Sheriff and Lieutenant Sued

Sheriff David Grice and Lt. Ronnie Bowles in the sheriff’s office and the county’s insurer have been sued by a Linwood man who alleges he was wrongfully arrested in 2007.

According to the civil suit filed in Davidson County Superior Court earlier this month, Robert G. Maynard gained legal guardianship of his daughter, Tiffany Maynard Speaks, “on account of her mental incompetence” on March 7, 2007.

Later that year, on Aug. 14, the lawsuit alleges Bowles “wrongfully arrested … Maynard, solely on account of (Maynard’s) explanation to (Bowles) that (Maynard) and his wife had guardianship of … Speaks and that nobody else had any right to have … Speaks in his company or subject to his control without the authorization of (Maynard) or his wife.”

Bowles arrested Maynard for “resisting and interfering with an officer,” according to the suit. His case was dismissed after being tried in Davidson County District Court in 2008. Maynard is suing for injuries and damages in excess of $10,000 and to recover punitive damages.

Full Article and Source:
Sheriff, lieutenant named defendants in lawsuit

>The ‘Hot Dog’ Estate Battle

>

A bitter estate battle over the company that makes Johnston County’s trademark fire-engine red hot dogs troubles the faithful leaving Cricket Grill with grease-stained paper bags stuffed with their lunchtime favorite.

The dispute over the estate of John “Buck” Jones, the majority shareholder and president of Carolina Packers, centers on who will control this home-grown culinary institution — the widow Jones named as his sole heir just before he died or the three longtime employees who friends say in court documents Jones hoped would run the company.

At issue are his state of mind in his final days, his stormy relationship with his wife and the trail of wills he left behind.

Joe McLeod, the executor of a will that names the longtime employees as beneficiaries, claims in a lawsuit that Jones’ wife of 47 years, Jean Lassiter Jones, coerced her husband into leaving her control of the company in a new will made a month before he died. At least one of the three employees is backing the suit filed by McLeod, who was the Joneses’ accountant. McLeod is pursuing the case to uphold his client’s wishes, his lawyer said.

Jean Jones is defending the final will, insisting that her husband’s last-minute change of heart was sincere.

Full Article and Source:
What did the hot-dog man will?

More information:
Legal Battle Over Who Controls ‘Carolina Packers’ Hot Dogs

The ‘Hot Dog’ Estate Battle

A bitter estate battle over the company that makes Johnston County’s trademark fire-engine red hot dogs troubles the faithful leaving Cricket Grill with grease-stained paper bags stuffed with their lunchtime favorite.

The dispute over the estate of John “Buck” Jones, the majority shareholder and president of Carolina Packers, centers on who will control this home-grown culinary institution — the widow Jones named as his sole heir just before he died or the three longtime employees who friends say in court documents Jones hoped would run the company.

At issue are his state of mind in his final days, his stormy relationship with his wife and the trail of wills he left behind.

Joe McLeod, the executor of a will that names the longtime employees as beneficiaries, claims in a lawsuit that Jones’ wife of 47 years, Jean Lassiter Jones, coerced her husband into leaving her control of the company in a new will made a month before he died. At least one of the three employees is backing the suit filed by McLeod, who was the Joneses’ accountant. McLeod is pursuing the case to uphold his client’s wishes, his lawyer said.

Jean Jones is defending the final will, insisting that her husband’s last-minute change of heart was sincere.

Full Article and Source:
What did the hot-dog man will?

More information:
Legal Battle Over Who Controls ‘Carolina Packers’ Hot Dogs

>Fighting for Custody

>

Neighbors in Liberty are fighting for custody of an elderly man. They say Dearl Love has dementia and was living without water, food or heat.

Now he is safe in a nursing home, but those community members say they can take better care of Dearl than his family.

They took their custody battle to the streets of Liberty.

They say they’ve been looking out for Dearl Love ever since they saw him walking the streets to find food three times a day. Neighbors say Dearl’s sister-in-law and niece finally put him in a nursing home.

The neighbors say those women are now trying to sell his stuff without his permission. When a trucker arrived to take Dearl’s things, neighbors gave him a lesson on what they call Medicaid fraud. After several minutes, he drove off empty handed.

The protestors say they will take the case to court. They say they do not want money, they just want Dearl to be happy. If they get custody, they say they will carry-out his final wishes. That includes burying him next to his mother.

We spoke with a woman claiming to be Dearl’s legal guardian on the phone. Tracey Roberts said she had no comment.

Source:
Protesters: Don’t Cremate Dearl

See also:
Family Accused of Neglect

Fighting for Custody

Neighbors in Liberty are fighting for custody of an elderly man. They say Dearl Love has dementia and was living without water, food or heat.

Now he is safe in a nursing home, but those community members say they can take better care of Dearl than his family.

They took their custody battle to the streets of Liberty.

They say they’ve been looking out for Dearl Love ever since they saw him walking the streets to find food three times a day. Neighbors say Dearl’s sister-in-law and niece finally put him in a nursing home.

The neighbors say those women are now trying to sell his stuff without his permission. When a trucker arrived to take Dearl’s things, neighbors gave him a lesson on what they call Medicaid fraud. After several minutes, he drove off empty handed.

The protestors say they will take the case to court. They say they do not want money, they just want Dearl to be happy. If they get custody, they say they will carry-out his final wishes. That includes burying him next to his mother.

We spoke with a woman claiming to be Dearl’s legal guardian on the phone. Tracey Roberts said she had no comment.

Source:
Protesters: Don’t Cremate Dearl

See also:
Family Accused of Neglect

>Family Accused of Neglect

>

Town residents concerned about an elderly man they claim has been neglected for months confronted the man’s family.

Dearl Love, a 76-year-old man who suffers from dementia, has been the focus of concern by town residents ever since they found him wandering the streets, starving and without his medication. Residents said they’ve been taking care of him, paying for his water, food and medicine, and they accused his family of ignoring him.

When Love’s sister in law, Jewel Love, and her family came to start removing farming equipment from Love’s former home, they got an earful from residents.

“The whole time he was here by himself, walking the road, trying to find something to eat, waking these people up at 5 in the morning because he was starving.”

Residents like Leigh Anne Lee said they picked up the tab, paying his bills. Even the town diner fed him meals while neighbors tried to contact his family.

Jewel Love said her brother-in-law was never left neglected. “Dearl was never left hungry. Never. I was down here every day, whether they say I wasn’t or not, I was.”

Jewel Love said that many days, Dearl would be missing when she came to visit. The sheriff’s department has no records of him ever being reported missing.

She said residents protested the removal of the farming equipment because they want it. The residents said the only thing they want is guardianship and to make sure Dearl Love is taken care of. They plan to go to court to obtain guardianship.

Source:
Residents Confront Family Over Elderly Man’s Alleged Neglect

Family Accused of Neglect

Town residents concerned about an elderly man they claim has been neglected for months confronted the man’s family.

Dearl Love, a 76-year-old man who suffers from dementia, has been the focus of concern by town residents ever since they found him wandering the streets, starving and without his medication. Residents said they’ve been taking care of him, paying for his water, food and medicine, and they accused his family of ignoring him.

When Love’s sister in law, Jewel Love, and her family came to start removing farming equipment from Love’s former home, they got an earful from residents.

“The whole time he was here by himself, walking the road, trying to find something to eat, waking these people up at 5 in the morning because he was starving.”

Residents like Leigh Anne Lee said they picked up the tab, paying his bills. Even the town diner fed him meals while neighbors tried to contact his family.

Jewel Love said her brother-in-law was never left neglected. “Dearl was never left hungry. Never. I was down here every day, whether they say I wasn’t or not, I was.”

Jewel Love said that many days, Dearl would be missing when she came to visit. The sheriff’s department has no records of him ever being reported missing.

She said residents protested the removal of the farming equipment because they want it. The residents said the only thing they want is guardianship and to make sure Dearl Love is taken care of. They plan to go to court to obtain guardianship.

Source:
Residents Confront Family Over Elderly Man’s Alleged Neglect

>Guardian Charged With Unlawful Neglect

>

The guardian of a toddler who was brought in for treatment of extensive injuries on New Year’s Eve has been charged after the child died.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office has charged Lavonda Maxwell with unlawful neglect of a child which carries a potential sentence of 10 years.

Maxwell was the 29-month-old Samauri Mayes’ legal guardian. Mayes had been taken away from her parents in Oct. 2007 because of their addiction to marijuana. The Department of Social Services (DSS) gave legal guardianship to Maxwell — cousin of the child’s parents.

Full Article and Source:
Injured Toddler Dies, Guardian Charged – Social Services Remove 2 Others From Woman’s Care

Guardian Charged With Unlawful Neglect

The guardian of a toddler who was brought in for treatment of extensive injuries on New Year’s Eve has been charged after the child died.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office has charged Lavonda Maxwell with unlawful neglect of a child which carries a potential sentence of 10 years.

Maxwell was the 29-month-old Samauri Mayes’ legal guardian. Mayes had been taken away from her parents in Oct. 2007 because of their addiction to marijuana. The Department of Social Services (DSS) gave legal guardianship to Maxwell — cousin of the child’s parents.

Full Article and Source:
Injured Toddler Dies, Guardian Charged – Social Services Remove 2 Others From Woman’s Care

>Court Failed to Notice

>

Peatrice L. Alston wanted to take care of her three children after she was gone, so she named them as beneficiaries of her life insurance policy. More than $150,000 went to the children when their mother was gunned down by her estranged boyfriend.

But when a lawyer was assigned to take over the management of those accounts, she found the inheritance had dwindled to a mere $6.50.

An insurance company alleged that the Wake County clerk’s office failed to notice that most of the children’s money had been spent by their caretakers and grandparents.

Guardianship bonds that would be worth $67,000 each once they matured were put into each child’s trust account. Maternal grandparents Benjamin and Lucy Massenburg took the two young girls and boy into their home and also began handling the trust accounts under the intended oversight of the Wake County Clerk of Court.

The Hartford Fire Insurance Co., which had to replace most of the diverted funds, sued the Office of the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court to recoup more than $110,000 in losses.

The lawsuit accused an assistant clerk of failing to make sure the money was being handled properly by the Massenburgs.

Full Article and Source:
Draining of kids’ fund spurs suit