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5 Facts and Symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm

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Would you realize if you, or someone you loved, was suffering a brain aneurysm? According to data surveyed by the The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation (TLCF), likely not, after the survey results revealed that 93-percent of Americans admitted their knowledge about brain aneurysms ranged from limited to non-existent.

Scary stuff, however, here’s how you can identify all the signs and symptoms of an aneurysm…

1. What’s a Brain Aneurysm?
The Langone Medical Center at New York University explains that a brain aneurysm results due to weakness in the wall of a blood vessel within the brain.

As the strength in the vessel’s wall deteriorates, blood flow pressure can cause a bulge and rupture that causes blood to flow out (or bleed) into the space and tissue around the brain.

2. Un-Ruptured Aneurysms
Research from the Lisa Colagrossi Foundation (TLCF) indicates that up to 9-percent of the U.S. population are currently living with un-ruptured aneurysms. In fact, if the aneurysm never ruptures, many folks will never realize it’s existence.

The TLCF data notes that an MRI or image scan can identify an aneurysm, but your doctor may not suggest treatment if it’s small or if it doesn’t pose a risk for leakage or rupture.

Full Article and Source:
5 Facts and Symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm

How Do Cook County Judges Stack Up?

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Two high-profile stories recently caught the eye of many Cook County residents. In one case, a judge was accused by federal prosecutors of mortgage fraud. The other involved a judge resigning after refusing his assignment to traffic court.

Even for those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the court system, both stories raise questions about a judge's ethical responsibilities and about the quality of the county judiciary.

“Judges have a code of professional conduct they are obligated to uphold, and one essential tenet of the code is do not engage in any conduct that compromises the prestige and integrity of the judicial office,” said Samuel Jones, professor at John Marshall Law School. “They cannot engage in conduct to compromise impartiality or gives the public the appearance they are biased. They also have an obligation to maintain certain competencies. One thing about Judge Cooke is that traffic court is often used as a training ground for new judges, where the chief judge and presiding judges are able to gauge their temperament to handle more intricate cases.”

So how do Cook County judges stack up?

“As a presiding judge, the majority I saw were good judges,” said retired Cook County Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon. “But there are some that feel a sense of entitlement – I don’t want to do that, I don’t want to leave this assignment, because I’m entitled to it. … And that’s a problem, because you’re serving the public.”

“You can imagine, it’s sometimes difficult to supervise judges – there can be an ‘I was elected, there’s nothing you can do to me’ type of attitude,” said Ponce de Leon.

These two cases also raise the long-running question of whether the system for electing and retaining judges should be in the hands of voters at all. Since 1990, no Cook County judge has lost a retention election.

“It’s up to the public to take judicial elections as seriously as any other election,” said Marc Karlinsky, editor of the Chicago Law Bulletin. “Even though judges you don’t see every day, they don’t do constituent outreach like a senator, but in a time of need if you’re being accused of something, if you’re being sued, having a good judge can mean a lot of time and a lot of money. The whole system works when judges are good.”

And it’s not just important to have a quality judiciary says Jones, but one that reflects the people whose cases come before the court. “If you look at the [federal] judges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District, you don’t find a judiciary that reflects the social, economic, racial, ethnic, religious diversity of the community,” Jones said. “In Cook County, we have that. We have a judiciary that reflects the diversity of the community.”

“I firmly believe that the vast majority of our judges do good work in and out of the courtroom,” Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans said in a statement. “They are public servants who are committed to the principles of fair and impartial justice. They also care about the communities where they live, work and raise families.

“Whenever allegations arise about improper conduct by a judge, I meet with the court’s Executive Committee to decide what action is appropriate. While we have no authority to discipline a judge or remove a judge from office, we can assign a judge to administrative duties while the legal or ethical matter is pending. We can also refer matters to the Judicial Inquiry Board, the state agency that prosecutes judicial misconduct. We have done that in the past and will do that in the future as necessary to maintain public confidence in the judiciary,” Evans said.

Full Article & Source:
How Do Cook County Judges Stack Up?

Lawyer Who Looted Slave Theater Owner's Estate Gets Prison Time: DA

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BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A disgraced Queens lawyer will spend at least a year in state prison for looting the estate of the late Judge John Phillips, a former civil judge and owner of the famed Slave Theater, according to prosecutors.

Frank Racano, of Howard Beach, was sentenced to between one and three years in state prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to siphoning more than half a million dollars from the sale of Phillips’ now-shuttered historic theater at 1215 Fulton St., which hosted civil rights leaders including Al Sharpton as well as performances in the 1980s and 1990s., according to acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

Racano, 54, who was hired in 2010 to assist in the sale of Phillips’ properties, wrote and cashed more than 300 checks totaling $587,160.56, utterly depleting the account into which the proceeds were deposited, Gonzalez said. The theater had been locked in a legal battle between Phillips' former partner, Clarence Hardy Jr. and his nephew by marriage, Samuel Boykin, who successfully petitioned for control of his assets after his death.

The theater was sold for $18.5 million in 2015 and was demolished last month, reportedly to make way for apartments.

“This defendant disregarded his duty to his client, stealing nearly all of the proceeds due to the estate of the beloved Hon. Judge Phillips, including from the sale of the historic Slave Theater. He’s now been held accountable for his brazen theft and shameful conduct.”

In 2012, a buyer contracted to buy the theater and an adjacent lot for a total of $2.2 million, and paid the late judge’s estate a down payment of $220,000, payable to “Frank Racano, as attorney,” according to prosecutors. After a judge OK'd the sale, the buyer paid the net proceeds of the sale, $517,339.65, to Racano in two checks, Gonzalez said.

Between February 2013 and May 2015, Racano proceeded to pay himself the remainder of the cash in amounts ranging from $45 to $7,500 without authorization, prosecutors said. He was indicted in May, 2016 for grand larceny and pleaded guilty in January.

Phillips, who was known as the “Kung-Fu Judge,” was elected as a civil judge without the support of the Brooklyn political machine, and eventually found himself in the crosshairs of longtime District Attorney Charles Hynes, who had Phillips declared mentally incompetent and his assets placed in state receivership after Phillips announced a bid to unseat Hynes in 2001, friends and family said.

He died childless, unmarried, and without a will in 2008 at the troubled Prospect Park Residence, an assisted-living facility in Park Slope that has been the subject of extensive litigation and that a lawsuit brought by Phillips’ cousin blamed for the judge’s death.

John O’Hara, a close friend and fellow political outsider in Brooklyn, described the facility as a “Confederate prison.”

Boykin was not immediately available for comment.

Full Article & Source:
Lawyer Who Looted Slave Theater Owner's Estate Gets Prison Time: DA

AG suspends Macomb probate public administrator, leaders want law changed

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(WXYZ) - 7 Investigator Heather Catallo first exposed a troubling pattern of certain public officials and real estate brokers taking over estates, often leaving rightful heirs with very little. Now, some top Oakland County leaders are taking bold steps to stop this practice.

The 7 Investigators also have a major update to our first probate court investigation that focused on Macomb County Public Administrator Cecil St Pierre.

After Catallo’s first story aired, the Michigan Attorney General’s office started their own investigation into St. Pierre, and confirm that several people filed complaints against the lawyer.

Now the Attorney General has suspended Cecil St. Pierre indefinitely from his Public Administrator duties.

St. Pierre says he “made a business decision not to do Probate Asset Recovery files prior to the suspension.  I have followed Best Practices and everything I have done has been approved by the Probate Judge and court.  I have been informed about the suspension.”

St. Pierre also told us in an e-mail that he “will investigate the issue with the Attorney General’s office and hopefully resolve any issue or complaints.”

“How can they lay their head down on their pillow at night, hurting people like that,” said Joanne Zaremba.

She’s one of several rightful heirs who say they were blindsided when someone else opened a probate estate in a deceased relatives name.  That meant Joanne could have lost her late mother’s home to a stranger. And she’s not alone.

“We were summoned to court – someone opened a probate estate in his name,” Kristin Rekowski told Catallo in November 2016.

Here’s what’s going on: Real Estate Broker Ralph Roberts has teamed up with some Attorney General-appointed lawyers called Public Administrators.  In Oakland County, court records show he regularly works with Kemp Klein attorney Barbara Andruccioli to open probate estates.  (Click to Continue)

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AG suspends Macomb probate public administrator, leaders want law changed

ISOLATE, MEDICATE, LIQUIDATE: How to Fleece a Senior PART 2 – UPDATE NOTES

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Warning to Seniors: Rich or Poor, You’re Worth a LOT to Lawyers, Courts, and Service Agencies!

by Lonnie Brennan

In our prior edition, we briefly outlined how retired Boxford attorney Marvin Siegel had established a plethora of detailed estate planning documentation with the intention of protecting his approximately $9 million estate from predators, interlopers and other nasties.

Mr. Siegel failed.

He specifically failed to consider one important fact: At any time, a gaggle of lawyers, with the aid of friendly Massachusetts judges, can almost seamlessly have an elderly gentleman declared a ward of the state, and swoop in and begin to draw off his assets.

We’ve collected quite a lot of documents since last month, with details on just some of the billings of Attorneys Brian Cuffe, Marsha Kazarosian, James Feld, and others. Billings of sometimes in excess of $200,000 per year, and collectively resulting in the draining of millions from the estate.

The beef: two of Mr. Siegel’s daughters – one a lawyer – were named by Mr. Siegel to take over the custody of his estate in the event of illness, but instead, were cast aside by the courts, and others were given full control.

To the right, a few of the photographs printed here show the drilling of Mr. Siegel’s safety deposit box, Attorney Feld counting the content’s money, Feld and Kazarosian taking a break at approximately one-third of the way going through the cash and contents, then the pair packing things up after more than 4 hours and 30 minutes of documenting the valuables.

But this opening of the box and cataloguing of the contents was just one of many measures allowed by the courts to place the assets of Mr. Siegel in the control of court-appointed guardians for Mr. Siegel.

At press time, a further appeal by Mr. Siegel’s daughters on the draining of their father’s accounts by court-appointed lawyers and others, was denied.

Most interesting, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly announced an award for Kazarosian, complete with a video of her, alongside an article terming the daughter’s appeals too confusing and wordy to comprehend.

The despicable actions inflicted on Mr. Siegel were not just directed to draining his lifetime of accumulated wealth. In an upcoming issue we’ll provide extensive details of how the state-appointees even terminated Mr. Siegel’s regular doctors and caregivers … stay tuned.  ¨

Full Article & Source:
ISOLATE, MEDICATE, LIQUIDATE: How to Fleece a Senior PART 2 – UPDATE NOTES

See Also:
ISOLATE, MEDICATE, LIQUIDATE: How to Fleece a Senior

He Just Wants to Go Home

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Roy Kotval just wants to go home.

But the 87-year-old Beloit man is a resident at Sanford Sheldon Senior Care, kept in a locked ward and, he said, being held against his will.

His friends, Jay Driesen of In­­wood and Ray Ehrman of Freeman, SD, agree and are willing to take care of him on a limited basis. They think Kotval is able to take care of himself with supervision at a duplex owned by Ehrman in Freeman.

“If I can’t go home, then I could go there,” Kotval said. “There is no valid reason for me to go there, but it is better than here.”

Still, there are questions. Kotval’s home is packed high with debris and residue, and there are concerns about his health if he returns there.

Kotval also said he relies on the as­­sistance of an extraterrestrial named Commander Ashtar who cured him of an injury following a vehicular crash. He was hospitalized earlier for an injury to a heel that was infected.

Is he capable of making valid choices for himself?

District Judge Carl Petersen is one of two judges who presided over the legal proceedings — three have been held — and ruled that while Driesen and Ehrman should be commended for wanting to help Kotval, he is in need of round-the-clock care and is determined

to be a flight risk from the nursing home. On April 12, the judge appointed Tyler Eason, director of the Office of Substitute Decision-Making, as the guardian of Kotval.

Kotval is not happy with the ruling, writing on a copy of the court document that many of the statements about him were falsehoods and lies.

“I was supposed to go home,” he said. “They put me in this place without my permission. They trumped up a pack of lies and put me in here. It is unorthodox and unauthorized.”

Kotval said he spends much of his time stewing over the fact that he cannot leave. He said he is “locked up like a criminal. This ain’t a normal life, being locked up like in a jail cell.”

Driesen is preparing another court document because he said Judge Petersen wrote a narrative rather than use the law to back his ruling and claims Petersen did not address many of the issues he and Ehrman brought up in court — mainly the issue as to whether or not Kotval was denied due process in the beginning.

If he was, Driesen said that means Kotval’s constitutional rights were violated and he should be free to go.

Full Article and Source:

Elder Law Expo answers common seniors-related questions

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Will we have to sell the house to qualify for Medicaid? Can she get her late husband's Veterans Affairs benefits? How can we financially prepare for the inevitable future?

These are just some of many questions attorneys at Heritage Law Group answer regularly.

"I want to help elderly citizens who need assistance, and their families and caregivers don't know all the resources available," said attorney Jake Mason.

The confusion is one reason the office is inviting the community — from senior citizens to caregivers, adults with older parents, even healthcare students — to its Elder Law Expo and Workshop.

REGISTER HERE

A free event, the community can hear workshops on legal and health issues seniors often face, plus get information from area vendors serving senior citizens, and even grab a free boxed lunch.

It will be especially beneficial for the "sandwich generation," or adults caring for both their parents and their children.

"They can see there's other people going through the exact same thing," Mason said.

Mason said the biggest legal hurdles regarding senior citizens are: 
  • navigating Medicaid
  • knowing about and receiving VA benefits
  • adult children obtaining power of attorney or a conservatorship to manage funds of the elderly parents suffering from severe dementia and Alzheimer's
Jake Mason, an attorney
at Heritage Law Group,
will speak
"The problem is it might be too late to get power of attorney when they're not on their bank accounts," he said.

Often, it means the adult children must get a conservatorship, a costly and lengthy process.
"You're basically taking away a U.S. citizen's rights."

Seniors are also more vulnerable to elder abuse, primarily fraud. In 2016, 1,178 persons 65 and older were victims of fraud under false pretenses in Sumner County. Another 465 were victims of fraud via impersonation.

Related: Tennessee lawmakers announce legislation to combat elderly abuse

Elder;law has some overlap with elderly abuse, although often those cases are handled by criminal defense attorneys.

Anyone who suspects abuse or neglect is legally obligated to report it to Adult Protective Services at 1-888-277-8366.

The expo coincides withNational Elder Law Month and Older Americans Month. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 15 percent of Sumner County's population was 65 or older.

Mason often speaks at senior citizen centers in Sumner County about Medicaid and VA benefits. The office saw a huge need for the expo after the influx of referrals from assisted living and other senior-related facilities.

He and Jenna Hunter, director of business development at Heritage Law Group, saw the variety of resources available for seniors, yet citizens were still unaware of where to turn.

"They can relate to vendors (at the expo) and learn what's in their community and all over Middle Tennessee," she said. "It's not big corporations; it's local companies for the most part."

Workshop presentations include:

If you go

What:Heritage Law Group presents a free Elder Law Expo & Workshopat Volunteer State Community College. Family caregivers, healthcare professional, seniors and students of law and healthcare can attend a variety of workshops on health and law targeting seniors, health screenings, prizes, senior-related vendors and complimentary lunch.

When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 11

Where: Volunteer State Community College, 1480 Nashville Pike

Register: www.HeritageLawTN.com

Full Article & Source:
Elder Law Expo answers common seniors-related questions

Flemington women indicted for forgery, impersonating a lawyer

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Jessica L. Andrews, 29, of Flemington, was indicted on Thursday, April 20, by a Hunterdon County grand jury on charges of forgery, uttering a forged document and unauthorized practice of law, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III.

Andrews signed and sent correspondence to a Flemington resident on Jan. 25, posing as an attorney and demanding a monetary payment from the victim, Kearns said. The Flemington Borough Police Department and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Investigation led to the identification and arrest of Andrews.

Full Article & Source:
Flemington women indicted for forgery, impersonating a lawyer

Guardian Corruption Finances Voter Fraud in the United States

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This article exposes using embezzled funds from senior guardianship accounts as a primary financial tool to commit voter fraud. This is a national problem having several players including the American Bar Association, social workers, cooperative physicians, court systems, and attorneys who make a nice living by financing voter fraud.

The example I’ll use for this article, is based upon numerous documents of obtained evidence from Clark County, Nevada. I will expose how the money flows from law firms, trust accounts and unaccounted for property sales is used to force undocumented citizens to commit voter fraud. I will reveal the story of one undocumented citizen who uses the name Hector, who was recruited by a Clark County official to commit voter fraud. I will explain why Nevada is hiding this corruption.

Nevada makes money by protecting private guardians who have bragged about stealing hundreds of millions from unsuspecting families. Unfortunately, Clark County, along with the state of Nevada, is convicting citizens who never registered as professional guardians. These citizens are being convicted of elder exploitation to hide this corruption. The beneficiaries of this corrupt system are politically connected individuals. The facts will shock you.

I’m a retired Clark County, Nevada clerk who witnessed guardian abuse on a major scale. I observed how stolen funds were used to commit voter fraud in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have personally witnessed the establishment of fraudulent guardianships. Fraudulent guardianships are encouraged by the Clark County court system because the money from guardian confiscated accounts finances voter fraud.

Paying people to commit the crime of voter fraud requires large amounts of underground funding. My observations will expose the truth behind private guardian corruption and how the state Attorney General and Las Vegas District Attorney are protecting the true embezzlers.

Due to a serious illness, I’ve decided to share what I know about the private guardian for hire system, which has never been discussed in the news media.

Guardian Fraud Begins With a System That Tolerates Lack of Accounting.

In order to finance an off the books operation, a source of undocumented money is needed. Missing funds in estate accounts controlled by private for hire guardians is the perfect source of capital for a voter fraud campaign. The missing money is either ignored by the court system or passed over as normal procedure by commissioners and judges charged with overseeing these accounts. A former Clark County hearing master said senior citizens losing money was simply a process of growing old.

 Hearing Master, Jon Norheim, was the Guardianship Commissioner who made this statement. I was in Jon Norheim’s court when this statement was made on November 3, 2006 to a shocked audience of attorneys and families. In countless guardianship cases, embezzled funds were never found. Jon Norheim and his boss, Judge Charles Hoskin, have been banned from hearing adult guardianship cases. Sadly, Commissioner Norheim is being allowed to oversee juvenile guardianship cases. The banning’s occurred because Commissioner Norheim and Judge Hoskin became quite controversial and over exposed as a result of victim family complaints. Please review the links in this article to substantiate this statement. The cause for the system’s tolerance for missing money results because these funds are needed to operate a powerful organization which commits voter fraud. I witnessed undocumented individuals being recruited for this practice.

How the Voter Fraud Organization Operates

Votes can be purchased by local politicians who need to win a close election. One private Nevada guardian actually owns the largest election billboard sign company in Las Vegas. His name will be mentioned later along with substantiating links to back up my statements. The organization will force undocumented citizens to vote for a particular candidate or ballot proposition. If the undocumented citizen refuses, deportation will be the final consequence. Union officials and political Party operatives apply pressure on these undocumented citizens to ensure they vote in the ballot box on Election Day. Several unions and corrupt officials supply the voter fraud organization with a list of undocumented workers living in Las Vegas who are likely candidates for committing voter fraud. The undocumented citizens appear on the RADAR because they committed some crime. These crimes include unpaid parking tickets, driving without a license and driving under the influence. The fact major political parties are opposed to voters providing identification during an election is further proof such a system exists. If voters had to provide identification during the act of voting, it would be difficult for undocumented citizens to commit voter fraud.

One undocumented citizen named Hector was convicted of three counts of driving under the influence. Hector claimed that a deputy DA working in the Las Vegas District Attorney’s office had his record wiped clean because he could get ten other undocumented citizens to vote in the 2016 election for certain candidates and propositions. Hector worked hard to perform this task because three convictions meant permanent loss of his driver’s license. Hector alleges his record was sanitized by the DA’s office. Another interesting fact concerns Clark County’s former public guardian, Jared E. Shafer. Mr. Shafer owned and operated the largest election billboard sign company in Las Vegas, which is known as Signs of Nevada. Mr. Shafer served as public guardian in Clark County from 1979 through 2003. Shafer’s connection with Clark County departments granted this private for hire guardian special access to undocumented citizens who were vulnerable for recruitment for voter fraud. Many Las Vegas and Clark County officials obtained votes along with special sign pricing from Jared Shafer’s company, which is known to locals as Signs of Nevada. In return for legal and political favors cooperative officials received free signage from Mr. Shafer to finance their election campaign. Articles about Shafer’s signs are found online. I will discuss at a later point in this article how the votes of undocumented citizens influenced elections in Nevada.

Court Activity in Voter Fraud

Courts ignored corrupt guardian activity until 2013. Cracks in this voter fraud system first appeared with the arrest and conviction of Patience M. Bristol. I personally worked on this case. Bristol removed over $2 million from the court designated ward accounts she was charged with protecting.
The District Attorney charged Bristol with 20 counts of exploitation. The system allowed Ms. Bristol to plead guilty to only one count of elder exploitation. The DA had videos of Patience Bristol pawning stolen jewelry, which the system chose to ignore. Unfortunately, at Bristol’s sentencing, four victims appeared before the court to testify. Bristol was quoted as saying “I didn’t pay enough to the right people.” The voter fraud system resulted in Bristol’s crimes being swept under the carpet. The bulk of the missing money went toward recruiting and controlling the votes of undocumented citizens. The reference links in this article will provide additional details. Major political parties in Nevada received the bulk of senior citizen missing funds, which were used for the voter fraud campaign. These funds went to boost the vote count for local politicians running for office in Clark County, Nevada. I was present when Patience Bristol’s former boss and private guardian, Jared E. Shafer, said, “Bristol knew the right people to pay. She didn’t give enough.”

Another Guardian is punished for Not Paying off the Voter Fraud Machine

April Parks, another charged private guardian, who is awaiting trial for her crimes of embezzlement, racketeering and grand theft, has the record of her indictment online. Some of April Parks’ accounts, which include Rudy North, appear to have a record showing only $1,400 being taken by Parks from North. Mr. North said on public TV that over one million dollars in cash, gold & silver in his home was stolen by April Parks. (http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/court-appointed-guardian-accused-of-stealing-appears-in-court/690017842)

What happened to the missing $998,600? Mr. North’s statements were broadcast on 8 News NOW-KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. The arrest of April Parks may have occurred because she refused to pay off the Las Vegas voter fraud organization.

Kristina Berger, a victim of Jared E. Shafer and Patience Bristol, is going to have a civil lawsuit trial against Shafer, his company and Patience Bristol. The major newspaper in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review Journal has the full story of Ms. Berger’s battle. Berger’s civil lawsuit alleging embezzlement of $500,000 has been postponed until November of 2017 due to difficulty in obtaining accounting documents from Jared Shafer’s company, Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada. Where did the missing money go? Shafer appears to be having trouble hiding the fact that funds went to control voter fraud operations. Shafer is claiming the accounting doesn’t exist. The question of missing accounting is a serious issue, which needs to be answered by the Las Vegas court. We can only ask if the judge in this case will enforce the issue of the missing accounting. Stay tuned for follow up on this story. Jared E. Shafer and Patience Bristol, who served as guardians for Berger, listed her estate with a value of zero so no bond would have to be obtained to serve as guardians. The false listing violated Nevada law. Other guardianship court case records show Shafer also declaring estates to be valued at zero when in fact these estates have contained hundreds or even millions in assets.

Where Is the Missing Money?

During my 25 years working for Clark County I had numerous contacts with Jared E. Shafer. Mr. Shafer was the former Public Guardian and County Administrator. In 1998, approximately four years before Shafer’s retirement, this guardian approached me. Shafer knew I had a cousin running for County Supervisor. Shafer told me I could purchase from him 2,000 undocumented citizen votes, which we could control. In exchange for these undocumented votes my cousin would have to agree to vote a certain way on issues, which Shafer would communicate to me at a later date.

Shafer went on to state that Las Vegas officials were elected through the undocumented voter process. The several unions and political organizations would furnish undocumented voters who worked in the Las Vegas’ service industry. Deportation would be the primary control element to ensure these votes went the way local politicians wanted.

This brings up a powerful question concerning how Nevada officials acted to protect private guardians. Catherine Cortez Masto is Jared E. Shafer’s god daughter who incidentally, ignored all complaints made to her about Mr. Shafer’s exploitation of seniors while serving as Nevada’s Attorney General. We’ve provided links to articles, which were used in the 2016 US senate election for Senator Masto to document this fact. The articles were distributed nationally. Unfortunately they had little effect on the 2016 election. Ms. Masto’s now deceased father, Manny Cortez, was instrumental in placing Shafer in the position of Public Guardian and Administrator. Mr. Cortez was the longtime head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, served as a Clark County Commissioner and as an attorney for Clark County.

How the Money Flows

Funds from senior accounts are removed by several methods. The guardian over bills for simple services including reading emails. One senior account was billed over $7,000 for reading 20 days of emails. Reviewing the reference link to this statement at the end of this article will be an eye opener. Attorney’s normally over bill senior guardianship accounts; charging for legal services which never were performed. Guardians will allow the condition of a ward’s property to deteriorate into a dilapidated condition so the property will be sold under market value, usually to a close associate of the guardian. The Clark County courts will levy fines against families who protest court rulings usually recommended by the guardian. In one case a $10,000 fine was directed to the Senior Citizens Law Project, an organization no longer in business. The majority of guardianship cases are settled without an accounting. Valuable property usually disappears from the record. The missing property is sold and converted into cash. After arriving at the first destination, the money is funneled to activities involving voter fraud.

Dog and Pony Show Hides Voter Fraud

In the summer of 2015, the Supreme Court of Nevada created the Commission to Study the Administration of Guardianships in Nevada’s Courts to review the processes for creating guardianships and conservatorships, stakeholder accountability, court documentation and tracking, judicial training, and any resources available or needed to assist Nevada’s courts in administering guardianships. The first meeting was held in July of 2015. (http://nvcourts.gov/AOC/Committees_and_Commissions/Guardianship/Overview/))

The commission was only created after the system was embarrassed by a three article exposé in the Las Vegas Review Journal in April of 2015 about guardianship abuse: (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/clark-countys-private-guardians-may-protect-or-just-steal-and-abuse/,
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/escape-was-only-option-for-an-old-soldier-trapped-in-guardian-system/
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/clark-countys-private-guardians-may-protect-or-just-steal-and-abuse/)

Countless victims testified at the Commission meetings. The guardian who had the most complaints has never been charged. This guardian was Jared E. Shafer, who has bragged openly about stealing millions from the system and controlling the judges. The Nevada Attorney General has charged only one professional guardian, April Parks, as well as several family members for exploiting elderly citizens. With the exception of April Parks, the amounts being prosecuted are very small when compared to amounts professional guardians have removed from senior citizen accounts.

Guardianship Financing Voter Fraud is a National Problem

The problem of using embezzled funds from private for hire senior guardian accounts is a national disgrace. Both political parties are guilty. The American Bar Association enforces this corruption by ensuring attorneys who follow this program enjoy a wonderful lifestyle.

Full Article & Source:
Guardian Corruption Finances Voter Fraud in the United States

8 Ways to Deal with False Dementia Accusations

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Seniors with dementia falsely accuse family of terrible things


“You stole my wallet and all my money!” 
 
“You’re keeping me prisoner in my house!”
 
“You’re trying to poison me!”

Seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia commonly accuse the people closest to them of theft, mistreatment, or other terrible things. While cases of true abuse do exist, oftentimes these accusations are completely untrue and are caused by delusions – strong beliefs in things that aren’t real.

It’s important to remember that your older adult isn’t creating these delusions to hurt you. Their brains are failing and the delusions and paranoia are symptoms of the disease.

We explain why this happens and share 8 ways to calm the situation and kindly deal with these dementia accusations.

Why seniors with dementia make false dementia accusations

Their accusations may sound crazy, but the situation is very real to your older adult. Their minds are trying to make sense of the world while their cognitive abilities are declining. 

People with dementia often feel anxiety, frustration, and a sense of loss. Those feelings, plus memory loss and confusion, can easily lead to paranoia. That’s why many seniors with dementia feel like people are stealing from them or mistreating them.

When they can’t find something they’ve misplaced, their brain leads them to believe that someone stole from them. When you prevent them from wandering and getting lost, they think they’re being kept prisoner.

These dementia accusations can be extremely hurtful to hear, but it’s important to remember that they’re not personal attacks against you. Their brain can’t make sense of what’s happening and has created an alternate version of reality to compensate.

8 ways to deal with false dementia accusations

1. Don’t take it personally
Remember that your older adult is only making these accusations because of their declining cognitive abilities. They’re trying to make sense of their reality as best they can. 

Do your best to stay calm and not to take these accusations personally. Focus on reassuring them and showing that you care about how they’re feeling.

2. Don’t argue or use logic to convince
It’s important not to argue or use logic to convince someone with dementia that they’re wrong. You simply can’t win an argument with someone whose brain no longer processes logic properly. And arguing will only make them upset and more insistent.

Instead, let them express their ideas, feelings, and opinions. It will be easier to calm and distract them if they feel heard and validated.

3. Use a calm, soothing tone and positive body language
When responding to someone who is worked up over something they strongly believe, it’s essential to stay calm. 

Bring the adrenaline level of the situation down by speaking in a gentle, calm tone of voice. You may also want to try reassuring them in non-verbal ways like a gentle touch or hug.

4. Create a calm environment
Creating a calm environment is another way to reduce the tension in the situation. 

Reduce noise and commotion by turning off the TV, asking other people to leave the room, or playing slow songs or classical music at a low volume. Aromatherapy is another way to create a soothing environment.

5. Stick to simple answers
When you respond to their accusations, keep your responses short and simple. Long explanations or reasoning may be overwhelming and cause more agitation and confusion.

6. Distract with a pleasant activity
The best way to stop them from obsessing about their accusation is to validate, then distract. Switch to a fun, engaging, or satisfying activity as soon as possible after sympathizing with how they feel. 

Maybe it’s a good time to offer a favorite snack or drink. Or you could ask for help with a no-fail task they enjoy, like folding “laundry” (aka lots of hand towels).

7. Keep duplicates of frequently misplaced items
If you notice a pattern where your older adult frequently hides and then loses a certain item, consider buying multiples of that item. 

For example, if they’re constantly misplacing their wallet, buy another of the same style so you can offer to help them “find” it.

8. Seek support and advice from people who understand
Being accused of stealing, abuse, or other terrible things can be devastating. Even if you can hide your true feelings to avoid further upsetting your older adult, it still hurts inside.

To help you cope, join a caregiver support group– either in person or online. You’ll be surprised and relieved to learn that many other people have been accused of similar untrue things. It truly helps to know you’re not the only one it’s happening to.

Full Article & Source:
8 Ways to Deal with False Dementia Accusations

Judicial Discipline Among Highlights of Harrisburg Arguments

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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is set to convene in Harrisburg on Tuesday and Wednesday to hear argument on a variety of issues, including right to counsel during psychological exams, the role of stare decisis in judicial discipline cases and the statute of limitations in underinsured motorist cases.

Right to Counsel


One of the first cases the court will hear is an appeal from a March 2016 Superior Court ruling that a litigant does not have an absolute right to the presence of counsel during an independent psychological evaluation.

In a March 9 opinion in Shearer v. Hafer, a unanimous three-judge panel of the court held in an apparent issue of first impression that Pennsylvania's Rules of Civil Procedure allow a trial court to issue protective orders expressly prohibiting the presence of third-party observers during the standardized portion of an evaluation. The psychologist conducting the evaluation at issue had said counsel's presence could threaten the validity of data gathered during the test.

The decision affirmed a ruling of the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas, which granted Scott Hafer and Paulette Ford's motion for a protective order in a case involving a car accident.

Judicial Discipline


The court will also hear argument in the disciplinary cases of two suspended Philadelphia judges who were removed from office for ethics violations.

The question before the justices is whether, when imposing sanctions on a judge, the Court of Judicial Discipline is bound to follow the doctrine of stare decisis, requiring it to follow its prior decisions.
In separate sanctions rulings issued Dec. 16, the CJD removed both judges from the bench and barred them from holding public office in the future.

Both judges have already appealed the sanctions rulings to the state Supreme Court.

The decisions came after Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Angeles Roca and Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Dawn Segal were found earlier this year to have violated the state constitution and the Code of Judicial Conduct by engaging in ex parte contact with former Municipal Court Judge Joseph C. Waters Jr., who was later charged criminally and sentenced to 24 months in prison for fixing cases of political donors.

UM Arbitration Preservation


Is an unopposed demand for arbitration enough to toll the statute of limitations for bringing an uninsured motorist claim that is subject to mandatory arbitration, or does an arbitration petition need to be filed with a court?

That is the question the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is set to consider. Both sides said they are looking forward to a clear rule from the Supreme Court on the issue.

In late December 2016, the justices took up an appeal in Erie Insurance Exchange v. Bristol. The court specifically agreed to hear arguments about whether the statute of limitations in uninsured motorist claims subject to mandatory arbitration is "tolled only by the commencement of an official judicial action, or may extrajudicial actions also toll the statute of limitations."

A three-judge panel of the state Superior Court in May 2016 ruled that the statute of limitations on an uninsured motorist claim had not been tolled despite the parties corresponding about the mandatory arbitration and even selecting arbitrators. The decision upheld a ruling from the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, which had granted summary judgment for the insurance carrier.

Full Article & Source:
Judicial Discipline Among Highlights of Harrisburg Arguments

Dying Man Spends Last Days Fixing Bikes For Kids in Need

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When Bob Charland was given a terminal diagnosis, he didn’t spend any time feeling sorry for himself – instead, he decided to spend his last days giving kids the gift of free play.

The Springfield, Massachusetts resident was first diagnosed with a neurodegenerative brain disease two months ago. Since he received the news, Bob has hunkered down in his workshop and repaired bikes for children in his community.

When he isn’t repairing bikes that youngsters already own, he is fixing up old bicycles to give to kids who can’t afford one.

On Easter morning alone, Bob gave away 20 different bikes to kids in Chicopee.

“Why not? If it’s just my time, why not do it?” Bob told WWLP. “It’s making these kids happy, it’s promoting something positive in their life, so I’m going to keep doing it.”

Bob has also created a GoFundMe page for starting a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for old bikes and startup materials.

Full Article & Source:
Dying Man Spends Last Days Fixing Bikes For Kids in Need

Man who scammed Volusia County elderly residents arrested, deputies say

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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A man who is accused of targeting senior victims and overcharging them for construction costs has been arrested, Volusia County deputies said.

Gary Mitchell, 29, was arrested Thursday in Broward County and taken to the Volusia County Jail.

Deputies said Mitchell specifically targets older residents.

Mitchell is accused of going to a 90-year-old DeBary woman’s home and telling her that she needed her driveway resurfaced, deputies said.

The woman initially declined, but later let the man fix her driveway for $3,000, investigators said.

The woman told deputies that she thought that was too much, but did it anyway. She said she tried to have the bank cancel the check, but Mitchell had already cashed the check, investigators said.

Detectives later learned that Mitchell didn’t resurface the woman’s driveway, but painted over it with a watered-down concrete mix, deputies said.

Deputies said Mitchell also tried to get $3,200 from an 88-year-old DeBary man for work on his driveway, but, accepted $40 after the man complained to Mitchell that the price was too high.

Mitchell was previously convicted in Arizona of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, deputies said.

Mitchell is charged with elderly exploitation and scheme to defraud.

He’s being held on $50,000 bail.

Full Article & Source:
Man who scammed Volusia County elderly residents arrested, deputies say

Deputies searching for woman accused of exploiting elderly person

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Christy Lynn Parks
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is casting an online drag net for a 39-year-old woman accused of preying on a senior citizen.

Christy Lynn Parks is wanted for burglary in the second degree, forgery and exploitation of an elderly person, according to a post on the sheriff’s office facebook page.

Parks, who is about 5 feet 1 and 120 pounds, could be driving a black GMC Yukon.

Anyone with information is urged to call Investigator Kenneth Hester at 478-951-7659 or the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500.

Full Article & Source:
Deputies searching for woman accused of exploiting elderly person

Milton attorney reprimanded for charging exorbitant fees

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The Florida Supreme Court has ordered that Milton attorney Jennifer Byrom be publicly reprimanded after it found the attorney charged excessive fees for a 10-year-long probate case.

The matter began in 1998 when Byrom’s future client, a widow, consulted her on her husband’s estate, requesting assistance with handling the $1.5 million estate. In July 1998, Byrom took guardianship, but she did not extend guardianship to the widow in petitions filed with the courts.

It was at this time when the attorney began to charge exorbitant hourly rates. According to court documents, Byrom charged between $60 and $85 per hour for any work performed by her staff and between $180 and $250 per hour for work she completed done. She charged the widow for both guardianship and legal services, even though she was only entitled to charge for performing the latter.

Additionally, Byrom charged incidentals to the account such as her food and travel expenses. All of her expenses were approved by the courts.

After 10.5 years of service, the widow’s daughter filed for and was granted guardianship, but Byrom had already racked up charges totaling $400,000 during her time as guardian.

After reviewing the facts of the case, including the court approvals and signatures from the widow and her children approving the activities charged, the Supreme Court determined that discipline was warranted. Byrom will to be publicly reprimanded in the Referee and will be required to take 15 hours of continuing legal education in guardianship and 15 hours in guardianship, probate and/or estate planning.

The family law attorney was admitted to the Florida State Bar in 1985 and is a graduate of the Samford University Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. She had no prior record of discipline in the state.

Full Article & Source:
Milton attorney reprimanded for charging exorbitant fees

Summit County Probate Court helping developmentally disabled children transition to adulthood with new video

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AKRON, Ohio -- Summit County Probate Court released a new video titled "Guardianship: As your Special Needs Child Becomes An Adult," to help parents of developmentally disabled children make decisions about their child's transition into adulthood.

The video is meant to inform, address issues and answer questions parents may have as their children approach age 18.

The 39-minute-long video can be viewed through the Probate Court's website at or at https://vimeo.com/215861018.

"I recognize that it can be a difficult decision to journey on the path from parent to legal guardian," Probate Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer said in a news release. "This video acknowledges this reality and provides an important piece in our overall effort to protect our wards and to support their guardians."


The video shows parents Fiovi, who talks about her son Nicholas, and Mary, who discusses her experience becoming the legal guardian of her son Scott. 

They each speak with Stormer, who guides them through the process of making a decision in the best interest of their children.

The video can be used in tandem with a video previously released by the Probate Court titled "Guardianship of Persons With Developmental Disabilities." The videos together provide information to support caregivers and loved ones of children with special needs.

Guardian training is mandated by the Ohio Supreme Court. Summit County Probate Court created the first comprehensive video training in Ohio.

There are 18 videos available for online viewing through the Probate Court's website that cover issues ranging from advanced directives to marriage licenses. They can be viewed at www.summitohioprobate.com.

Full Article & Source:
Summit County Probate Court helping developmentally disabled children transition to adulthood with new video

The Not-So-Surprising Unannounced Nursing Home Inspection

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An ongoing problem that nursing home residents, their families, and consumers have expressed for years is the belief that facilities are “overly prepared” for routine annual inspections[1].

Their complaints generally sound something like this:

“Over the past several months, this nursing home has had a lot of problems answering call lights, has served food that’s, at best, barely palatable; has neglected to hire enough staff to cover the evening and weekend shifts; and has this permeating stench of urine and feces.  But, then, out of the blue one day, there’s extra staff walking the hallways, many people of whom we have never seen before; the food goes from deplorable to tasty; call lights are responded to in minutes, not hours; and the aroma smells of flowers and fresh baked bread.”

Residents, families, and advocates have repeatedly claimed that the underlying reason for this sudden and short-lived change from bad to good nursing home quality is the nursing home’s apparent awareness of the not-so-surprising, unannounced inspection–“that the state is coming in soon for their survey.”

And more often than not, they’re right.  The timing seems to be uncanny.

Unfortunately for the residents, once the inspectors leave, the daily awfulness returns, leaving residents and families scratching their heads, frustrated by what appears to be a compromised inspection process.

While much of the evidence about their claim has historically been anecdotal, a closer look at the inspection histories of the nursing homes most recently added to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s Special Focus Facility list gives credence to their argument.

Of the nine nursing homes added to the list this month, more than two-thirds of the cited severe deficiencies in those homes were discovered during random complaint investigations[2] (see graph below).
The sample data shows when inspections are untethered from restrictive timeframes and occur randomly, a nursing home’s ability to undertake advanced preparations for the surveyor’s visit is diminished–yielding more serious problems that need immediate attention.  And when this happens, surveyors are more apt to pinpoint those problems so they can can quickly negotiate a prompt remedy before violations become catastrophic for residents.

Fortunately, federal and state officials are aware of this overall concern and have taken some steps to enhance the integrity of the inspection process by, for example, coordinating a percentage of annual surveys during non-regular business hours and by standardizing additional family interviews during their surveys.

Source:
The Not-So-Surprising Unannounced Nursing Home Inspection

Man's guardian says Kensington Place nursing home failed to address risk of falls

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CHICAGO — A guardian is suing Kensington Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries and negligence.

Tim Jones, as plenary guardian for Donnie Jones, filed a complaint on April 26 in Cook County Circuit Court against the defendant alleging Donnie Jones suffered injuries from a fall, including an acute left subdural hemorrhage which required emergency surgery, causing the deterioration of his overall health. The plaintiff holds Kensington Place responsible because the facility allegedly failed to provide adequate medical assistance and supervision to address Donnie Jones' risk of falling.

The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendant in an amount greater than $50,000 plus court costs. He is represented by Ashley Hadler Herschberger and Jacob D. Radecki of Levin & Perconti in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court Case number 2017L004233

Full Article & Source:
Man's guardian says Kensington Place nursing home failed to address risk of falls

Many seniors who qualify for home-based care under Medicare aren’t receiving it. Why?

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One of the greatest gaps in Medicare coverage is that it does not help to pay for home-based care unless such care is requested by a physician as medically necessary. Medicaid will cover such long-term custodial care for people with little to no income or assets. But Medicaid covers fewer than one in five of the roughly 55 million people on Medicare, leaving the rest to fend for themselves or, for a small group of mostly better-off folks, purchase private long-term care insurance.

Now, it appears that even Medicare’s limited home-based coverage benefits for those with medical needs are also not possible for many people. The nonprofit Center for Medicare Advocacy says it been researching the availability of Medicare-covered home-based care in response to a worrisome and growing volume of complaints from Medicare enrollees that they are being denied home-based care even though they are qualified to receive it and it is covered by Medicare.

Like nearly everything about Medicare, this is a complex topic. But it appears that Medicare is not keen to encourage use of allowable home care benefits. Home care providers don’t much like this benefit either. They don’t make much money on it, and under new Medicare rules, they can actually lose money providing such care.

Let’s begin with the benefit itself. According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Medicare will pay for up to 35 hours a week of home-based care — provided by nursing and home health aids — to people who are housebound and for whom such care is prescribed as medically necessary by their doctor or another authorized caregiver. The home health benefit also includes physical, occupational or speech-language therapy.

READ MORE: Does Medicare pay for a home health care provider?

Skilled nursing care is covered on an “intermittent” and “part-time” basis and also for home-based medical social services and for home health aides, who are allowed to perform certain personal services that stem from the patient’s underlying medical needs, but which are not the same as custodial care, which is not covered by Medicare.

These last two coverage categories, while part of Medicare’s benefits, merit only a footnote on the Medicare website. And when Medicare updated its home health care brochure last March, it was full of errors about the nature of available coverage, according to Center for Medicare Advocacy associate director Kathleen Holt.

Holt says the allowable benefits are thus broader than people realize. However, she adds, it looks like it doesn’t matter what’s actually covered, because home health agencies routinely decline to provide even the skimpier services that Medicare publicizes to Medicare enrollees who request them.

Significantly, Medicare will only pay insurance claims to home health agencies who are registered and approved by Medicare. Ostensibly to help consumers, it has developed an extensive quality rating system, so consumers can find the most qualified agency. However, there apparently is no requirement that an agency actually provide home health services when Medicare enrollees request them.

The reasons why these agencies turn away business, Holt claims, stem partly from Medicare’s increasing emphasis on paying for health care that actually helps patients get better. This is an admirable goal, but what it means is that home health agencies are rewarded for treating patients who are likely to get better.

Supporting care that cures people, while understandable, is not a requirement Medicare insists on for covering most health care. Therapy that maintains a person’s ability to function, or even that slows the pace of decline, is a perfectly good goal for treatment and one that many older Americans and their families embrace.

However, Medicare and Congress have supported the shift from fee-for-service health care to fee-for-results care. In this situation, home health agencies face a carrot-and-stick financial incentive system based on measurable patient improvement. That’s all fine and dandy, but what this means is that agencies are effectively discouraged from treating people with long-term chronic conditions who may be qualified for services, but are unlikely to get better.  (Click to Continue)

Full Article & Source:
Many seniors who qualify for home-based care under Medicare aren’t receiving it. Why?

Judge grants Casey Moreland’s request to go see ill mother in Indiana

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A judge has granted Casey Moreland’s request to go out of state to see his elderly and ill mother who is in hospice care in Indiana.

According to the filing, Moreland, who remains under house arrest per the conditions of his release from custody, will visit with his mom at her Indiana home on Friday and Saturday of this week.

The document states he will leave with his wife and sister on Friday morning and return back to Nashville on Saturday.

While in Indiana, Moreland will stay at his mother’s home.

The former Nashville judge was indicted last Tuesday by a federal grand jury on five counts of obstruction of justice. He’s accused of taking steps to obstruct and interfere with an FBI investigation by devising a scheme to pay a material witness to take back her previous statements.

Moreland has since pleaded not guilty to those federal charges.

Full Article & Source:
Judge grants Casey Moreland’s request to go see ill mother in Indiana

See Also:
Casey Moreland to take leave from bench

Judge dismissed tickets, fines for female friend

Metro General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland resigns as presiding judge

Ethics Complaint Levels Charges Against Two Judges, Lewis

Investigation underway into inmate/deputy relationship in judge’s court

Nashville judge faces federal criminal charges
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