PA Common Pleas Court Judge Stephanie Domitrovich's Lawyer Wants More Time

Erie County Judge Stephanie Domitrovich is gearing up to fight not only the state Judicial Conduct Board's ethics charges against her, but also the board's request that she be suspended from the bench while the case is pending.

Neither matter, it appears, will be resolved anytime soon.
One of Domitrovich's lawyers, Leonard Ambrose, filed a request Thursday in the Court of Judicial Discipline in Harrisburg seeking more time to respond to the suspension request and the allegations against Domitrovich.
Ambrose said he needed an additional 10 days to respond to the suspension petition and another 30 days to file a pretrial motion in response to the complaint. He said he needed the time because of other court commitments and vacations.

He also said Domitrovich's legal team "is presently conducting an investigation into the allegations in the complaint." He has said the complaint is without merit.

The state Judicial Conduct Board's complaint, filed on July 7, accuses Domitrovich of bullying, demeaning and violating the rights of people who have come before her in court, mismanaging a former employee and providing misleading information to those investigating the ethics claims against her.

It said Domitrovich must be suspended while the case is pending to protect the public's trust in the courts.

Full Article and Source:
Domitrovich lawyer wants more time

See Also:
PA Common Pleas Court Judge Stephanie Faces Ethical Charges

Elder Justice Roadmap Project Report

Given the widespread health, legal, social and economic implications of elder abuse, the Elder Justice Roadmap Project sought the input of experts and stakeholders from across the country in order to develop a strategic resource — by the field and for the field — to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.

 The report identifies and prioritizes actions that direct service providers, educators, and researchers can take to benefit older adults facing abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. Likewise, it provides a roadmap for strategic investment and engagement by policymakers in both the public and private sectors to advance our collective efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse at the local, state and national levels.

Elder Justice Roadmap Executive Summary

Elder Justice Roadmap Project Report

Elder Justice Roadmap Project Appendices

Elder Justice Roadmap Project Report With Appendices

Source:
Elder Justice Roadmap Project Report

Man Found Guilty of Defrauding Elderly Conservatorship Victims

A man prosecutors said befriended elderly victims who suffered from dementia so he could take control of their properties was found guilty Thursday of eight felonies, District Attorney’s Office spokesman Max Szabo said in a statement Friday.

Gregory Wiggins, 53, targeted and befriended two elderly San Francisco residents who were suffering from dementia and attempted to take advantage of them, Szabo said. He was found guilty of grand theft, embezzlement, elder abuse, making false statements to a notary public, filing false documents and identity theft.

Both victims were under court-ordered conservatorships and Wiggins, who had multiple addresses at the time of his arrest, was repeatedly told by the conservators that he could not enter into any legal contracts with them.

In November 2005, Wiggins convinced one of the victims to add him as a joint tenant on the deed to the victim’s property, giving Wiggins sole ownership after the victim’s death. That deed, however, was nullified after attorneys for the conservatorship became involved.

After that went south, Wiggins targeted an elderly woman who also suffered from dementia, Szabo said. After gaining her trust, she turned over a large portion of her financial responsibilities to Wiggins.

In May 2006, the San Francisco Public Guardian’s office initiated conservatorship to help the victim and in November of that year, the conservatorship became permanent. Wiggins then moved fast to secure the victim’s property in Hercules.

The District Attorney’s Office said it will be pursuing a significant state prison term for Wiggins, as well as restitution for the second victim.

Full Article and Source:
Man Found Guilty of Defrauding Elderly Victims in SF

Nursing Home Staff Member Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of Hitting Disabled Resident

A Quincy nursing home staff member facing charges after authorities say he hit a resident has now made a plea. 

Nicholas Orrill, 27, pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated battery to a disabled person in Adams County court Tuesday.

Quincy police responded to an undisclosed nursing home June 28 after receiving word that a staff member had possibly hurt a resident.

Officers say Orrill hit a disabled resident in the face causing injuries to his head.

The victim was treated and released from the hospital.

Officials say Orrill was terminated after the incident.

His trial is set for October 14.

Source:
Nursing Home Employee Accused of Hitting Resident Makes Plea

Tonight on T. S. Radio: Corruption in the Courts: New Cases Appearing Daily

Join us as we discuss emerging news about the ongoing corruption and abuse in the probate system.

Our elderly are more at risk than ever before as the systematic theft of estates and the abuse of the elderly kicks into high gear.

Please call in with your comments and questions.  917-388-4520.  This is an open mic broadcast.

LISTEN LIVE or listen to the archive later

Announcing the Release of Joe Roubicek's New Book: Guardian Angels inc. - The Vile Business of Corrupt Guardianship

A forty page expose' of present-day corruption within the guardianship industry, that focuses on isolation, medication and disposing of the elderly for their estates. This is a concise, thought-provoking piece authored by a seasoned investigator of financial exploitation of the elderly crimes.

Available at Amazon

MN Attorney, Linda Brost, Disbarred After Stealing $43,000 of Client Money and Stealing His Identity

A St. Paul attorney has been disbarred for stealing her client’s money and identity, the Minnesota Supreme Court said in an order Wednesday.

Linda Brost, 62, who now lives in Spooner, Wis., stole $43,000 and failed to cooperate in an investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, which filed a disciplinary petition against her in December 2013.
 

Brost’s troubles started in 2009, when she was suspended indefinitely for using the expired notary stamp of a dead person to fraudulently notarize her own signature on a trust certificate for a client. She later submitted the document to a bank, the petition alleged.
 

Brost’s theft started with a will she drafted for Arthur Fischbach, who died Sept. 11, 2005. Around the time Fischbach died, Brost altered the date on her dead husband’s expired notary stamp and forged his signature to notarize her own signature on a certificate of trust prepared for Fischbach.

After he died, she presented the fraudulently notarized document to BankCherokee in a failed effort to access Fischbach’s funds, which totaled about $140,000.
 

She also obtained $43,000 from Fischbach’s insurance company by making false statements and stealing his identity.
 

In March 2009, after learning of these events, the Minnesota Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Brost from practicing law. Brost then allegedly set up an e-mail account in Fischbach’s name and had his mail redirected to a house she owns in St. Paul. She also opened a checking account in his name in February 2011, six years after his death, and wrote letters purportedly from him as she tried to tap his money, authorities said.
 

Last year, criminal charges were filed against Brost for theft by swindle, identity theft, and aggravated forgery of a document and insurance fraud. She pleaded guilty.

Full Article and Source:
St. Paul Lawyer Disbarred for Theft, Fraud

Case Against Nevada Family Court Judge Steven Jones Cost Commission on Judicial Discipline Over $180k

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline spent at least $183,300 — more than three-fourths of its publicly funded fiscal budget in 2014 — pursuing a case against suspended Family Court Judge Steven Jones, according to its executive director.

“It’s outrageous,” Paul Deyhle said Tuesday. “It’s just one case, and it essentially wiped out our entire operating budget for the fiscal year.”

The commission’s budget for July 1, 2013, to June 30 was $240,269.

Deyhle said the Jones case has hindered the commission’s ability to investigate allegations of misconduct against other judges in the state.

“When you have a big case like this and have to take away resources for it, things get backed up,” he said. “There’s just so much we can do.”

The commission suspended Jones with pay Nov. 30, 2012, following his unrelated federal indictment in what federal prosecutors say was a $3 million investment scheme.

Since then, Jones has collected his $200,000 annual salary in all but three months. He has earned an estimated $266,000 and can look forward to receiving another $100,000 by the time his term on the bench is up at the end of the year.

The commission’s investigation of Jones became public in late December 2012, when it filed a formal statement of charges against the judge accusing him of mis­handling a romantic relationship with a prosecutor who appeared before him.

Deyhle said the panel has spent more than $183,300 investigating Jones over the past several years, but has only tracked its money in the case from the start of the 2014 fiscal year to April 15.

The money went to pay support staff, investigators and two special prosecutors to file and try the charges in front of the seven-member judicial commission, Deyhle said. Funds also were spent fighting legal efforts by Jones all the way to the Nevada Supreme Court to delay the disciplinary proceedings.

The commission also had to foot the bill for two public hearings — a week-long one in December to hear witnesses and evidence against Jones and a day-long proceeding in February to hand out punishment, Deyhle said.

At the February hearing the commission suspended Jones without pay for three months, finding that he had violated professional rules of conduct during his relationship with Lisa Willardson, the late former deputy district attorney.

Full Article and Source:
Case Cost Judicial Discipline Commission Over $180k

Editorial: Elder Abuse

Elder abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly is aggressively accelerating. The guardianship systems in our state courts and our protective agencies intended to safeguard the defenseless, all too often fail. More than two-thirds of the perpetrators of abuse against the elderly are family members as well as individuals in the care giving profession.

Please listen to this heart wrenching story and draw your own conclusions. Not one circumstance I depict in this story is concocted, there is evidence. Why would I squander my time to construct an article on false pretenses?

Nestled in a small town in Northern Michigan named Maple City, encompassing a population of three hundred, a 73 year old strong willed, loyal man exists; barely. Deprived of his earnings and simple lifestyle by his own family; he now depends on the community and friends.

Milton Sandula's, often referred to as "Midge", career started and ended working for General Motors, possessing numerous patents with the vehicle manufacture, all while being unable to read or write! Disadvantaged with never being taught to read or write, he conceded in his family to control his finances and they most certainly did! Orchestrating a conceptional volition of fraudulent thievery, blackmail and retaliation threats throughout the years, using his inability to read or write to their advantage, manipulating pension, social security and disability payments for their own egomaniacal benefit; living a luxurious lifestyle while leaving Midge famished, poverty-stricken and practically homeless if it were not for support of the community and friends.

Formerly a man with assets, not liabilities, is living out his golden years now empty-handed, harrowing for the essentials to exist. A lifetime of callous work now paints a bleak and gloomy depiction of his future. Meanwhile his daughter-in-law, a Women's Resource Center advocate in Traverse City, Michigan, and family reap his wealth.

Elder abuse and financial exploitation is a present reality. Protective agencies all too often fail to recognize internal breaches of policies. Communities and individuals alike need to be informed of these deceitful acts against the elderly and take a stand against elder abuse.

I am respectively requesting the board of directors for the Traverse City, Michigan Women's Resource Center to candidly inquire on their employee's actions and determine if the Women's Resource Center's vision in being advocated by its employee's.

*I am considering creating a petition to be circulated on Midge's behalf and presenting it to the Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen

Source:
Elder Abuse