevada,LLC.

Since that time, many local family court judges, district court judges, Nevada assemblymen, and state senators have used his sign service during elections, and have possibly paid for their signs with favors to Shafer's fiduciary service including enacting laws designed to protect his interests, and turning their backs on complaints from his exploited "wards" and their families.

Based on the horrendous damage Shafer has committed to the weakest of the weak in our society, it's obvious he had lots of help.

Tyrell's departure from Signs of Nevada may be telltale, but the names of prominent people currently appearing on his hundreds of portable A-frame signs located on every vacant lot in the county may tell a bigger story, a story of who is beholden to him now and in the future.

Make note of the names of candidates using these large signs, and then watch them closely as the investigation and prosecution of those involved in local guardianship racketeering progresses this summer.

Elyse, If you can't stand the heat, maybe its time to get out of the kitchen. April Parks just did!

But like Clark County District Attorney Steven Wolfson told me on April 7, "You can run, but you can't hide. This office has jurisdiction over state lines."

~Steve Miller

See AmericanMafia.conm

Steve Miller: Why Have Jared Shafer And Elyse Tyrell Been Allowed to Fleece The Elderly And Disabled For Years?

Guardianship attorney and Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commissioner Elyse Tyrell is Jared Shafer's sign company's attorney and registered agent.

Shafer's PFSN, Inc. office manager Amy Viggiano Deittrick is his sign company's manager and runs the sign and guardian businesses out of Shafer's office located at 5858 S. Pecos Rd., Suite 500, in Las Vegas.

Signs of Nevada also uses Shafer's PO Box 50790, Henderson, Nevada.

I believe that Shafer and Tyrell's political advertising business is the reason so many judges and district attorneys have let them get away with their guardianship scams for so long.

Shafer allegedly has the ability to discount or donate his signs to candidates he and Tyrell favor, and based on the performance of Clark County Family Court Judges William Voy (also a Guardianship Commissioner), Charles Hoskin, Art Ritchie, and their appointed Hearing Master Jon Norheim (Rick Rizzolo's former lawyer), the sign company is paying them with dividends through their favored candidate's lack of attention and enforcement.

Based on Colton Lockhead's story in today's Review-Journal, I hope that Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson will no longer need Shafer and Tyrell's signs for his future campaigns, and will prosecute the duo to the fullest extent of the law for their crimes against the weakest of the weak in our society.
~ Steve Miller

Elyse Tyrell

Jared Shafer

Steve Miller: If You're Appointed as Someone's Trustee, At Least Know Where They Live!

Date: 1/25/2016 8:07:57 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
From: Elyse@probatelawlv.com
Reply To: 
To: y2j1915@hotmail.com, Stevemiller4lv@aol.com
CC: donna@probatelawlv.com

Jason,

Can you please give me your complete address?  I will then mail your check to you and will send it Certified Mail.

Thank you,

Elyse M. Tyrell, Esq., LL.M, CELA

Attorney Elyse Tyrell has been one of cerebral palsy victim Jason Hanson's Trustees since 2006. She has also been an appointed member of the Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commission since 2015. 

Since 2006, Tyrell, attorney Francis Fine, and private guardian Jared E. Shafer have been responsible for the safekeeping of an $80,000 interest bearing Charles Schwab custodial account set up Jason's late grandmother for Jason's well being and support. 

When Jason turned 21 in 2010, the proceeds from his account should have been transferred to him including the interest, but his trustees did not let him know where it was, or that it still exists. In my opinion, it was as if they were waiting for him to pass away so they could keep the money.

Last Friday, Jason testified before the Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Commission and asked the whereabouts of his trust.  His testimony and Tyrell's response were broadcast on KTNV TV CH. 13 News.

In response to Jason's inquiry at the hearing, Tyrell acting as a Commissioner went on the record and told Jason that she has his funds at her office and will give them to him "after I deduct my legal fees."  However, at the beginning of her statement, she clearly stated she had provided her services pro-bono.

(Fine and Shafer had already taken their fees totaling over $18,000 from Jason's inheritance.)

Following Jason's receipt of this morning's email from Tyrell with her strange inquiry about where he lives, it will be interesting to see how much of his trust she has preserved for him, and the amount of legal fees she deducts.  Incidentally, Jason has lived in the same group home at taxpayer expense since Jared Shafer sold his father's wheelchair equipped condominium in 2009 at far under market value and kept the proceeds for himself - all under the watchful eye of Elyse Tyrell, Jason Hanson's "Trustee."

~SM

Steve Miller: Synopsis of First Meeting of Nevada State Guardianship Panel

I attended the first meeting of the commission on Monday on behalf of our family and many other victims. Chief Justice James Hardesty presided and all 25 commissioners were present either in person or telephonically. The victims were well represented with 8 families speaking during public comments and both KTNV Channel 13 ABS News and Las Vegas Review Journal present. Below are links to their reports, as well as Steve Miller’s report and pictures from the Review Journal of Judges William Voy, Cynthia Diane Steel, appointed to the commission for Clark (8th District) County and Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty (l to r) and Washoe(2nd District) County Presiding Family Court Judge Frances Doherty and Elko (4th District) County Family Court Judge Nancy Porter.

The next meeting is set for August 17, 2015 from 1:30pm-4:30pm at the Clark County Regional Justice Center. The public is again invited. 

KTNV ABC News-Sparks Fly at First State Guardianship Commission Meeting 7/15/15

LasVegasReviewJournal-Ex Official of Clark County Guardianships says System "isn’t-bad" 7/15/15

State Guardianship Commission Holds First Meeting 7/14/15

AmericanMafia-Inside Vegas - Shafer's Cronies Elyse Tyrell And William Voy on Commission 7/6/15

Chief Justice Hardesty explained his objective with the commission is to rate all aspects of Nevada’s adult guardianship adjudication process versus national best practices and give it a grade and make recommendations on actions that will be taken to improve the system before they disband in December 2015. Does Nevada’s approach not meet, meet, or exceed national best practices for guardianship adjudication? There was discussion and comparison on how the courts manage guardianships across the districts represented. The disparity between Clark County’s approach and the rest of the state was concerning. Most of the members were given assignments to research the many topics discussed to present in the next meeting.

 Topics ranged from:
1)court management,
2)initial petition appointing guardian (PAG) requirements,
3)incognizance confirmation,
4)ward’s representation and protecting the best interests of both their person and estate,
5)criminal enforcement of fraud or wrongdoing by family court officials,
6)managing court notifications, deadlines and follow-up,
7)insuring timely and accurate initial inventories and annual accountings, and others.

Justice Hardesty stimulated a positive discussion on how cavalierly guardianships have been assigned, which fully remove the Wards civil rights and ability to protect their estates, yet the criminal court requires a much higher proof of wrongdoing to indict suspects. Judge Doherty presented a very poignant position that in the 2nd district they work with priority to protect the 1)family, 2)Ward’s property, and 3)the Ward’s rights. As hundreds have experienced in Clark County the last 20 years, family is seldom a priority and even less so when there are $100,000’s at stake.

To highlight that, Jared Shafer, current private professional guardian and former Public Guardian of Clark County, spoke last in the public comments. Judge Steel had been asked to leave the room as most of the public comments related to ongoing litigation in her court. Shafer demanded Judge Steel return to the meeting before he spoke as he claimed he had no cases before her. (Jared Shafer has 75 open cases, 43 of which are being heard by Judge Steel, 32 in probate.) Chief Justice Hardesty honored his request. Shafer immediately went on a tirade about how the press was misrepresenting him, “there’s never been a problem with the system”, and the real issue was with the whiney families as “they’re upset because they didn’t get their loved ones’ money”. Before he finished and exited the room he highlighted his good intentions the past 35 years and pointed out commission members Judge Voy and attorney Elise Tyrell would be happy to defend and speak for him. (Both, Elyse Tyrell currently and Judge Voy prior to becoming a judge, have represented Jared Shafer.) At the end of the meeting each panel member was asked to speak on their observations of the day and specific improvement actions they wanted the commission to take.