NEVADA GUARDIANSHIP COURTS…A “Den of Iniquity”
6 min read
It took a local Las Vegas News outlet, KTNV 13 Investigates to expose the initial problems within the Nevada Guardianship Court system.
Family members of a professional guardian were ignored by the Court, resulting in the physical and financial abuse at the hand of the unscrupulous April Parks.
The Nevada Legislature enacted several statues in order to correct the “deficiencies” in the system that allowed the abuse of those under guardianship.
Statues which some Guardianship Judges, like Linda Marquis and Bryce C. Duckworth treat as more of a suggestion then actual law.
Judge Linda Marquis [Left] has been credibly accused by Veterans in Politics of failing to uphold her campaign promises and being partially responsible for the death of a 7 year old child from child abuse. The Father, a military veteran, tried to save the child by reporting the abuse issues to CPS and the Family Court. The attempts were unsuccessful.
In Fact, in light of Judge Marquis presiding over another Veterans case, a disabled adult male, Judge Marquis displayed similar disinterest in doing the right thing. In fact, she accepted bribery [in the form of legal services] from an unscrupulous court appointed attorney working with Legal Aid of Southern Nevada.
Having reviewed the video recordings of hearings held in the Disabled Veterans case [those hearing Marquis actually held, because god forbid you actual do some work for that tax payer funded check] Marquis could not be bothered with things like facts.
According to the hearings and court records, Judge Marquis was to busy covering up for the attorney that had bribed her, Michal Kostrinsky.
Legal Aid of Southern Nevada attorney Michael Kostrinsky was appointed to represent disabled Veteran Nicholas Allen Sarnelli, USN Retired / Disabled in service to his Country.
Mr. Kostrinsky has never met, consulted with or inquired into the wished of Mr. Sarnelli or his family and guardian. Though this is only one of the many rules of professional conduct Mr. Kostrinsky has violated in his representation of Mr. Sarnelli.
On no less then 5 occasions, Kostrinsky has went before the guardianship court, either in person or through pleadings, and blatantly lied. He even had the audacity to ask the court to violate Due Process and cannon of ethics by asking it to ignore his misdeeds.
Ironically, Legal Aid of Southern Nevada was appointed by former Guardianship court Judge Vincent Ochoa who was removed from child custody cases after admitting to violating Nevada Child custody laws. But then Guardianship Judges ignoring or violating Nevada’s own laws has been become commonplace in Clark County.
Meet Judge Bryce C. Duckworth [Above Photo - Right]
Besides being Crooked lawyer Michael Kostrinsky’s greatest fan, Judge Duckworth is no advocate for the Courts Wards, especially Veteran wards. One such instance is the case of our Veteran Sarnelli. The suggested “Guardian of Estate” [guess who recommended them?] Nevada Guardian Services, LLC attempted to fraudulently bill Mr. Sarnelli’s Estate for over $7000 in fees from his estate.
Guess who did not oppose the attempted fraud? If you guessed the guy who recommended their appointment as Guardian of Estate, and Judge Duckworth’s buddy, Michael Kostrinsky, you would be correct!
It was only after Sarnelli’s uncle, and Guardian of Person, raised an objection to the attempted fraudulent billing, that Nevada Guardian Service, LLC submitted a superseding invoice billing, wherein they removed the charges opposed by Sarnelli’s uncle. In-fact, they had to submit yet another corrected billing, removing more fraudulent charges.
Judge Duckworth is supposed to be a protector of those under guardianship subject to his courts jurisdiction, refused to hold the attempted fraudsters accountable, though Nevada Code of Judicial conduct so demands. But then, as pointed up earlier, Judge Duckworth, like Judge Marquis, find those things merely suggestive.
What is truely troubling about Judge Duckworth’s failure is that these same individuals who were appointed upon suggestion of Michael Kostrinsky, can continue to be appointed, or serve as, Guardians of other vulnerable individuals estates. If those individuals do not have family members who monitor the billings and charges to their family members estate, theses fraudsters might be successful in future attempts. And don’t count on the Guardianship court Judges to prevent it. Like Duckworth, they just don’t care.
In one of the most nefarious abuses of the vulnerable people under the Clark County Guardianship Courts supervision, the “Courts Appointed” Professional Guardian, April Parks, along with a decorated LVMPD Officer and others, physically and financial abused their elderly clients, wiped many of them out financially, and refused families access to their relatives.
Family members repeatedly attempted to bring the issues to the Clark County Guardianship Courts attention, but were ignored…..until KTNV Las Vegas Channel 13 News investigated. Wile many changes have been made, the Guardianship court appears tohave learned nothing from the April Parks events and has fallen back into the pattern of laziness and ignoring family member concerns. This time, the abuse of the vulnarable by the supposed gatekeepers. Once again, at least in the Sarnelli Case, the Guardianship Courts appointees…. Legal aid and Nevada Guardian Services, violations of laws and ethics governing their activites, goes ignored by the Clark County Guardianship Court.
Corrupt Judges like Linda Marquis, and essentially lazy Judges like Duckworth, seem content to cede their responsibility to unscrupulous attorneys like Micheal Kostrinsky and his colleagues at Legal Aid. Below are some Guardianship related reviews of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.
Two equally useless agencies in Nevada are the Nevada Bar Association and the Commission of Judaical Discipline. Sarnelli’s family filed a detailed complaint with the Commission of judicial discipline, providing irrefutable facts and evidence, which remains undisputed, claiming that Judge Marquis not only accepted a bribe from Michael Kostrinsky, but that Marquis went so far as misrepresent the clear filing record in a case, in order to protect her briber from accountability for his many misdeed, and had also committed multiple violations of the Nevada Code of Judaical Conduct.
When Sarnelli’s family was unable to remove Kostrinsky from his ineffective and possibly corrupt representation of their family member,the courts NOT ALLOWING them to hire a private attorney for Sarnelli, the family filed a complaint with the Nevada Bar association.
This was the response [left] from the Nevada Bar. It should be noted that a very detailed complaint was submitted and outlined every instance along with recorded evidence and / or citation, such as hearing videos and their timelines, that supported every allegation within the complaint submitted.
The Nevada Bar did noting but look at the Courts calendar and notes, which tell you nothing of the what occurred or even the allegations in the filings making their way to the calendar, and thus was a useless review.
“They do not believe they can meet their high burden of proof”
What the heck?
Having reviewed the filings, responses and hearing videos, we have to share the Sarnelli uncles observation and quote….
“If you ever wonder what kind of low life scum would take advantage a disabled Veteran or vulnerable elders, one need nothing more then to look from the bench to the legal aid table in the Clark County Guardianship Court”
Nicholas’ family has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against Clark County and the principle parties named in this Story, and has indicated he is in the process of amending that lawsuit due occurrences which have taken place since it was fist filed. While Judges do enjoy absolute immunity for action taken in connection with their work, they can still be sued for injunctive relief. We will keep you updated as those events unfold.
In the Meantime, Clark County residents can hold these Judges accountable at the ballot box. Remember their names, and we will remind you at election time. its time to hold those who believe themselves above the law and unaccountable, accountable. If they are to incompetent or lazy to do the jobs they are paid for with your tax dollars, they should not have those jobs.
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