ABA “Experience” Magazine Details Multi-Prong Approach to Elder Abuse

A recent issue of the magazine “Experience,” published by the Senior Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association has several articles on current and future programs aimed at elder abuse.  The Spring 2014 theme is “Courts and the Elderly: Challenges and Solutions.” For example, an opening article by Lori Stiegel, senior attorney with the Commission on Law & Aging, reports on several elder abuse initiatives in recent years, including a special civil and criminal docket for elder abuse cases in Alameda County, California; Elder Justice Centers in two Florida counties (Hillsborough and Palm Beach); an In-Home Emergency Protective Order Initiative in Jefferson County, Kentucky; and an Elder Temporary Order of Protection Initiative in Kings County, New York.

Additional articles in the issue include:

• “The Case for Specialized Elder Abuse Protectors,” by Page Ulrey, a senior deputy prosecuting attorney in Seattle, Washington.
• “Elder Protection Courts: Judicial Perspective, Holistic Approach,” by Judge Patricia Banks (Illinois) and Judges Julie Conger and Joyce M. Cram (California).
• “Courts as Convenors,” an interview with Judge Annette Rizzo on the Philadelphia Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, by Pennsylvania Attorneys Edward Madeira and Joseph Sullivan.
• “Elder Abuse and Exploitation: How Courts Can Take Leadership in Developing Effective Responses,” by Richard Van Duizend,reporter for the National Probate Court Standards  and Brenda Uekert, of the National Center for State Courts.
• “Resources for Fighting Elder Abuse – The Hidden Crime,” also by Brenda Uekert of the National Center and Richard Van Duzend. 
• “The Illinois Experience: Increasing Access to Justice for the Elderly and Others,” by Jeffrey D. Colman, Edq., and Danielle Hirsch, assistant director for the Civil Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.