Dorothy M. Carrino, (Daughter) Alee Carrino-Ohio

What I’ve learned over the past 5 years being a National Guardianship Reform Advocate observing more than 50 probate guardianship hearings, both in person and zoom, across the country, is that this isn’t just an isolated issue. It’s a systemic crisis affecting millions. Families are being ensnared in a corrupt system that profits from the exploitation of human lives and estates. How do I know? My mother was put into a lockdown unit with an ankle monitor. She appeared to be overmedicated, neglected, and abused. As a concerned daughter I filed for emergency guardianship in 2020, when she almost died from sepsis. I spent thousands of dollars trying to save my mom’s life. I couldn’t free her. She was being isolated. Even though I was a nurse’s aide, I wasn’t allowed to take her out of the facility for any reason. For 5 years she was in two separate facilities from February 6, 2019, until she died January 15, 2024.

One judge determines the fate of an American citizen without hearing from the person, or seeing any of the evidence, and yet continues to make unjust rulings that negatively impact a person’s life and their family forever. The American Bar Association realizes there’s a problem and yet, regrettably, most fail to obey their oath as law officers of the court. I believe this abusive guardianship system should be abolished and end the unchecked power of qualified immunity. It isn’t about helping others but using courts as tools for human and estate trafficking. Families deserve the fundamental right to care for their loved ones without interference from profit-driven state actors who operate without oversight or consequences.