Former Guardian Brings Unloaded Gun to Court

A 35-year-old former Washoe County legal guardian, under investigation for allegedly defrauding her elderly wards, was arrested for bringing an unloaded gun into a Reno court.

Angela Cheri Dottei, also known as Angela Cheri Sommers, was booked into Washoe County Jail on Tuesday on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon. She is being held there in lieu of $25,000 cash bail.

Authorities said she was going to a hearing in Family Court when the handgun was found in her purse as it went through a screening station. She also had an empty magazine.

Washoe County Deputy Brooke Keast said Dottei was cooperative and said she did not realize the gun was in her purse.

In the last two months, the family court has sanctioned Dottei on allegations she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from elderly wards, whom she was entrusted to make decisions on their estates and finances. Her license to work as a guardian has also been suspended.

Full Article and Source:
Former Guardian Held for Alleged Gun in Court

Note: Despite the suspension of her license, Angela Dottei is currently listed as a national “Master Guardian” with the National Guardianship Association

Legal Guardian Denies Family Contact

Carol Kinnear, a retired Belleair Elementary teacher in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, signed an update to her trust in June 2008.

Her wish was clear: For the rest of her life, regardless of her health, she wanted to stay home.

The trust provision, her daughters thought, would assure she could do that.

On Monday, Kinnear, 78, was taken from home and moved to an unnamed facility, the act of a court-appointed guardian. She would be treated there for “high anxiety and confusion,” the guardian wrote in an e-mail. Her children, blocked from contact, were told it was in their mother’s best interest.

Earlier this year, to safeguard their mother’s estate after money had come up missing, they had filed for guardianship in a Pinellas court.

Now they find themselves the victims of unintended consequences, guarded against by the person they had sought for help.

Kinnear’s first guardian, Sandra Scott, caused her to fall after giving too high a dose of medication, said Kellee Watt, 45, of Indian Rocks Beach.

Teri St. Hilaire, who replaced Scott on July 1, didn’t return phone calls and e-mails from the daughters.

Full Article and Source:
Legal guardian denies Alzheimer’s patient her home and family contact

Sandra Scott certified with the Center for Guardianship Certification, an allied foundation of the National Guardianship Association (NGA).

Teri St. Hilaire is certified with the Center for Guardianship Certification, an allied foundation of the National Guardianship Association (NGA).

County Cuts Ties With Public Guardian

The board of commissioners is looking to fill the recently-vacated Arenac County Public Guardian position after officially reporting it will not return Sherilyn Jones, the suspended public guardian, to the position.

Jones’ office is under investigation for criminal activity by the Michigan State Police and in the process of being audited by the Michigan Treasury Department. Board Chairman Raymond Daniels says neither the investigation nor audit is complete yet, but that the board felt compelled to act.

Daniels : “We found enough evidence that we feel comfortable saying at this time that she won’t be returning to work. The [Teamsters] union has been notified that we will not be bringing her back. … We’re at the point of time that we have to move forward.”

Full Article and Source:
County cuts ties with Public Guardian, begins search for new one

More information:
Arenac County leaders replacing public guardian, probe continues

State performing audit on public guardian office

Sherilyn Jones is registered with Center for Guardianship Certification , an allied foundation of the National Guardianship Association (NGA)

>Family Guardianship Revoked

>

Three of Earnestine Starks’ children sat down with News 8 after a visit to see their mother at a Fort Worth nursing home ended with three trespassing warnings. The staff ordered them to leave the property.

“You go from just trying to see your mother to you can never see your mother again.”

Days later, another daughter, Sharon Richardson, found out she was no longer her mother’s guardian.

“I don’t know how a court can award guardianship in one week and then revoke it the next week.”

Court documents show that a Tarrant County judge revoked Richardson’s guardianship on July 8. According to a letter filed in court by the nursing home, Richardson made allegations of abuse against the facility.

She also wanted staff to re-evaluate her mother, who suffers from dementia and delusions, and move her from a secured to an unsecured unit.

Doctors disagreed with Richardson’s request.

Richardson: “My mother did not want to go back to the facility; she said she would not go back in there and did not like the facility and did not like how she was being treated.”

The courts appointed a new guardian for Earnestine Starks — Guardianship Services Inc., a non-profit agency that helps incapacitated individuals who do not have family members or friends who can serve as guardians.

Guardianship Services is now in charge of making all of Earnestine Starks’ decisions — from medical to financial.

Colleen Colton, director of the agency: “We are guardian until somebody else becomes guardian or they die.” She could not comment on the Starks case, but said families struggle with court guardianships because the state is always watching.

The courts have the right to step in if there’s any sign of a dispute or allegation.

Full Article and Source:
Aging in America: Family struggles with guardianship issues

Colleen Colton/Guardianship Services, Inc. is registered with National Guardianship Association

Family Guardianship Revoked

Three of Earnestine Starks’ children sat down with News 8 after a visit to see their mother at a Fort Worth nursing home ended with three trespassing warnings. The staff ordered them to leave the property.

“You go from just trying to see your mother to you can never see your mother again.”

Days later, another daughter, Sharon Richardson, found out she was no longer her mother’s guardian.

“I don’t know how a court can award guardianship in one week and then revoke it the next week.”

Court documents show that a Tarrant County judge revoked Richardson’s guardianship on July 8. According to a letter filed in court by the nursing home, Richardson made allegations of abuse against the facility.

She also wanted staff to re-evaluate her mother, who suffers from dementia and delusions, and move her from a secured to an unsecured unit.

Doctors disagreed with Richardson’s request.

Richardson: “My mother did not want to go back to the facility; she said she would not go back in there and did not like the facility and did not like how she was being treated.”

The courts appointed a new guardian for Earnestine Starks — Guardianship Services Inc., a non-profit agency that helps incapacitated individuals who do not have family members or friends who can serve as guardians.

Guardianship Services is now in charge of making all of Earnestine Starks’ decisions — from medical to financial.

Colleen Colton, director of the agency: “We are guardian until somebody else becomes guardian or they die.” She could not comment on the Starks case, but said families struggle with court guardianships because the state is always watching.

The courts have the right to step in if there’s any sign of a dispute or allegation.

Full Article and Source:
Aging in America: Family struggles with guardianship issues

Colleen Colton/Guardianship Services, Inc. is registered with National Guardianship Association

>Former Administrator Rita Hunter

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95-Year-Old Fights Back

Attorney Fees Challenged

Class Action Filed

Former Ward Files Suit

Mother and Daughter File Suit

Former Administrator Rita Hunter

95-Year-Old Fights Back

Attorney Fees Challenged

Class Action Filed

Former Ward Files Suit

Mother and Daughter File Suit

>Judge Don Windle

>

Judge Windle Caught

Denton County Judge and Guardian

The Cash In

Judge Don Windle

Judge Windle Caught

Denton County Judge and Guardian

The Cash In

>Probate Case Continued

>

A former Jasper County probate case now among those being probed by the state was the subject of a hearing in the Probate Division of Greene County Circuit Court.

While John Hinnah was a ward of former Jasper County Public Administrator Rita Hunter, more than $7,000 was sent as refunds from his estate to federal and state agencies, according to records.

That was part of the overview offered by Gretchen Long, attorney for Angie Casavecchia, the new Jasper County public administrator, in a status hearing on the case. Carol Aiken, Greene County probate commissioner, continued the case for 90 days to give attorneys time to sort out financial issues.

Aiken: “It sounds like a mess.”

Full Article and Source:
Former local probate case continued in Greene County

See also:
95-Year-Old Fights Back