Ex-Galveston Judge Posts Fake Escort Ads of Ex-Girlfriends

Former Galveston County Court-at-Law Judge Christopher Dupuy has gone from posting Joel Osteen aphorisms on his Facebook page to posting fake prostitution ads featuring two ex-girlfriends, authorities say.

Dupuy was arrested July 2 in Galveston and charged with online harassment. He remains in Galveston County Jail in lieu of $600,000 bond.

One of the women told a Harris County Sheriff's Deputy in December that she'd received calls and texts from people saying they saw her ad on backpage.com, according to investigator Scott Hardcastle's affidavit. She was able to find the ad, which claimed she charged $70 for 30 minutes.

The woman later told Hardcastle that she's known Dupuy for 20 years and that

they had dated approximately 6 years ago, before she married someone else. She recently employed Christopher Dupuy as her attorney in divorce proceedings which were finalized in November of 2014. During his representation of her, Christopher Dupuy stated to her that he wanted to be in a relationship with her. Complainant declined the Suspect. She stated that this angered Dupuy and that he began monitoring her personal Facebook page and making comments to her regarding other males that she communicated with on Facebook. He would also copy photos from her Facebook account and send them to her with derogatory remarks about the pictures.

Hardcastle found the fake ad, which alleged that the woman was "VERY FETISH FRIENDLY" and would "guarantee you full satisfaction." A caption for the ad read "Looking for a sexy nurse?"

After the Harris County District Attorney's Office subpoenaed backpage.com, Hardcastle was able to trace the ad to Dupuy, who created it under the name "Don Tequila," which is the Facebook persona of an outspoken Dupuy critic.

Another ad featured a woman who said she'd broken up with Dupuy around August 2014; the ad included photos of her breasts, which she had texted to Dupuy. The woman also told Hardcastle that Dupuy had been harassing her since the break-up.

Dupuy has been in trouble before. According to a Houston Chronicle story, "his arrest comes two years after Dupuy, then a sitting judge, was indicted on 11 criminal charges relating to his conduct in office, including making false statements. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended him soon after his indictment. He was arrested twice before Thursday, once after his indictment and again three months later for contempt of court."

And that's not all:  "Dupuy was elected in 2010 in a race against the judge handling his divorce case. Complaints about his judicial conduct soon began piling up, including telephone threats against an attorney and for refusing to recuse himself from a case in which he was linked socially to one of the female attorneys. Meanwhile, he was defending two malpractice lawsuits filed before he became a judge and was going through his second bankruptcy, which the State Commission on Judicial Conduct said was filed to delay the cases and get rid of the judgments against him."

The story states that Dupuy pleaded guilty in September 2013 to two misdemeanor charges of abuse of office and perjury. He received two years' deferred adjudication.

Boy, it's stuff like this that can really keep a guy off those "Top Texas Lawyers" lists. We're curious to see where this one goes, and we'll keep you posted.

Update: We just heard back from the "real" Don Tequila, who tells us via Facebook

I am flattered - and honored - to have played at least a small role in the former judge's current felony charges. Given the great lengths he appears to have gone to cover his tracks (using a VPN with international IP addresses), I am perplexed that he chose the name of a frequent online critic as his alias for the fraudulent backpage account. Of all the names in the world, I am not sure he could have picked a worse name, other than his own perhaps, to signal to authorities that he actually posted the revenge porn escort ads. Maybe it was an inept attempt to frame a vocal critic? Or maybe deep down he wanted to get caught

Full Article & Source:
Ex-Galveston Judge Posts Fake Escort Ads of Ex-Girlfriends

See Also:
Texas Judge Christopher Dupuy Indicted on 8 Criminal Charges

20 Facts About Senior Isolation That Will Stun You

Feelings of loneliness and isolation can lead to serious consequences for senior health. Understanding the causes and risk factors for senior isolation can help us prevent it.

Nobody relishes the prospect of aging without a spouse or family member at their side, without friends to help them laugh at the ridiculous parts and support them through the difficult times. Yet that is just what many North American seniors face. As the baby boomer generation crosses the over-65 threshold, it grows; but many of our aging loved ones are still feeling alone in the crowd.

Statistics on Senior Isolation

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 11 million, or 28% of people aged 65 and older, lived alone in 2010. As people get older, their likelihood of living alone only increases. Additionally, more and more older adults do not have children, reports the AARP, and that means fewer family members to provide company and care as those adults become seniors.

While living alone does not inevitably lead to social isolation, it is certainly a predisposing factor. Yet another important consideration is how often seniors engage in social activities.

Statistics Canada reports that 80% of Canadian seniors participate in one or more social activities on a frequent basis (at least monthly) – but that leaves fully one-fifth of seniors not participating in weekly or even monthly activities.

Social contacts tend to decrease as we age for a variety of reasons, including retirement, the death of friends and family, or lack of mobility. Regardless of the causes of senior isolation, the consequences can be alarming and even harmful. Even perceived social isolation – the feeling that you are lonely – is a struggle for many older people. Fortunately, the past couple of decades have seen increasing research into the risks, causes, and prevention of loneliness in seniors.

Here are 20 facts about senior isolation to help you stay informed:

1. Senior isolation increases the risk of mortality.

According to a 2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, both social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of mortality in adults aged 52 and older.

One possible explanation: “People who live alone or lack social contacts may be at increased risk of death if acute symptoms develop, because there is less of a network of confidantes to prompt medical attention.” Efforts to reduce isolation are the key to addressing the issue of mortality, said the study’s authors.

2. Feelings of loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health.

Regardless of the facts of a person’s isolation, seniors who feel lonely and isolated are more likely to report also having poor physical and/or mental health, as reported in a 2009 study using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

Connecting seniors with social resources, such as senior centers and meal delivery programs, is one way to combat subjective feelings of isolation.

3. Perceived loneliness contributes to cognitive decline and risk of dementia.

Dr. John Cacioppo, a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Chicago, has been studying social isolation for 30 years. One frightening finding is that feelings of loneliness are linked to poor cognitive performance and quicker cognitive decline.

We evolved to be a social species, says Dr. Cacioppo – it’s hard-wired into our brains, and when we don’t meet that need, it can have physical and neurological effects.

4. Social isolation makes seniors more vulnerable to elder abuse.

Many studies show a connection between social isolation and higher rates of elder abuse, reports the National Center on Elder Abuse. Whether this is because isolated adults are more likely to fall victim to abuse, or a result of abusers attempting to isolate the elders from others to minimize risk of discovery, researchers aren’t certain.

A critical strategy for reducing elder abuse is speaking up: abuse, neglect and exploitation often go unreported. As for prevention, maintaining connections with senior loved ones helps us ensure their safety.

5. LGBT seniors are much more likely to be socially isolated.

LGBT seniors are twice as likely to live alone, according to SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders); they are more likely to be single and they are less likely to have children – and they are more likely to be estranged from their biological families.

Stigma and discrimination are major roadblocks to support for LGBT seniors, but there are more and more community groups and online resources devoted to helping these elders avoid isolation.

6. Social isolation in seniors is linked to long-term illness.

In the PNAS study mentioned above, illnesses and conditions such as chronic lung disease, arthritis, impaired mobility, and depression were associated with social isolation. Ensuring appropriate care for our loved ones’ illnesses can help prevent this isolation.

For homebound seniors, phone calls and visits can be a critical part of connecting with loved ones. Others may find that moving to an assisted living community addresses both issues – the need for ongoing care and the desire for companionship.

7. Loneliness in seniors is a major risk factor for depression.

Numerous studies over the past decade have shown that feeling loneliness is associated with more depressive symptoms in both middle-aged and older adults.

One important first step is recognizing those feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression and seeking treatment – whether it’s on your own behalf or for the sake of a loved one.

8. Loneliness causes high blood pressure.

A 2010 study in Psychology and Aging indicated a direct relationship between loneliness in older adults and increases in systolic blood pressure over a 4-year period. These increases were independent of race, ethnicity, gender, and other possible contributing factors.

Early interventions for loneliness, say the study’s authors, may be key to preventing both the isolation and associated health risks.

9. Socially isolated seniors are more pessimistic about the future.

According to the National Council on Aging, socially isolated seniors are more likely to predict their quality of life will get worse over the next 5-10 years, are more concerned about needing help from community programs as they get older, and are more likely to express concerns about aging in place.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) says community-based programs and services are critical in helping ward off potential problems and improving quality of life for older people.

10. Physical and geographic isolation often leads to social isolation.

“One in six seniors living alone in the United States faces physical, cultural, and/or geographical barriers that isolate them from their peers and communities,” reports the National Council on Aging. “This isolation can prevent them from receiving benefits and services that can improve their economic security and their ability to live healthy, independent lives.”

Referring isolated older adults to senior centers, activity programs, and transportation services can go a long way toward creating valuable connections and reducing isolation.  (Continue Reading)

Full Article & Source:
20 Facts About Senior Isolation That Will Stun You

Let the Death Panels Begin

This is the death watch for Suzanne Ohrling, 83, incarcerated against her will in an Oregon nursing home, "for the crime of old age", as she said to me last September. Within the next 24 hours she is expected to depart this life, after having been mostly unconscious due to aspiration pneumonia for most of the past week, according to her son Randy Lytle of Las Vegas, NV. They gave her antibiotics earlier in the week but she did not improve and then she was unconscious, said Lytle who is unable to get to Oregon to see his mom one last time.

Not that it would necessarily do much good for Randy to make the trip. His brother Brett Lytle of Milwaukie, Oregon was with their mother, Randy said, emphasis on was. Distraught because the nursing home insists his mother must die, Brett called 911 that his mom could go to a hospital for acute skilled care and IVs since she can take nothing by mouth, Randy told me in a recent call. He said, "911 came but left because Mom had signed an end of life agreement," and continued, "then the nursing home called the police and they escorted Brett from the premises."

"Will your mother die alone?" I asked gently.

"I suppose," Randy said in an exhausted, fatalistic voice. "They are treating it like hospice', he explained, "her house is on the market or sold for $150,000, the money has run out and they want to get rid of her because she costs too much". "She has to die and we don't have anything to say about it", was his opinion.

Unaware that his mom had ever signed an advanced directive to end her life, Lytle said he believes the state appointed guardians coerced her into signing sign one after they had declared her "demented". "What good is that?" he demanded.

Senior Citizens Council of Clackamas County, Inc., the entity that eventually succeeded in taking Suzanne Ohrling's freedom, filed court papers November 26, 2014 which detail the plan. In the copy I have before me, Mrs. Ohrling is primarily referred to by the dehumanizing term respondent. "Respondent needs a guardian appointed for an indefinite period of time to ensure her physical safety and continued placement in a secure facility," Section 6., page 09. [1] (emphasis mine)

It now appears this indefinite period of time will end in matter of hours. Humanizing her once again, Suzanne Ohrling, mother and grandmother, it seems, is kept in a facility so secure that a 911 ambulance called by her son must be turned away. In addressing physical safety, as her son Randy says, "they will make sure she is dead, but we can have the body."

Full Article and Source:
Let the Death Panels Begin

See Also:
FFOA Exclusive:  Safety or State Sanctioned Land Grab?

Bobbi Kristina Brown update: Conservator files suit against Nick Gordon, claims abuse

A conservator for Bobbi Kristina Brown has filed suit against Nick Gordon claiming the man who has been described as both Brown's husband and boyfriend abused her and stole thousands from her while she was in a coma.

According to a story from The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the suit seeks $10 million from Gordon, and was filed by Brown's conservator Bedelia C. Hargrove  in Superior Court of Fulton County in Georgia.

According to the lawsuit, there was a loud argument between Gordon and Brown on the morning of Jan. 31 — the day she was found unconscious in the bathtub in her Roswell, Ga., home.

The suit claims that "by direct and proximate result" of (Gordon's) conduct, Brown has suffered life threatening bodily harm and damages."

The suit went on to clarify Gordon's relationship with Brown:

"Defendant has held himself out as having several different relationships with Brown at various times. Prior to 2012, Defendant held himself out to be Brown's surrogate 'brother.' Then, after 2012, when Brown inherited a substantial sum, Defendant assumed the position of Brown's boyfriend. On or around Jan. 9, 2014 Defendant perpetuated the fraud that he had married Brown, though in fact he never did so."

No criminal charges have ever been brought in the case, according to a story from NBC News.

On Wednesday, Brown's aunt and co-guardian Pat Houston announced that the only daughter of the late singer Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown was being moved into hospice care.

"Despite the great medical care at numerous facilities, Bobbi Kristina Brown's condition has continued to deteriorate," Houston, said. "As of today, she has been moved into hospice care. We thank everyone for their support and prayers. She is in God's hands now."

Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in the bathtub of her Roswell home on Jan. 31. She was kept in a medically-induced coma at Emory University Hospital for weeks before being moved to DeKalb Medical Center.

In April, Bobby Brown told concert goers that his daughter is awake, and "watching" him. Bobbi Kristina's grandmother, Cissy Houston denied the report, saying her granddaughter had irreversible brain damage.

Full Article & Source:
Bobbi Kristina Brown update: Conservator files suit against Nick Gordon, claims abuse

Court-appointed attorneys violated Disabilities Act, federal complaint says

A disability-rights group has filed a federal complaint alleging that the Los Angeles County Superior Court has systemically violated the civil rights of intellectually disabled residents who are under limited conservatorships by failing to provide effective legal assistance through its court-appointed attorneys.

The class-action complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles on Friday, claims that court-appointed attorneys routinely violate the Americans with Disabilities Act during limited-conservatorship proceedings.

Parents and other guardians can seek the power to make decisions related to their disabled child’s residence, education, contracts, medical and other legal matters after they turn 18. The court-appointed attorneys represent the conservatees during the process. The court determines who controls certain legal affairs of adults if they are deemed in court to be at least partially incapable of looking after themselves.

About 12,000 people have open limited-conservatorship cases in L.A. County, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that the court system has failed to provide adequate training to attorneys in how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, has failed to train the attorneys on how to effectively work with a client who has developmental disabilities, and lacks qualification and performance standards.

The court also places a conflict of interest on these attorneys, the complaint says. The court requires attorneys to advocate for the client while also assisting the court in resolving the matter, violating the client’s right to due process, the complaint says.

In a statement, the court said that it had not been served with the complaint and that it had not been notified by the Department of Justice of an investigation.

“In litigation, potential conservatees are represented by counsel chosen from a panel selected and trained by a Bar Association. The determination of appropriate restrictions on conservatees is made in individual proceedings before a bench officer applying the applicable law,” the statement said.

Thomas F. Coleman, an attorney and executive director of the Disability and Guardianship Project, which filed the complaint, called on federal authorities to investigate and force court officials to “clean up their act.” The lack of effective representation leads to people with disabilities inappropriately losing their rights, Coleman said at a news conference.

“We’re not interested in making people look bad — we’re interested in solutions,” he said. “But to get solutions, we need to tell the truth.”

The group filed a complaint last year with the U.S. Department of Justice contending that the court has wrongly stripped people under limited conservatorships of the right to vote if they could not fill out a voter registration affidavit. Last month, federal authorities announced that they were investigating the allegations.

Nora J. Baladerian, director of the Disability and Abuse Project, said the court system for decades has mistreated and failed some of society’s most vulnerable citizens.

“The court routinely treats individuals with disabilities who come before them as ‘less than.’ Less than human, I’m sorry to say,” she said.

Yolande Pam Erickson, the conservatorship attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, defended the court and its attorneys, saying they take on a tremendously difficult job with care and compassion for the families they serve.

“The court almost bends over backward to do the right thing,” she said. “Are there some problems? Sure. But the attorneys, I believe, are advocating for the best interests of their clients.”

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, said officials will look into the allegations.

“The complaints will be reviewed to determine what, if any, action should follow,” he said.

stephen.ceasar@latimes.com

Full Article & Source:
Court-appointed attorneys violated Disabilities Act, federal complaint says

Tonight on T.S. Radio: Deirdre Gilbert: Medical Malpractice & The Price We Pay for It

Hosted by Marti Oakley & Debbie Dahmer

Our guest will be Deidre Gilbert of the National Medical Malpractice Advocacy Association (NMMAA) who will talk about how she became involved in advocating for people who were harmed by medical negligence. This issue is particularly important to those of us fighting the abuse and neglect of our elderly whose doctors seem unaware or unaffected by the deteriorating state of their patients, often times resulting in death.

Topics this evening include:

What is National Medical Malpractice Advocacy?

What is Medical Malpractice Month? What is the organization trying to accomplish?

Why are doctors able to still practice with criminal history and multiple medical malpractice suits?

(We'd like to know that too, Deidre!)

Website is www.nmmaa.org

4:00 pm PST … 5:00 pm MST … 6:00 pm CST … 7:00 pm EST

LISTEN to the show live or listen to the archive later

Attorney general accuses Golden Living homes of failing to provide basic services to elderly

Attorney General Kathleen Kane filed an injunction against a chain of 36 nursing homes Wednesday, accusing it of misleading consumers by failing to provide basic services to elderly and vulnerable residents.

The Attorney General's Office claims Golden Gate Senior Care Center LLC, which manages and operates 36 Golden Living facilities throughout Pennsylvania — including ones in Monroeville and Mt. Lebanon — has engaged in deceptive and unlawful business practices while making a substantial profit. 

“These facilities promised to provide the care needed by residents and then failed to meet residents' most basic human needs. That is simply unacceptable,” Kane said in a news release. 

No one from Golden Living could be reached. 

Golden Living facilities made about $54 million in profit off $563 million in net revenue between 2008-2013, according to the 95-page complaint filed in Commonwealth Court. The majority of its income came from residents and the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Program, the complaint said. 

Referencing more than a dozen confidential witnesses, the Attorney General's Office said the facilities misled consumers into believing their loved ones were receiving excellent care when in reality the homes were understaffed and put patients at risk. 

The injunction seeks $1,000 per violation of the law, or up to $3,000 for every violation involving a person 60 or older, and restitution for consumers, injunctive relief and costs of litigation. 

The Attorney General's Office asks that anyone with complaints concerning Golden Living facilities or other health care facilities contact its Health Care Section by calling 877-888-4877 or visiting www.attorneygeneral.gov.

Full Article & Source:
Attorney general accuses Golden Living homes of failing to provide basic services to elderly

How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents

For eleven years I pleaded with my ‘challenging’ elderly father to allow a caregiver to help him with my ailing mother, but he always insisted on taking care of her himself. Every caregiver I hired soon sighed in exasperation, ‘Jacqueline, I just can’t work with your father. His temper is impossible to handle and he’s not going to accept help until he’s on his knees himself.’

When my father’s inability to continue to care for my mother nearly resulted in her death, I stepped in despite his loud protests. It was so heart-breaking as one minute he’d be my loving father and then some trivial little thing would set him off and he’d call me horrible names and throw me out of the house. I took him to several doctors and even a psychiatrist, only to be flabbergasted that he could act completely normal when he needed to.

Finally I stumbled upon a thorough neurologist, specialized in dementia, who put my parents through a battery of blood, neurological, memory tests and P.E.T. scans. After ruling out numerous reversible forms of dementia, such as a B-12 and thyroid deficiency, and evaluating their medications, he shocked me with the diagnosis of Stage One Alzheimer’s in both of my parents – something all their other doctors missed entirely.

What I’d been coping with was the beginning of Alzheimer’s, which starts very intermittently and appears to come and go. I didn’t understand that my father was addicted and trapped in his own deeply engrained bad behavior of a lifetime of screaming and yelling to get his way, which was coming out intermittently in inconsistent spurts of over-the-top irrationality. I also didn’t understand that ‘demented’ does not mean ‘dumb’ (a concept not widely appreciated), and that he was still socially adjusted never to show his ‘Mr. Hyde’ side to anyone outside the family. Conversely, my mother was as sweet and lovely as she’d always been.

Alzheimer’s makes up 60-80% of all dementias and there’s no stopping the progression nor is there yet a cure. However, if identified early there are four FDA approved medications (many more in clinical trials) that in most patients can mask dementia symptoms and keep them in the early independent stage longer.

Full Article and Source:
How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents

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Woman arrested for forging new will after someone died

KAIT Jonesboro, AR - Region 8 News, weather, sports
WALNUT RIDGE, AR (KAIT) -A Walnut Ridge woman was arrested Thursday for forging a will after someone else had died.

On April 28, a victim told police that one of their relatives had died and she had found out that a new will had been entered into court two days after the death.

The information in the new will differed greatly to the known will.

Once the victim got a copy of the will, she said it was obvious that it was forged by Kimberly Dement Dotson.

In the new will, it stated that all of the decedent's property was left to Dotson and also said there were “no living relatives.”

The victim also had a certified forensic document examiner look at the will. That examiner swore on an affidavit that the decedent “did not write or sign” the new will.

According to the affidavit from the Craighead County District Court, Dotson made several purchases using the decedent's debit card and withdrew money from his bank account, totaling $3,512.73 for personal use.

This was while he was bed-ridden, in the hospital and after his death.

Dotson was arrested and charged with forgery.

According to the Craighead County Sheriff's Department website, she was released from custody Friday.
 
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Woman arrested for forging new will after someone died