A virus is spreading throughout the world. It affects the comprehension and common sense portion of the brain and leaves its victims dumbed-down and easily herded by the propaganda masters and their political cult. Carrie’s Take strives to provide an antidote to the mind-control and hopefully will stir up memories of long ago when our society demanded truth & honesty in journalism and expected it to be the guardian of facts, rather than PR mouth pieces for self-serving politicians and their personal agendas. ~Carrie K. Hutchens
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On Thursday, the trial continued in the case of former professional guardian Rebecca Fierle, who was accused of contributing to the death of a man under her care.
Testimony wrapped up and both sides rested after the jury heard from more than a dozen total witnesses. Fierle did not take the stand in her own defense.
She is charged with felony, aggravated abuse of an elderly person, and neglect of an elderly person. Fierle was appointed by a judge to be Steven Stryker‘s guardian in 2018 after Stryker was baker acted and ended up in an Orlando hospital.
Investigators said Fierle allegedly ordered his feeding tube to be capped and requested a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order against his wishes while he was a patient at Saint Joseph’s hospital in May 2019. The record showed that he choked to death five days later. (Click to continue reading)
WFTS Adam Walser questions Rebecca Fierle after she was removed from more than 100 guardianship cases in 2019.
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) – Another private guardian was charged with abuse of a vulnerable person on Thursday.
The young victim in the case was the first to come forward and talk with Contact 13 about corruption in the guardianship system.
Jason Hanson’s guardianship case was supposed to end when he became an adult. But Contact 13 discovered the court kept it open for seven years after his 18th birthday. And during that time, several so-called professionals came in and out of his life while the money set aside for his care dwindled away.
Darcy: “Did you get lost in the system or do you think it’s more sinister than that?” Jason: “I don’t know if I got lost in the system or if it was more underhanded than that. But the system definitely needs to change.”
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke tonight slammed the tweet that President Barack Obama posted following the shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, Mo.
Obama tweeted today:
Violence against police is unacceptable. Our prayers are with the officers in MO. Path to justice is one all of us must travel together. –bo
“That might score him point with hipsters, but it’s not going over real big with me and it’s not going over real big with the American law enforcement officer,” Clarke told Megyn Kelly.
“He took the lazy way out, he issued a tweet,” Clarke said of Obama. “He didn’t have the decency to put on a suit and go to the East Room or the Rose Garden and issue a heartfelt condemnation of what’s going on in these assaults against officers.”
Clarke said that “the assault on the American cop continues,” and he said it’s unfathomable that America has gotten to this point. Clarke explained that his biggest fear came true when Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio “trashed the reputation of an entire profession.”
On September 25, 2014, Santa Clara County Public Guardian Don Moody was “escorted from his office” according to San Jose Inside. Moody is on administrative leave following two consecutive Civil Grand Jury reports of serious deficiencies.
A grand jury report out this summer—the second in as many years—noted that Moody fails to track the amount of work and number of clients he handles. The people he hires to manage clients’ property don’t go through a thorough background check, the report found. Instead of having a panel of experts determine whether to assume control of a person’s estate, effectively revoking their civil rights, the decision lies with one person. And for years, countless referrals from the court have reportedly fallen through the cracks.
The latest grand jury report was spurred by a complaint that the office mishandled a case in which a client died before being conserved by the county.
The 2013 Civil Grand Jury report noted that written procedures at the Public Guardian’s office were not current. In some cases, procedures were years out of date.
The 2014 Civil Grand Jury report noted that written procedures at the Public Guardian’s office had current dates, but content was not current. Procedure 804.0 (slideshow above) concerning “Client Visitors, Phone Calls, Personal Mail” is of special interest given Moody’s history of unlawful imprisonment and isolation of conservatees.
In 2012, the Public Guardian was isolating conservatees from family and friends. No visitors. No phone calls. No mail. The 2013 Civil Grand Jury investigation was initiated in response to a complaint filed by this Examiner.
Conservatee Gisela Riordan was unlawfully imprisoned and isolated at San Jose assisted living facility Villa Fontana for over two years. Conservatee Lillie Scalia was isolated for a year. Both women had families who wished to visit them and to care for them. Moody used his victims’ own funds to pay to the unlawful imprisonment and isolation.
ABC7 I-Team investigated numerous abuses by Moody’s office. See video above.
Media coverage and citizen advocacy led to passage of Assembly Bill 937 (2013), which clarified that conservatees have the right to receive visitors, phone calls, and personal mail. Governor Brown signed the bill on August 19, 2013. The bill amended Probate Code 2351(a) as of January 1, 2014.
2351. (a) Subject to subdivision (b), the guardian or conservator, but not a limited conservator, has the care, custody, and control of, and has charge of the education of, the ward or conservatee. This control shall not extend to personal rights retained by the conservatee, including, but not limited to, the right to receive visitors, telephone calls, and personal mail, unless specifically limited by court order.
Procedure 804.0 fails to comply with the legislative intent or the plain language of AB 937. Conservatees have an immediate right to have visitors. The Probate Code does not modify the right such that elderly or disabled individuals can only receive visitors after a week’s delay or if the Public Guardian decides to cooperate with the visit.
The plain language of the Code is clear. Conservatee’s have the right to receive visitors, unless specifically limited by court order. The 2015 Civil Grand Jury might find Procedure 804.0 to be of interest.
Investigative journalist joins Bev Cooper to detail his recent investigations into guardian abuse both in Chicago and in Memphis, Tennessee.
Volpe is the author of two books, “Prosecutors Gone Wild” and “The Definitive Dossier of PTSD in Whistleblowers”, and Volpe will talk about Norman Hughes, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran who is being held against his will in a nursing home in Memphis, and Mildred Willis, whose family recently lost their home on the order of the Cook County Public Guardian.
By: Adam Walser
