Abuse of Veteran by Guardian and David M. Murkowski, Chief Probate Judge,Kent county probate court, Kent County Michigan, (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Let me introduce you to Richard W. Richard has M.S. and is in a powered scooter. He came here to the vets home while his home due to a drinking problem. He and his wife filed for "separate maintenance" what ever that is, and was appointed a court guardian/conservator.
Richard has since stopped drinking and has had his home renovated for handicap person access.
He is married and has grown children. And he wants to go home but cannot because he no longer controls his own life due to a court appointed guardian.
But Richard has a guardian appointed by the court (at the request of the Veterans home), that FORBIDS him from attending hearings about him. This same guardian forbids him from visiting with his wife and son, AND from even having phone conversations with them. Richard reports that she sold his car, and that there is large amount of money, 13,000 or so dollars missing from their bank accounts, for which the Guardian reportedly used to hire an attorney to force Richard and Sheryl to get a divorce; which neither wanted.
Today, Monday 12 March 2012, Richard went to court to have the guardian removed. Richards wife showed up and was arrested for missing a previous hearing that she was improperly served, and was held on a 2,000 dollar CASH bond. Such is unheard of for mere contempt of court charges.
Richard is now going to claim false imprisonment, denial of Constitutionally secured rights, and obstruction of his freedom, interference with a contract (his marriage contract). He no longer wants to be at the veterans home, he wants to GO HOME, to his home in Norton Shores where he has lived for the past decade.
He said both Guardian and Judge acted against him, and did not give him any say in his future or his present condition.
He wants to go home. The lawyer for Richard said that today a travesty of justice occurred. How a guardian can forbid a man from seeing and talking to his wife and children is beyond any common sense, yet this is what the judge is allowing to happen.
I just spent an hour talking to a neutral witness to the 4 hour proceedings. Both Richard and his wife Sheryl, had separate attorneys, who represented them.
It is being reported that during the proceedings, Judge Murkowski was reading documents from other cases while testimony was being given. And that when put on the stand to answer questions, Richards wife Sheryl was yelled at by the Judge who raised his voice and told her not to answer questions the way she was. Instead of instructing the lawyer to instruct his client how to answer questions properly the judge instead took out his frustrations on the witness. He later apologized, but I have a feeling that this is normal procedures by this judge. Such actions are very unprofessional in any court room. It is also reported that this judge directly questioned the witness on behalf of the prosecution. I.E. he failed to remain neutral and showed a great deal of prejudice towards Richard.
Also, the neutral witness has told me that when asked why she thought she could do a better job of caring for Richard, Sheryl answered because she loved him. Richard was not allowed to testify, but made a statement: I want to go home because as soon as I get back to the vets home, I will be offered a drink.
There are lots of drunks here at the vets home and NO ONE is offering them any help until they come in stumbling drunk and end up hurting themselves. Only then are they sent to detox, and no other help is offered after they get back.
I am told that when they came to get Richard from the house, Richard had hit rock bottom with his drinking and is now sober. He still loves his wife and wants to get back with her. What is so bad about this? Why does the court think that an institution would be better for Richard? They think so because they do not think Sheryl can handle his finances. And that puts us on the same track as to whats happening to fellow veteran Fred whom I have written about in this blog.
I think we are demonstrating that the veterans home does all it can to obtain control over the finances of its members, so that it can seize the money and use it for what they want. If this is the case here, then they are an accessory to the destruction of the marriage between Richard and Sheryl.
Also, I am told that Sheryl was asked if she would be willing to accept a NEW or DIFFERENT conservator/guardian and she said yes, but the judge ignored that request.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments are screened for privacy reasons, and those posted are posted "as they were written" minus any information that the writer sent to us that is for our use only or for which they requested be made private.