Ex-judge spent tax dollars on Birkenstocks and an ear wax removal kit, prosecutors say

By Bill Rankin

 

Facing 57 counts, he has agreed to never hold judicial office again

The former chief judge of Pickens County Magistrate Court, under indictment for financial fraud and theft, has agreed to never hold judicial office again, a court filing said.

Allen Wigington, who also served as a Probate Court judge, was indicted in November on 57 counts for improperly using his county-issued credit card, forgery, theft and violating his oath of office. His wife, Rosemary Wigington, a high school teacher, also faces two theft by taking counts.

A recent filing by the state judicial watchdog agency with the Georgia Supreme Court includes a consent agreement signed by Wigington in which he said he will never seek judicial office again.

“We came to this resolution to insure the public and judiciary are protected,” the agency’s director, Chuck Boring, said Wednesday.

The state Attorney General’s Office’s prosecution division obtained the indictment. The case was investigated by the GBI and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

Wigington stepped down as a judge last year after being arrested for allegedly taking funds from a local nonprofit, where he served as treasurer, to pay off personal debts.

After the GBI was brought in, dozens of other alleged offenses were uncovered. This included Wignington running up more than $2,600 in unauthorized charges on his county-issued credit card, the indictment said. Wigington also improperly used that credit card to buy an Apple iWatch, Birkenstock sandals, children’s toys, clothing, an ear wax removal kit and a Nintendo Switch, the indictment said.

Full Article & Source:

Ex-judge spent tax dollars on Birkenstocks and an ear wax removal kit, prosecutors say

New Court Filing Argues the State's Guardianship System Puts the Disabled at Risk

Courtesy of the Spectrum Institute
    Thomas Coleman (left), appearing on a talk show aired by the Arc of Riverside County, said failings in the guardianship system put the disabled at risk of exploitation and abuse. abuse.

A group that advocates for the rights of the disabled has filed a class action complaint with the Texas Supreme Court arguing that the state's adult guardianship system violates parts of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The Spectrum Institute, which made similar court filings in Missouri and Washington, says Texas' state-appointed attorneys are often unable to adequately represent people placed in guardianship — typically those with mental impairments that prevent them from looking after themselves. What's more, attorneys may have financial incentive to aid probate judges at the expense of the people they're representing, according to the filing.

Officials with Texas Health and Human Services, which administers a state guardianship program, declined comment on the filing since the appointment of attorneys is a court function.

"In many cases, someone in the prison system has more rights to make decisions about his own life than someone in guardianship," said Thomas Coleman, Spectrum Institute's legal director. "He can make decisions about his own medical care or about his finances. In many cases, these individuals cannot. That makes them especially vulnerable."

Without adequate court representation, disabled people face the risk of exploitation, abuse and neglect at the hands of their caretakers, Coleman added.

Currently, 54,000 Texas adults are under guardianship in the state and more than 4,500 cases are filed annually, according to Spectrum Institute. The majority of people under guardianship in the state have intellectual or developmental disabilities, but some are seniors experiencing cognitive decline. Both populations are expected to grow over coming years.

The population of Texas seniors has increased more than 19 percent since 2012 to 3.4 million.

Full Article & Source:
New Court Filing Argues the State's Guardianship System Puts the Disabled at Risk