COURT REPORT ON LEE PETERS
NOTICE: We return to court on Wednesday and Thursday, June 29 and 30, from
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. PLEASE JOIN US.
Your moral support really makes a difference.
Thanks to the 20 people who showed their support for Lee last Wednesday.
[They ranged in age from 13-year-old Sebastian Mayorga to 87-year-old Leland
Lee.]
GOOD NEWS:
No permanent conservator for Lee Peters was appointed on June 15. This was
a victory, as it was widely expected that the temporary conservator would
win permanent status that day.
Another victory was that visitation was extended from one hour to two hours
per day. This allows time for a more leisurely interaction with Lee.
BAD NEWS:
On the negative side, Lee Peters is still being held captive where she does
not want to be. She is becoming less ambulatory and is losing mental focus.
WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT:
On June 15, a hearing was held in Los Angeles Superior Court in the
matter
of the proposed Conservatorship of the Person and Estate of Lee Peters.
The afternoon began with a real-life courtroom drama, as the attorney
for
Lee’s son and longtime caregiver, Casey Peters, asked to approach the
bench. After 10-15 minutes of quiet consultation, the judge announced that
the attorney was dismissed from the case and that Casey and Marilyn Peters
would have to represent themselves In Pro Per.
The judge struck a plethora of paperwork that had been compiled and
filed
by Marilyn and Casey, but let it be known that the evidence could be
reintroduced.
Casey Peters made an opening statement some 40 minutes long, reviewing
the
chain of events that have led to this legal battle. His main points were
that: (1) More than 60 friends, neighbors and family members had written
letters, and a like number had signed petitions, supporting Lee Peters right
to remain in her own home of 48 years, and that the level of care provided
Lee was enviable for anyone with neurological blindness, partial deafness
and dementia; (2) Adult Protective Services and other independent
investigative agencies had filed glowing reports about Lee Peters’ home
life; (3) no complaints about Lee Peters’ care had been raised by her
other two sons for the first 6 ½ years, until property values suddenly
skyrocketed and they decided it was time to sell her house and split the
proceeds; and (4) the primary concern should be to maintain Lee Peters’
accustomed quality of life, health and happiness.
One of the four attorneys on the other side gave a 3 minute opening
statement, then Casey started calling witnesses from among the 20+
supporters of Lee Peters who were present.
First on the stand was Robert Smith, who identified himself as a co-founder
of Hyatt Hotels. He testified as to the excellent situation Lee Peters had
prior to being taken from her home.
Supporting testimony was offered by John Donahue, Dr. David Adelson, Denise
Munro Robb, and Frank Boeheim. Unfortunately, a court rule was imposed to
prevent a broader range of witnesses from testifying.
Dr. Adelson, a researcher in basic neurology at UCLA, spoke not only about
the help provided by Casey to his mother but also about the service Casey
had provided to the Pacifica Foundation in administering its first election
of the KPFK governing board by the listener sponsors.
Mr. Boeheim (pronounced “Bay-Hime”) identified himself as a frequent
visitor to the Lee Peters household, and as having visited her also at the
facility where she is now held. As such, he was able to draw a stark
comparison as to her normal way of life and the sorrowful state she now
endures.
After a break, Casey Peters called his beautiful wife Marilyn to the
stand.
Their love for each other and for his mother Lee filled the courtroom.
Marilyn, as Lee’s co-caregiver for the past two years, spoke eloquently on
a breadth of topics regarding Lee’s condition, care and well-being, as
well as on the indifference shown by the two sons who want to collect an
early inheritance. Marilyn described in detail the daily and weekly routine
Lee had enjoyed when living at home, and compared it with the drab existence
of her having nothing to do in the facility: no conversations, no walks in
the fresh air and sunshine, no dancing, no going to movies or concerts,
nobody to read aloud to her.
At one point, when Marilyn described an offer of a quarter million
dollars
from a trustee of the Lee Peters Trust for agreeing to the sale of Lee’s
house, that trustee yelled out “LIAR!” and the judge threatened to expel
the trustee from the courtroom.
The judge listened closely to Marilyn’s testimony until nearly 4:30
when
she set continuation dates for June 29 and 30.
ABOUT LEE PETERS:
Lee Peters has been a very independent woman all her life. Now
stricken
with neurological blindness, partial hearing loss and dementia, she has
managed to lead an active lifestyle with the help of her son Casey Peters
and daughter-in-law Marilyn Peters.
That was until April 20, when a court-appointed temporary conservator
placed Lee Peters in an assisted living facility. This action occurred
against Lee’s will, as she wishes to remain living in her own home of 48
years.
Under institutionalization, Lee Peters has lost weight, strength,
energy,
and her joy for life. Her rapid decline is particularly alarming given the
time it takes to try to correct this judicial error through the legal
process.
For more information, view www.lasuperiorcourt.org/probatenotes
Then enter the case number: BP 085494
You can also view the case summary online.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1) Come to court on Wednesday, June 29 and/or Thursday June30, from 1:30 to
4:30 both days. The hearing is on the appointment of a permanent
conservator for Lee Peters. The courtroom is Department 11, in room 246 on
the 2nd floor of Los Angeles Superior Court, 111 North Hill St., downtown
near the Metro Red Line Civic Center Station. Free parking is available
north of Cesar Chavez (Sunset) on or near Grand Avenue.
2) Write a letter sooner, rather than later, from your point of view about
Lee Peters’ right to remain in her own home with family caregivers. You
may draw upon your own family’s experiences. Please tell us about your
impressions of Lee, whether you met her in public or have been to her home.
Highlight her grooming, her personality, her interaction with others, and
her still-sharp sense of humor. Please address the letter to Los Angeles
Superior Court, and send it to Lee’s own house at 446 South Van Ness
Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90020 or email it to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or
Questions? Call us at 213-385-2786.
3) Visit Lee at the assisted living facility in West Hollywood. Visiting
hours are 10 am-noon, 1-5 pm, and 6-7 pm. For location and details, call
213-385-2786.
4) Provide legal and logistical assistance. Casey and Marilyn have been
working In Pro Per for a year on this case. We will probably need to take
this to appellate court. This is a labor of love to save a very special
person.
5) Help publicize Lee’s plight. There are many fascinating aspects to
this case, including charges of forgery, grand theft, perjury and elder
abuse against former trustees of the Lee Peters Trust. They are still
walking free while Lee has been institutionalized. Lee’s own background
as a manager of child actors and key costumer for such shows as Charlie’s
Angels and the Love Boat, her service in the Signal Corps in World War Two
and her growing up the child of a coal miner turned union organizer, adds
human interest to this heart-rending situation.
Thank you for your kind support.
