Now Its Court Judges Who Are Violating the Law and Abusing Your Grandparents

California probate court judges, who receive taxpayer-funded salaries to protect vulnerable seniors from elder abuse, are themselves directly and indirectly responsible for physical, psychological, and financial elder abuse, according to a public education campaign launched today by a public interest organization advocating on behalf of vulnerable seniors and dependent adults. XXXXXX(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) is exposing the truth about probate judges who spend little time on elder abuse cases, unless they involve wealthy victims and lawyers, and instead continually reschedule hearings to avoid working late and making decisions that may be reversed on appeal. Abusing the essential private judging system that California pioneered, near-retiring judges often use the public courts to cherry-pick the big-money cases to tout themselves as private rent-a-judges" who earn up to $10,000 a day to resolve disputes in out-of-court settings for corporations, celebrities, and other high-paying litigants.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, CA (PRWEB) May 10, 2004-California probate court judges, who receive taxpayer-funded salaries to protect vulnerable seniors from elder abuse, are themselves directly and indirectly responsible for physical, psychological, and financial elder abuse, according to a public education campaign launched today by a public interest organization advocating on behalf of vulnerable seniors and dependent adults.

XXXXXXX(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) is exposing the truth about probate judges who spend little time on elder abuse cases, unless they involve wealthy victims and lawyers, and instead continually reschedule hearings to avoid working late and making decisions that may be reversed on appeal. Abusing the essential private judging system that California pioneered, near-retiring judges often use the public courts to cherry-pick the big-money cases to tout themselves as private rent-a-judges" who earn up to $10,000 a day to resolve disputes in out-of-court settings for corporations, celebrities, and other high-paying litigants.

According to the article Rent-a-Judges Forced Out of California Courts" by Martin Kasindorf in the April 24, 2003 USA Today, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George was disturbed by moonlighting judges who were using the public courts to promote themselves for highly lucrative private judging. As a result, George announced in July 2002 a rule that bars retired judges working on temporary assignment from serving simultaneously as public and private judges.

Probate judges have the immense power and legal duty to stop perpetrators from continuing to abuse elderly victims, so I know it seems shocking and unbelievable that many of these judges are actually contributing to elder abuse," said XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, who is XXXXXXXXXXXXs chair and a XXXXXXXXXXX. If anyone had told me five years ago how broken and corrupt the California probate court system is and how it abandons elder abuse victims to the predators, I would have thought the person was insane or a liar. But after spending five years trying to protect my elderly, disabled mother and her remaining estate from a determined, cunning, and resourceful predator, I emerged from the five-year ordeal profoundly disappointed and disillusioned with our judicial system."

XXXXXXXXXXXXxis uncovering detailed, unpublished evidence, including actual court filings and transcripts, of probate judges supervising elder abuse cases who:

•   Instruct victims attorneys to settle out of court with elder abusers, so that judges do not have to spend the time that is necessary to protect victims.
•   Refuse to spend the time to hear oral testimony and argument substantiating elder abuse claims.
•   Fail to spend the time to read court papers filed by attorneys on behalf of victims.
•   Dismiss elder abuse lawsuits filed by attorneys on behalf of abused seniors, without any notice to the parties, any hearing, or due process of law.
•   Fail to issue or enforce protective restraining orders.
•   Fail to hold defiant elder abusers in contempt of court.
•   Allow litigious elder abusers to drag out costly court proceedings, wear down victims attorneys and conservators, and impoverish victims.
•   Continue court hearings frequently, giving abusers more time to harm victims.
•   Slash the fees awarded to victims attorneys, conservators, and indispensable forensic experts (e.g., psychiatrists, social workers, and accountants) to deter them from tying up judges calendars with time-consuming elder abuse cases.

XXXXXXXXXXis referring the public to its new Web site, at www.XXXXXXXXXX.org, for the following:

•   Evidence of probate judges who try to silence and blackball their critics.
•   XXXXXXXXX-proposed bills in the California Legislature.
•   Firsthand personal and professional experiences about actual abuse victims.
•   California legislators committed to protecting abuse victims.
•   News reporters covering senior and legal issues, the courts, and elder abuse.
•   Relevant news articles on elder abuse.
•   XXXXXXXXXXXXs public discussion board.

The aging of the baby boom population in the United States is leading to an explosive growth in the number of vulnerable seniors and therefore in the incidence of financial elder abuse," said noted XXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXXX. XXXXXXXXXXX. Financial elder abuse in the United States will impoverish a growing number of vulnerable seniors, leaving them dependent on publicly funded programs for survival. We will therefore face a financial disruption of epidemic proportions, unless we address the growing public crisis and ensure that vulnerable seniors have unfettered access to probate courts presided over by caring, interested, and fair judges."

About XXXXXXXXX:
XXXXXXXXXXX(XXXXXXXXXXXXXX) is a public interest, advocacy association of elder care advocates, providers, family members, health care personnel, and legal professionals who are steadfastly dedicated to strengthening and reforming the civil protections guaranteed to Californias vulnerable seniors and dependent adults. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-based XXXXXXXXXXXXXis committed to this reform through legislative action, public education, and judicial reforms.

Contact Information:
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chair, XXXXXXXXXXXX
(206) 555-3529
XXXX@XXXXXXXXXXXX.org
www.XXXXXXXXX.org

###