Sign The Petition To Remove Judge Leith From The Bench
Imagine this:
A stranger discovers that your elderly mom has assets.
This stranger and a local probate attorney file a petition for guardianship. The judge signs an order. Legal obligations are ignored. No notice to close relatives and loved ones.
Instantly, your mom loses the basic rights to manage her own life – where she lives, which medical treatments she receives, whom she can see, and how she spends her money. She cannot enter into contracts, hire her own lawyer, or sue her abusers.
The guardian starts selling your mom’s assets, billing huge hours, and draining the estate. When you object, the judge issues a restraining order – against you. The guardian places your mom in a nursing home against her will, blocks family contact, and your mom is left defenseless, alone, and legally prohibited from leaving.
This is not a theoretical horror story. This is what a predatory guardianship looks like.
Families and advocates report that such cases have repeatedly occurred in the Denver Probate Court under Judge Elizabeth Leith. Any Colorado family with an aging parent or vulnerable adult could be next.
Judge Leith does not belong on the bench. She is up for renomination by Governor Polis right now. Tell him not to reappoint her and do not let her run the Denver guardianship system for another six years.
Colorado has been warned about guardianship abuse for years. State audits in 2006, 2011, and 2017 found serious failures in court oversight of guardianships. In 2011, Chief Justice Michael Bender told legislators he was “severely, substantially concerned” and promised: “We understand the problem, and we’re going to make it a priority.” Yet nothing changes. Judge Leith still presides.
Governor Polis, Colorado must stop guardianship abuse. Deny Judge Leith’s renomination to the Denver Probate Court and appoint a probate judge committed to transparency, due process, and real oversight of guardians and conservators.
Read the full dossier about Judge Leith, including case summaries and documentation, here, and sign our petition
