Imagine this:

A stranger discovers that your elderly mom has assets.

This stranger and a local probate attorney file a petition for guardianship. The friendly judge signs an order. The legal obligations are completely ignored.  No notice to close relatives and loved ones.

Instantly, your mom loses all rights to manage her own life – the right to decide where she lives, which medical treatments she receives, with whom she interacts, how she spends her money. She cannot enter into contracts, write a check, hire her own lawyer, or sue her abusers.   

Promptly, 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, blocking family contact. Your mom is left defenseless, alone, and legally prohibited from leaving.

This is not a theoretical horror story. Families and advocates report that such cases have repeatedly occurred in the Denver Probate Court under Judge Elizabeth Leith.

Any Colorado family could be next.

This is why families are demanding change.

Judge Leith does not belong on the bench. She is up for renomination by Governor Polis right now. Tell him not to reappoint her.

Colorado has been warned of this abuse repeatedly. 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. We urge you to deny Judge Leith’s renomination to the Denver Probate Court and appoint a probate judge committed to transparency, due process, and oversight of guardians and conservators.

Read the full dossier about Judge Leith, including case summaries and documentation, here, and sign our petition:

https://theprobatetrap.org/judge-elizabeth-leith-denver-probate-court/