Outrage: From judge to ward of the court
By: Christopher Ketcham; Source: AARP Bulletin Date Posted: 2007-06-13 15:58:00-04:00
John L. Phillips was once a respected and wealthy Brooklyn, N.Y., judge. But today, the retired jurist, 84, is in an assisted living facility and his $10 million estate is in disarray.
Phillips, who has no direct heirs, lost control of his life in 2000 when the office of Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes requested proceedings in which Phillips was diagnosed with early Alzheimer's and declared incapacitated. The court appointed a guardian to conduct his business.
Hynes, whose seat Phillips sought to challenge in 1997, started guardianship proceedings, saying that the judge "appeared disoriented and uncared for." He denies he or his staff sought to place the judge in a "retirement home." But Phillips' friends and neighbors claim Hynes had ulterior motives: the judge was considering another run against the DA in 2001 and posed a threat to Hynes.
A series of court-appointed guardians have failed to file tax returns for Phillips and sold his property at unpublicized auctions. One guardian wrote checks to herself totaling at least $187,000 from Phillips' accounts and was ordered to repay the money, but hasn't. Phillips' lawyers are still waiting for an official accounting of his assets.
"The court system and his so-called guardians want to sweep this under the rug," says attorney Ezra Glaser.
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