Opinion ID: 2160038
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Emergency Hearing

Text: Upon learning that Ms. Pollack had removed Ms. Orshansky without its authorization, the Hospital notified APS, the police and Mr. Jordan. It then filed an amended petition, informing the probate court that Ms. Orshansky is incapacitated and was fraudulently removed from [the Hospital] by her relatives and moved to New York State. The amended petition requested the immediate appointment of a temporary guardian and conservator to protect Ms. Orshansky and her assets. On January 25, Judge Christian held an emergency hearing on the amended petition. In attendance were representatives of the Hospital, Mr. Jordan on behalf of Ms. Orshansky, Dr. Meyers of APS, and George Teitelbaum, an attorney who appeared on behalf of Ms. Pollack. Dr. Meyers testified regarding APS's involvement with Ms. Orshansky, the January 2 meeting with Ms. Pollack and Mr. Shapiro, and the events leading up to the emergency hearing. Dr. Meyers stated that Eugene Shapiro was present when she made her first visit to Ms. Orshansky's apartment in November, and Ms. Orshansky lashed out at him verbally at the time and adamantly wanted him to leave. Dr. Meyers also testified that APS had told the family that it was investigating everything that is connected with Ms. Orshansky, and had asked for financial information which the family refused to supply. Dr. Meyers asked the court to intervene because APS is not satisfied with the actions of the family, and [does] not believe that Ms. Orshansky is in the safest care at this time. Mr. Jordan supported the Hospital's emergency petition and volunteered to serve in the role of temporary guardian and conservator. He reported that he had visited Ms. Orshansky when she was still at the Hospital and found her to be confused, disoriented and unable to take care of herself, but content, not agitated, and physically okay. He saw nothing to suggest that she wasn't getting the best of medical attention. When Mr. Jordan learned that Ms. Orshansky had been removed, he telephoned her niece, Eda Shapiro (Eugene Shapiro's wife). According to Mr. Jordan, Ms. Shapiro was hostile to his inquiries and refused to answer his questions. She insisted that the family was following the instructions of their attorney in New York and acting in accordance with law. Mr. Jordan also reported that he had learned from APS that Ms. Orshansky had significant assets, which included co-op apartments in the District and New York, a government pension, and an account in the District with Merrill Lynch. He said that a Merrill Lynch customer representative had informed him that the account held nearly a million dollars, and that Eugene Shapiro had contacted Merrill Lynch to request that the account be transferred to New York. Merrill Lynch had declined to accede to that request and had frozen the account. Mr. Jordan expressed his concern that Ms. Orshansky would not be safe in New York because she wasn't taken care of down here even though the family acknowledged what was going on. Hate to say this, he added, but I think there's a lot of money involved here and that might be a driving force. Speaking for Ms. Pollack, Mr. Teitelbaum moved to dismiss the amended petition on the grounds that Ms. Orshansky had not been given notice of the emergency hearing and that the court lacked jurisdiction because Ms. Orshansky no longer was domiciled in the District of Columbia. Regarding the merits, Mr. Teitelbaum argued that no guardian or conservator was needed because there existed what he called a valid power of attorney, i.e., the health care proxy, a copy of which he furnished to the court for its examination. Mr. Teitelbaum argued that the proxy authorized Ms. Pollack to remove Ms. Orshansky from the Hospital, and that she did so because her aunt was suffering and had no medical problems requiring her to remain there. Mr. Teitelbaum agreed that Ms. Orshansky was incompetent but argued that when she was lucid she had made arrangements to be cared for by her relatives in New York if she were to become incapacitated. Rejecting the jurisdictional and notice objections to the proceeding, [3] Judge Christian granted the Hospital's amended petition for the temporary appointment of a guardian and conservator. Finding that Ms. Orshansky was an incapacitated individual who was unable to manage her affairs or care for herself, the judge further found that she had been improperly removed from the Hospital and transported to New York while the original petition was pending. Judge Christian did not explain why she found that Ms. Orshansky's removal from the Hospital was improper. The petitioners presented no evidence that the health care proxy was invalid or inoperative, that Ms. Pollack had removed Ms. Orshansky against her will, or that Ms. Orshansky's removal threatened her health or violated any law. Nor did the judge make findings to that effect. After making her findings, Judge Christian accepted Mr. Jordan's offer to serve as temporary guardian and conservator for Ms. Orshansky and appointed Tanja Castro, another attorney on the court's fiduciary list, to replace him as her attorney. Declaring that all Powers of Attorney heretofore signed by Mollie Orshansky for any purpose, including healthcare, are hereby voided, Judge Christian directed Mr. Jordan to go to New York and determine and provide for Ms. Orshansky's best interests, care, and placement. Judge Christian did not explain the legal grounds on which she voided the health care proxy and any other powers of attorney that may have existed. The judge further instructed Mr. Jordan to return Ms. Orshansky to the District of Columbia and George Washington University Hospital if he deemed it appropriate to do so. Judge Christian also directed Mr. Jordan to take immediate control over Ms. Orshansky's assets and ordered her accounts frozen until he succeeded in doing so. Three days later, on January 28, Ms. Pollack petitioned the New York Supreme Court to appoint her to be Ms. Orshansky's guardian and conservator. The New York court ordered all concerned parties, including Mr. Jordan, to show cause why the petition should not be granted, and scheduled the matter for a hearing in March. In the interim, the court prohibited the removal of Ms. Orshansky from New York City.