CLERK SACHI HAMAI: THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT.

SUP. YAROSLAVSKY, CHAIRMAN: GO AHEAD, MISS LEVY.

HILLARIE LEVY: OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE SUPERVISORS. MY NAME IS HILLARIE LEVY AND I AM ROBYN LIBITSKIY'S MOTHER. ROBYN WAS HONORED TO BE EMPLOYED AT SUPERVISOR YAROSLAVSKY'S CALABASAS OFFICE PRIOR TO HER DEATH ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2005. HER TRAGIC DEATH WAS A TERRIBLE LOSS TO OUR FAMILY BUT WHAT MADE THIS MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE MUCH LARGER IN SCOPE WAS, AFTER HER DEATH, WE DISCOVERED DOCUMENTS IN HER CONDO TELLING A HORRIFIC TALE OF DECEIT BY HER BOSS, SUSAN NISSMAN, FOR FINANCIAL GAIN. MRS. NISSMAN INTRODUCED ROBIN TO HER CLOSE FRIENDS, THERAPIST SUJI GELERMAN AND ATTORNEY HARVEY GLASER. TOGETHER, OVER A PERIOD OF SEVEN MONTHS, IN 2002, THEY MANIPULATED DYING ROBYN INTO ALLOWING THEM CONTROL OF HER $928,000 ESTATE. THEY ARRANGED FOR ROBIN, WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL, HEAVILY SEDATED ON MORPHINE AND DILAUDID, TO SIGN THOSE DOCUMENTS 2-1/2 YEARS PRIOR TO HER DEATH. THIS SCHEME WAS PRIMARILY CONDUCTED IN SUPERVISOR YAROSLAVSKY'S OFFICE, WHERE MAIL AND FAXES WERE SENT TO AND FROM HIS OFFICE. THEIR GOAL WAS TO KEEP ROBYN'S FAMILY UNAWARE OF THEIR SCHEME. BUT IT GETS WORSE. FOR 2-1/2 WEEKS PRIOR TO ROBYN'S DEATH, MRS. NISSMAN SPENT OVER 23 HOURS DURING HER WORK HOURS AT THE HOSPITAL, HER SOLE MOTIVATION BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN ROBYN'S KEYS TO HER CONDO TO GET POSSESSION OF THE INCRIMINATING DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NOW HAVE, AS WELL AS THE KEYS TO ROBYN'S SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX. SINCE ROBYN AND OUR FAMILY REFUSED TO GIVE MRS. NISSMAN THOSE ITEMS, SHE OBTAINED A NON-LEGITIMATE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE FROM MR. GLASER AND PRESENTED IT TO THE KAISER OMBUDSMAN, WHO ACCEPTED IT WITHOUT VERIFICATION AND DIVULGED ROBYN'S CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL INFORMATION TO HER. KAISER IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES FOR H.I.P.A.A. VIOLATIONS. MRS. NISSMAN TRIED TO HAVE ROBYN DISCHARGED AGAINST DOCTORS' ORDERS SEVERAL TIMES AND, EVEN WITH THE AID OF THE OMBUDSMAN, FORCED OUR FAMILY INTO A MEETING FOR THREE HOURS IN ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO HAVE ROBYN DISCHARGED. MRS. NISSMAN'S UNRELENTING ACTIONS CAUSED DYING ROBYN UNNECESSARY AGONIZING SUFFERING, AS WELL AS CHAOS IN THE HOSPITAL AS OUR FAMILY FOUGHT FOR ROBYN'S WELLBEING. ADDITIONALLY DISTURBING IS THE COUNTY COUNSEL, HUMAN RESOURCES AND AUDITOR-CONTROLLER'S OFFICES DEFENDING THESE ACTIONS WITH THE EXCUSE OF THIS DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE SCOPE OF HER EMPLOYMENT, USING COUNTY CODE 6.09 REGARDING SALARIED EMPLOYEES TO BACK UP THEIR REASONING. UNLIKE IN PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT, L.A. COUNTY SALARIED EMPLOYEES ARE FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS. MOST OF YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE HONEST AND LAW-ABIDING. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE FEW WHO ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW AND BLATANTLY ABUSE THE SYSTEM, MAKES IT IMPERATIVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO THIS CODE AS WELL AS ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF MONITORING SALARIED EMPLOYEES. TAXPAYERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS EXTREME ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM AND IMPLEMENTING CHANGES TO THIS COUNTY CODE WILL NOT SOLVE THE ENTIRE PROBLEM IN REGARDS TO THE HORRIFIC ISSUES OUR FAMILY FACED BUT IT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER CHANGES TO PREVENT FURTHER ABUSES. ALSO, THIS SMALL AND INEXPENSIVE CHANGE WILL GREATLY IMPROVE THE COUNTY'S EFFICIENCY AND SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY. THE L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISORS CONTRIBUTION OF CHANGES TO SECTION 6.09 WILL ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN IMPROVING THE PROBATE SYSTEM. THIS MONTH, STATE SENATOR FIGUEROA'S OFFICE WILL BE INTRODUCING A CHANGE IN THE PROVISION TO THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE, PLACING A TWO-YEAR TIME FRAME FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF A PATIENT'S ESTATE ONCE THEY ARE NO LONGER PROFESSIONALLY INVOLVED. THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE EXAMPLE PROVIDED OF SUJI GELERMAN, THERAPIST, AND SUSAN NISSMAN'S FRIEND WHO, ALONG WITH SUSAN, TOOK POSSESSION OF ROBYN'S ESTATE ONLY ONE WEEK AFTER ENDING A THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP. JUDGE R. RILEY, PRESIDING JUDGE OF VENTURA COUNTY, IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING JUDGE KENT KILLGREW, THE PROBATE JUDGE INVOLVED IN ROBYN'S ESTATE, BASED ON RESULTS OF THE EXAMPLE PROVIDED SHOWING WASTE TO ROBIN'S ESTATE BY SUJI GELERMAN AND HARVEY GLASER, PREVENTING THE BENEFICIARIES FROM RECEIVING THEIR DUE. THE BENEFICIARIES INCLUDED THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND ST. JUDE. THE VENTURA COUNTY SUPERVISOR, LINDA PARKS, IS LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE GUARDIANSHIP AND PROBATE SYSTEMS AND TO PREVENT FURTHER ABUSE OF THE ILL, DECEASED AND THEIR FAMILIES BY UNSCRUPULOUS INDIVIDUALS. THIS IS ALSO USING THE EXAMPLE OF ROBIN'S SITUATION AND THE RESULTS OF JUDGE SMILEY'S INVESTIGATION TO IMPROVE BETTER SUPERVISION OF JUDGES. YOUR CHANGES TO THIS SECTION OF THE L.A. COUNTY CODE, ALONG WITH THE ABOVE CHANGES, WILL SERVE AS SAFETY NETS TO PREVENT UNSCRUPULOUS INDIVIDUALS FROM SUCCEEDING AND TAKING FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE OF CITIZENS.

SUP. YAROSLAVSKY, CHAIRMAN: THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO BE HEARD? ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT? IF NOT, WE HAVE CLOSED SESSION.