The off-duty paramedic couple sprang into action during their anniversary dinner, rushing to save an elderly woman who was choking

By Greta Stuckey

GEDDES, N.Y. — A couple who work together as paramedics in Baldwinsville were finishing their anniversary dinner Friday night when they heard someone yell that a woman was choking.

Justin and Winona Schindler rushed over to try to help the elderly woman who was choking at Daniella’s Steakhouse in Geddes.

The couple, who are paramedics for the Greater Baldwinsville Ambulance Corps, often work together in the ambulance.

At the restaurant, they were quick to jump into action.

“As soon as we realized something was going on, we were like, let’s see what we can do to help,” Winona said.

Winona said she knew to clear the area, make sure someone had called 911 and to ask about an AED. Her husband began first aid.

Justin started by giving the woman the Heimlich maneuver. After a few minutes of trying, the woman was still choking and became unconscious and stopped breathing, Winona said.

That’s when the couple got the woman to the ground and Winona put an AED on her while Justin began performing CPR for about four to five minutes, Winona said.

During that time, a staff member ran out to their car to retrieve a LifeVac, a choking rescue device.

After using the LifeVac and continuing chest compressions, the woman’s airway was cleared of food and Winona helped her get oxygen as she slowly began regaining consciousness.

“Everyone was doing what they could to help and wanted to make sure the woman was taken care of, and her family was okay,” Winona said.

Soon, an ambulance arrived to provide further care and took the woman to the hospital, she said.

Charlie Roman, the owner of the steakhouse, said he’s so grateful the couple was there.

The family of the woman who choked are regulars at the restaurant, so Roman said he received updates on her status over the weekend. On Sunday, the woman’s daughter sent him a photo of her mother in the hospital and said she was doing great — and that they were grateful to everyone who helped.

“It was really scary,” Roman said. “It was a team effort by everyone, and I think it was handled really professionally.”

Winona said if people are interested in being trained in CPR, they can take classes through the American Red Cross, CNY CPR and most local ambulance agencies.

There is also an app people can download on their phones called PulsePoint AED that gives information about where AEDs are located nearby in the event that someone needs one, Winona said.

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The off-duty paramedic couple sprang into action during their anniversary dinner, rushing to save an elderly woman who was choking

Man, who was held captive in Waterbury home for 20 years releases first public statement

The man, who is calling himself “S” to protect his identity, is speaking out in through the nonprofit organization, “Survivors Say,” and also thanking the people who are helping him recover.

Source:
Man, who was held captive in Waterbury home for 20 years releases first public statement

See Also:
Bodycam in Connecticut house of horrors shows suspect after stepson's fiery escape

Conservator for Waterbury man held captive for decades wants case file sealed

New details emerge after man held hostage for 20 years in Waterbury

Why Kimberly Sullivan Made A SHOCKING 911 Call

Sister of man held captive by stepmom for 21 years speaks out | Banfield

Heather Tessman, half-sister of the 69-pound man known as "Male Victim One," joined NewsNation to discuss his case. She last saw him as an infant and searched for him — until a month ago, when she saw news reports of his escape from a Connecticut house fire. The 32-year-old victim says he was held captive for 21 years, enduring torment since age 11. Tessman, placed in foster care and later adopted, lived a normal life just 15 minutes away. Stepmother Kimberly Sullivan faces kidnapping and assault charges but is free on $300,000 bail.

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Sister of man held captive by stepmom for 21 years speaks out | Banfield 

Broward Circuit Judge could face suspension over 'inappropriate' comments

By Dara Kam

TALLAHASSEE — Circuit Judge Gary Farmer, a former state Senate Democratic leader, is facing a recommendation that he be immediately suspended after an investigative panel accused him of “pervasive and extensive” behavior demonstrating “a present unfitness to hold office.”

Farmer, a former trial lawyer, was elected as a judge in Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit in 2022 after six years in the Senate. He served as Senate minority leader during the 2021 legislative session but was ousted after a vote of no confidence by fellow Democrats.

An investigative panel of the state Judicial Qualifications Commission on Thursday filed a notice of formal charges against Farmer accusing him of repeatedly making inappropriate comments. It recommended that he be immediately suspended without pay pending the outcome of the proceedings. The commission makes recommendations about judicial conduct to the Florida Supreme Court, which has ultimate disciplinary authority.

The suspension recommendation also alleged Farmer “willfully ignored the requirements of applicable statutes or rules of procedure, or was unaware of the most basic elements of the law which governed his actions as a judge in the felony division.”

Farmer, who rotated out of the circuit’s criminal division in September amid the commission’s probe, had no comment when contacted Thursday by The News Service of Florida.

The suspension recommendation also said Farmer did not appear as required at a hearing in March.

The panel “believes that his misconduct is egregious and serious, and could clearly affect the public's perception of the judiciary,” Alexander John Williams, an attorney for the commission, wrote in the 13-page recommendation for suspension.

“While Judge Farmer might argue that he has changed his behavior … the panel believes that in this case, the damage is already done,” the recommendation said.

The probe into Farmer began after a complaint about comments he made while presiding over felony cases in August. The panel found comments “discriminatory, offensive, sexually charged, and demeaning.”

As an example, Farmer “referenced and quoted extensively from a comedy sketch that makes fun of gay people,” court documents filed by the commission said.

“That is not the only time you used double entendre as humor in the courtroom. While presiding over the August 15, 2024, hearing you said, ‘Spring is here, I got so excited I wet my plants’ and ‘What did the shirt say to the pair of pants? Wassup britches!’ Apparently, these are some of what you referred to as your ‘exceptionally, exceptionally bad jokes,’” the commission’s lawyer wrote in the notice of formal charges filed at the Supreme Court.

The commission “became aware of numerous other instances involving comments and other forms of misconduct” while investigating the August comments, the suspension recommendation said.

While presiding over first appearance hearings on Oct. 15, 2023, Farmer made “numerous remarks that were wholly inappropriate, undignified, or discourteous, or otherwise behaved in a manner that is degrading to the solemnity of the proceedings, fails to uphold the high standard of conduct expected of judges, and fails to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,” the notice of charges said.

The recommended suspension also pointed to Farmer’s treatment of a defendant who had a court-ordered competency evaluation pending in a separate case before another judge.

Farmer “conducted an ad hoc, unscientific competency evaluation by asking the defendant random questions. Notwithstanding the fact that the defendant was already awaiting a competency evaluation in another matter, and had answered some of Judge Farmer's trivia questions wrong, Judge Farmer declared her competent and accepted her guilty plea,” the recommendation said.

Farmer “was unable to recall if there even was a rule governing competency” when questioned about his handling of the matter, according to the documents filed Thursday.

“The panel believes that the pervasiveness and extensive nature of Judge Farmer's misconduct demonstrates a present unfitness to hold office,” the suspension recommendation said.

The investigative panel said four factors must be considered when recommending that a judge be suspended.

“Under the right conditions, a single one of these factors might carry enough weight to warrant a recommendation of suspension: Here, the respondent (Farmer) touches on all of them,” Williams wrote.

The probe into Farmer began in October, and Farmer appeared before the panel for a hearing in December. The panel notified Farmer on March 6 about a second investigation and ordered him to appear for a hearing on March 28.

Farmer “provided no response whatsoever, written or otherwise, to the second notice of investigation, save his email on the morning of the hearings claiming that he had intended to appear,” the suspension recommendation said.

The judge’s decision “to not appear as ordered in the Order to Show Cause (hearing) simply brings his lack of responsiveness into high relief,” the recommendation said.

Farmer sent an email at 6:20 a.m. the day of the hearing saying he had an unspecified emergency requiring his “immediate, in-person attention,” according to the recommendation.

"I have learned important lessons on judicial demeanor and have avoided any further missteps. I can assure you I will continue to preside in this more appropriate manner," Farmer wrote on March 28.

But Farmer also told the investigative panel, "I don't think we can say, as judges, that we never — there's never a light moment or a joke in court, so I don't want to overstate it, but I am not doing bad jokes anymore," according to the recommendation.

The notice of charges also said Farmer said he was aware that his behavior was “incongruous” with what is expected of a judge in court.

When asked why he did not handle a first-degree felony case, Farmer said the “dad jokes don’t go well in murder cases” and referred to “Night Court,” a sitcom from the 1980s.

“The reference to the television show Night Court seems to be particularly apt here. However much Judge Farmer believes he is like the fictional Harry Stone, it goes without saying that the circus-like atmosphere that made the television show a comedic parody of real life court proceedings is completely antithetical to the manner in which a real court proceeding should be conducted and violative of the Code of Judicial Conduct,” the suspension recommendation said.

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Broward Circuit Judge could face suspension over 'inappropriate' comments

Seminole County judge suspended by Florida Supreme Court

The conduct of a Central Florida judge leads to a suspension.

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Seminole County judge suspended by Florida Supreme Court

Hancock County probate judge suspended from the bench a 2nd time

by Bill Trotter

Hancock County’s elected probate judge has been suspended from the bench for the second time in the past year.

William B. Blaisdell IV, who has held the part-time position for the past 10 years, has been barred from presiding over the county’s probate cases for a year. The suspension was ordered by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday, April 16.

The latest suspension for Blaisdell comes after he has been found at fault by multiple judges for failing to live up to court-ordered obligations related to his 2019 divorce.

His second suspension from the bench — after having been suspended for four months last fall — comes nine days after his law license was suspended for a full year, following an investigation by the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, which regulates the conduct of licensed lawyers in the state. In addition to working part-time as a probate judge, Blaisdell has maintained a private law practice.

In Wednesday’s suspension order, justices on the state’s top court noted that probate judges must be admitted to practice law in the state of Maine and, with his law license under suspension, Blaisdell is ineligible to serve on the bench. Blaisdell, 55, is an Ellsworth resident.

His suspension as a probate judge shall remain in effect for eight months “or until he is reinstated as an attorney in good standing eligible to practice law in the state of Maine, whichever is later,” the justices wrote.

County officials have said that state law allows them to arrange to have another probate judge in Maine come to Hancock County to preside over cases while Blaisdell is suspended. Probate judges make rulings on family-related legal matters such as estates, guardianships and name changes.

Blaisdell has come under public scrutiny in the past year after first being found in contempt of court in Waldo County for not following court orders related to his divorce settlement. In March 2024, a judge presiding over his divorce agreement castigated Blaisdell for not paying nearly $50,000 to his ex-wife in child support and attorneys fees, and for not filing federal or state income tax returns for at least three years.

As a result of that contempt order, the overseers reached an agreement to suspend Blaisdell for a year, but that suspension was put on hold as long as Blaisdell met certain conditions. Part of those conditions were that he file and make needed payments on his overdue tax returns within 90 days, and that he promptly and fully comply with all court orders, including those related to his divorce.

Separately from that decision — as a result of a parallel inquiry into the same circumstances by the State Committee on Judicial Conduct — the state’s top court suspended Blaisdell last fall for four months from presiding over the county probate court.

“We view Judge Blaisdell’s misconduct as egregious and deserving of significant sanction,” the court wrote in its previous suspension order last September. “Disobedience of a court order by anyone is serious, but contempt of a court order by a sitting judge cannot be tolerated. We cannot expect the public to have respect and confidence in our courts when a judge himself flouts court orders.”

Since returning to the bench earlier this year, however, Blaisdell again failed to live up to the terms of his divorce. A second judge presiding in Waldo County in February again held him in contempt of court for not paying $17,000 in overdue child support and attorney’s fees to his ex-wife. The $17,000 he owed two months ago was in addition to the previous $50,000 he had not paid as of March 2024.

During a call with state officials last month about the overseers’ most recent petition, Blaisdell acknowledged that he was not up to date on filing and making payments on his overdue tax returns from recent years, or with filing proof of that compliance with the Overseers of the Bar, according to an order signed last month by Justice James Martemucci.

Over the past 14 months, Blaisdell has not responded to numerous emails or voice mails from the Bangor Daily News seeking comment about the multiple court orders against him and investigations into his conduct.

Blaisdell has served as Hancock County’s probate judge since first being elected to the position in 2014. Four years later, he narrowly won re-election in 2018 against Lynne Williams, a lawyer from Bar Harbor who went on to serve in the Maine House of Representatives before her law license was suspended in January for alleged misconduct.

Blaisdell was re-elected as probate judge without opposition in 2022. He will be up for re-election to the position next year and, so far, no one has filed paperwork to run against him, according to campaign filings posted on the Maine Ethics Commission website.

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Hancock County probate judge suspended from the bench a 2nd time

Stan Lee’s Daughter Speaks Out on Elder Abuse Allegations

JC Lee denies abusing her parents, and says she regrets not speaking out sooner.

By Michael Hein

Stan Lee’s daughter JC Lee denied the allegations that she abused her elderly parents in a new interview with Business Insider published on Monday. This is the first time JC has responded to these claims, which were first raised by The Hollywood Reporter in April of 2018. The article described alleged financial abuse and exploitation by several people, including one business manager who was referred to Lee by JC. It also included allegations that JC herself had physically abused her parents — slamming Lee’s head against the back of a chair in anger at one point and grabbing her mother’s arm so hard it bruised.

“They are all lies,” JC said in this new interview. “I never did it… I never ever touched my parents.” The 75-year-old said that she was advised not to make a public denial back in 2018, but she regrets it now in hindsight. However, she believes that her father was exploited for his money, and that the people who did it are walking free today, reaping the benefits.

The THR article that started this story came less than a year after Lee’s wife, Joan Boocock died at the age of 95, and six months before Lee himself died on November 12, 2018, also at 95. It led to criminal elder abuse charges against Lee’s former business manager, Keya Morgan, which were dropped in 2022 when a jury deadlocked on his case. It also singled out Jerardo Olivarez, a business manager recommended to Lee by his daughter, whom Lee sued before his death.

The allegations against JC never led to charges, but they were serious on several front. She was portrayed as spoiled and entitled, frequently clashing with her parents over money and property. The article’s claim of physical violence stemmed from a 2014 incident where JC supposedly attacked her parents after discovering that her new Jaguar was leased in her father’s name, not her own. The sources said that Lee and Boocock did not go to the authorities because they believed JC was in a delicate mental state.

JC herself acknowledged that she is prone to rage and tantrums in her new interview. She told Business Insider that she often screamed at her parents, but never hit them or hurt them. JC’s former business partner, James MacLean, added that screaming was generally a big part of the family dynamic for all three of them.

Now, JC said that she believes some of the people handling business interests and money for her father late in his life succeeded in enriching themselves, leaving her without the inheritance she was expecting. “I feel these people have taken my life,” she said, “and they’re eating off gold utensils and I’m eating off plastic.”

Full Article & Source:
Stan Lee’s Daughter Speaks Out on Elder Abuse Allegations

See Also:
Judge dismisses theft charges against Stan Lee's former manager

Stan Lee’s Estate Settles With Ex-Business Manager in Elder Abuse Case  

Stan Lee’s estate settles elder abuse lawsuit against ex-business manager 

 

Stan Lee Needs Saving, Not By A Superhero, But By A Conservator

 

Stan Lee Needs a Hero: Elder Abuse Claims and a Battle Over the Aging Marvel Creator

Judge Dismisses Restraining Order Protecting Stan Lee 

 

Allegations Of Abuse Marred Stan Lee’s Last Years — A Guardianship Might Have Protected Him

 

Stan Lee Elder Abuse Case

Florida Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Accused Elderly Pop-Up Scammer In New York

by Liz Shultz

Weikai Zhang, 43

A man accused of hiding behind his computer to operate a lucrative internet pop-up scam targeting elderly residents is now behind bars after a multi-state investigation led to his capture, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.

Weikai Zhang, 43, was apprehended in New York following extensive detective work by the Martin County Sheriff’s criminal investigations detectives in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Authorities allege Zhang is part of a larger national criminal organization that preys on seniors, using deceptive internet pop-ups to swindle them out of their life savings.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Zhang fled Florida for New York, hoping to evade capture after allegedly stealing more than $50,000 from a senior citizen in Martin County. Investigators believe that during his time operating in Florida, Zhang orchestrated thefts totaling approximately $613,000 from several victims, including the Palm City resident.

The scam typically involves fake security warnings or technical support messages popping up on victims’ computers, tricking them into believing their device is compromised and convincing them to pay for unnecessary services or grant remote access to scammers.

“He never wanted you to see his face, so he hid behind a keyboard,” the Sheriff’s Office stated, emphasizing the deceptive nature of the crime. “Through exceptional detective work, we located him.”

A computer screen no longer conceals Zhang.

He has been arrested and faces serious charges in Florida, including Organized Scheme to Defraud, Exploitation of a Person 65 Years or Older, and Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft. His bond has been set at $700,000.

Authorities urge the public, especially seniors and their families, to be wary of unsolicited pop-up messages on computers demanding payment or requesting remote access.

If you encounter such a scam, do not click on links, call the numbers provided, or give out personal information. Report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

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Florida Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Accused Elderly Pop-Up Scammer In New York

Wife wants Minnesota county commissioner off board as his cognition declines

The Stearns County Board includes longtime Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, front left. (Stearns County)

By Jenny Berg

ST. CLOUD – The wife of a longtime Stearns County Board member is filing for guardianship over her husband because his recent cognitive decline is affecting his ability to act as an elected commissioner, she says.

On April 7, a Wright County judge granted Alice Lenzmeier of St. Cloud emergency guardianship over Leigh Lenzmeier, 77, who has been residing in an assisted living facility in Buffalo for about a year.

The temporary guardianship lasts 60 days. Meanwhile, an evidentiary hearing scheduled for next week is the first step in the process of obtaining a longer-term guardianship.

“This is all about preserving his dignity and respect — and getting him off that board," Alice Lenzmeier said Monday. “I don’t feel the need for the whole world to watch him go downhill. And he’s not doing the job. Let’s be honest with that.”

In a phone interview Monday, Leigh Lenzmeier acknowledged some health concerns but said he plans on serving the rest of his four-year term, which runs through 2026.

“I was having problems … regarding nutrition and it was really screwing me up. And now that I’m on a regular routine, things are quite a bit better,” he said. “The idea that this is the end of the line is an overstatement.”

The guardianship order states his “memory, executive functioning and ability to care for himself have been in decline over the past 15 years with rapid acceleration” in recent years.

The order lists a diagnosis of major neurocognitive disorder, which is characterized by a “progressive and persistent deterioration of cognitive function” in which “affected patients often have memory loss and a partial or significant lack of insight into their deficits,” according to the National Library of Medicine. 

The order cites a doctor’s report from December that states, “based on the results from testing, it is recommended that he step down from his position. Given his cognitive difficulties, his ability to learn and remember information, critically examine information, and reason through decisions is likely compromised.”

In her petition, Alice Lenzmeier wrote that her husband has been “irregularly participating in meetings and voting on significant and complex matters without the capacity to understand the work he is performing or that he may be manipulated to vote in ways that he does not understand.”

Had he been willing to resign, she would not have felt the need to file for emergency guardianship, Alice Lenzmeier said.

“I resent being pushed to this limit,” she said.

In addition to the regular commissioner meetings, which Leigh Lenzmeier has mostly been attending virtually, he is tasked with going to dozens more committee meetings each year.

He admitted he’s gone to very few committee meetings in the past year but said he hopes to move to a care facility in St. Cloud so he could take public transportation to those meetings.

County Administrator Mike Williams said Monday that he anticipates the board will discuss the guardianship at its next meeting next Tuesday.

“The board’s been very concerned with the situation and he’s been [in assisted living] for more than a year but there really hasn’t been any official information available to the board for it to really do anything,” he said.

The upcoming evidentiary hearing should provide insight into whether the guardianship will be permanent. If it is, “then clearly I think the county board would be interested in considering taking action or would feel compelled to take some action,” Williams said.

“I think people are wanting to do [for] Leigh as good as we can,” he added. “He’s had a long service and it’s a difficult situation for everybody.”

Leigh Lenzmeier has represented much of St. Cloud and part of Waite Park on the board for more than three decades.

Minnesota law lays out a framework for county officials to be removed from office because of failure to perform required duties. Any voter may petition the county to request removal of an official, which would spur a special election.

David Schultz, a professor of political science and legal studies at Hamline University, said Monday that he thinks the county board would be able vote on a motion to remove Lenzmeier if they found he hasn’t met the residency requirement or attended required meetings for 90 days. But much of this is without precedent, he said.

Leigh Lenzmeier has been appointed an attorney to represent him. As for the evidentiary hearing next Monday, Leigh Lenzmeier said, “I’ll make my case and it goes where it goes.”

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Wife wants Minnesota county commissioner off board as his cognition declines