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By: Rick Black / Guardianship Concerns<br />
Editor’s note: One of the first people The<br />
Vegas Voice met when starting our guardianship<br />
investigation was Rick Black and his wife Terri.<br />
They are without any doubt one of the “good guys” victimized by<br />
the guardianship system.<br />
Rick’s research and tireless actions to highlight this scandal in<br />
Nevada (and across the country) far surpasses anything that we<br />
have Mdone. Every senior owes Rick a “thank you” for his efforts.<br />
y family was first introduced to adult guardianship in 2013.<br />
That experience has taken my life on a journey I never dreamt<br />
could happen, chose or wanted.<br />
Since that summer, I have investigated over 500 adult guardianship<br />
case files and counselled over 1,200<br />
victims and survivors of fraudulent adult<br />
guardianships nationwide. The results the<br />
victims’ coalition achieved in Nevada with<br />
the help of Darcy Spears of KTNV, Colton<br />
Lochhead of the LVRJ, Dan Roberts and<br />
Rana Goodman of the The Vegas Voice is<br />
nothing short of a miracle.<br />
Judicial and elected leadership ignored<br />
the complaints. Local law enforcement<br />
refused to challenge the judicial leadership<br />
in Clark County Family Court. They all<br />
denied the claims of hundreds of victims<br />
for over 25 years.<br />
The efforts of the victims’ coalition<br />
motivated Nevada Attorney General Adam<br />
Laxalt to conduct the most extensive investigation of any state attorney<br />
Getting permission to film while uncovering such a conspiracy<br />
that was operating through Family Court was extremely difficult.<br />
Without the help of Rana Goodman and Dan Roberts at The Vegas<br />
Voice there would be no film as I would not have had the access that I<br />
did through their assistance.<br />
We even had to have a hearing in Family Court to whether or not<br />
they would allow us to film with which The Vegas Voice represented me<br />
and championed for my constitutional rights.<br />
Because of their<br />
patience and persistence<br />
they helped me navigate<br />
through this convoluted<br />
mess and for that I<br />
am eternally grateful.<br />
BILLIE MINTZ<br />
Director<br />
“The Guardians.”<br />
32<br />
GUARDIANSHIP SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
But Too Many Got Away<br />
Thank You Vegas Voice<br />
February 2019<br />
general into these matters ever in the U.S. A study of press releases going<br />
back to 2000, found no state with the number of criminal convictions<br />
of administrative court sponsored parties as that achieved by Laxalt’s<br />
Elder Exploitation Unit.<br />
His team’s focus has led to 11 indictments and 10 convictions<br />
statewide for persons abusing their powers via probate and adult<br />
guardianship court dysfunction. The trial of LVMPD Lt. James Melton, is<br />
set for February 25, 2019. The court that claimed to protect vulnerable<br />
adults via their orders and oversight in fact was routinely complicit in<br />
their abuse and exploitation.<br />
The convictions of five of the six Parks Gang conspirators has “taken<br />
the most significant guardianship exploitation case to resolution” per<br />
Attorney General Laxalt. Unfortunately, the lone attorney indicted in<br />
In happier days. Guardian victim Del Mencarelli, grandson Daniel,<br />
daughter Terri and son-in-law Rick Black<br />
his guardianship exploitation sweeps was Noel Palmer Simpson.<br />
Simpson was convicted in November but will not be sentenced until<br />
March after she testifies at the trial of James Melton. Simpson will lose<br />
her Nevada law license and is projected to only get probation for her<br />
felony conviction and conspiracy with Parks.<br />
Family victims presented evidence on over 25 attorneys, guardians<br />
and caregivers for suspect criminal actions to the Nevada Attorney<br />
General beginning in 2015. April Parks alone routinely used ten<br />
different attorneys to defend and protect her criminal actions as a<br />
guardian.<br />
Noel Palmer Simpson, Lee Drizin, Aileen Cohen, Ethan Kottler,<br />
Bryan Lowe, Robert Winn, Trude McMahan, Chris Philips, Julie Arnold,<br />
Carol Kingman, and others all represented or legitimized her. All her<br />
attorneys, except Simpson, escaped any prosecution and she received<br />
a slap on the wrist given her crimes and obligations as an “officer of<br />
the court.”<br />
Even though Nevada is to be commended for their efforts, dysfunction<br />
continues to dominate these proceedings and known legal community<br />
predators continue to operate freely within it. NEVER agree to being<br />
placed, or have a loved one placed, into adult guardianship. The risks<br />
are far too great.
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