vv10-16

Richard Black
Family Court’s Continued Protection of Their Own
Guardian Concerns
Last month, the Nevada Supreme Court’s
Guardianship Reform Commission met for
the last time. After 14 months of deliberations,
including many great ideas by our own Rana
Goodman (who was a member of the commission)
they will now submit their recommendations
to the Nevada Supreme Court and State
legislature for adoption.
Although improvements were proposed, the
commission missed the expectations of many
victims and their family members.
Penalties for due process violations by judges
were not reinforced, estate charging limits were
not established, and confidentiality of evidence
was increased. The confidentiality ruling was
interesting as it only benefits the guilty.
Once a person has been targeted for a fraudulent
guardianship, transparency is their best ally.
Thanks to the previous transparency, investigative
reporters were able to inspect court records
and obtain evidence to expose Guardianship
Hearing Master Jon Norheim and his friends.
The commission refused to consider judicial
or lawyer misconduct in obvious fraudulent
guardianship proceedings. Each infraction was
Hearing master Jon Norheim
Judge Charles Hoskin
rationalized as a misunderstanding or due to
the actions of a negligent guardian.
Each time evidence was presented to the commission
or in family court with ongoing cases to
demonstrate Judge Charles Hoskin or Norheim
ruled contrary to estate documents or Nevada
law, Judge Dianne Steel would declare she was
not the appellate court and deny her obligations
per the Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure to overrule
incorrect rulings with ongoing cases anytime
new evidence is presented.
Hoskin, Norheim, and commission members
(and family court allies) Elyse Tyrell, Julie
Arnold, and Kathleen Buchanan continue
to be defended for all their suspect actions. In
fact, Norheim, and elder law attorney Lee Drizin
(who represented former Public Guardian
Buchanan and at times, professional guardian
April Parks) participated on Judge Steel’s committee
which proposed key reforms adopted by
the commission.
They all had more influence on the commission
than any victim or their family members.
Not a single guardianship abuse victim was
asked to participate on the commission or one
of its committees.
Norheim and Hoskin’s court worked to further
exploit hundreds of victims and their family
members as they begged for justice. Only the
victims who experienced his court fully comprehend
what Norheim did.
Evidence shows perfectly mentally competent
people were conscripted into guardianship
without a hearing; doctors with no experience
with the alleged incapacitated person or neurological
expertise completed a one-page form to
justify guardianship.
Norheim consistently denied estate documents
and state law in an apparent intent to
insure third parties enjoyed the estate funds.
When Norheim and Hoskin were transferred to
juvenile court, the new administration found
they had only 3,650 active cases versus the 8,600
they claimed to the public and only 4% of their
case files were compliant with state law on accountings.
The judiciary continues to defend Hoskin’s
and Northeim’s negligence. While the commission
may have ceased operations, The Vegas
Voice has not. We will continue to investigate
and let you know.
8 www.thevegasvoice.net