Incapacitated: Florida's Guardianship Program
An investigative team uncovers rampant abuse and fraud by court appointed guardiansWFTS-TV’s ABC Action News I-Team zealously followed up on a tip by launching an in-depth
investigationinto Florida’s court-appointed guardianship program, which affects tens
of thousands of people. The resulting series of reports exposed
astonishing stories of elderly people stripped of their rights and
property by self-serving “guardians.” Their homes, personal property and
vehicles were often sold for a small percentage of their actual worth
and then resold by guardians’ friends for huge profits. The team first
followed 99-year-old Willi Berchau, who had been locked into a dementia
ward after being determined “incapacitated’ three times by panels hired
by the court. It was immediately clear that Berchau was not
incapacitated, but was an intelligent, alert remarkable man. The
reporters searched through records, spoke with family members and
confronted some of the guardians with clear evidence of their misdeeds.
As a result, this summer a new guardianship reform bill led to
legislative changes to help protect others.
producer; Randy Wright, I-Team photographer; Doug Iten, executive
producer of Special Reports.
Source:
2015 DuPont Awards
Note:
NASGA congratulates Investigative Reporter Adam Walser and the
fantastic staff of the ABC Action News I-Team for this prestigious
award and we extend our deepest gratitude for their
hard-hitting investigative series on the subject of guardianship abuse.
The power of the press not only
freed wrongfully guardianized Willi Berchau, but it informed the unwary
public who may not have ever heard of adult guardianship abuse, and now
- thanks to this fine reporting, can take measures to protect
themselves. Thank you, ABC Action News I-Team!
© Everything Changes http://www.mistymorgan.netI received a free product to help facilitate this review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and unbiased. For more information please see my disclosure policy located in the PR section of this site.
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