Crime

Probate Court Seizes Inheritances of African Americans

Published

8 years ago

April 15, 2016

A group of people picketed April 8 at the Berkeley Probate Court, protesting that the court is seizing the property and money of a number of the inheritances and assets of elderly African Americans.

Maxine Ussery, one of the protesters, is being personally affected. She said, “We the elderly, senior citizens and African Americans are being targeted, and our basic inheritance and property are being stolen from us by the probate court.

“And they are not accountable to anyone.”

During the start of World War II by the attack on Pearl Harbor, African-Americans began to move to the San Francisco Bay Area and Oakland, in particular, where they began to establish businesses serving the community.

A number of the small business owners were able to save and build up some ownership of property and other assets.

The protesters said the assets that those from the “Pearl Harbor Generation” acquired should be left to their children or families through a Will or Living Trust Document.

Instead, those who have inherited the estates are finding themselves tied up in the Probate Court facing confiscation.

“They make major decisions about our lives and inheritances, and they have the ability to take it and put their names on it and sell it. And then they disperse the proceeds to whoever they want” said Ussery.

One of the ways the Probate Court is able to insert itself into matters of inheritance is when there is a dispute between heirs or their legal representatives over the Will or Living Trust.

“If two siblings are arguing about who should be in charge and there is no will, the court takes over and claims responsibility,” said Ussery.

The dispute serves as a justification to retain a court appointed attorney from a list of 25 attorneys, which is maintained by the Alameda County Probate Court. Almost all of the lawyers on the list are white.

The protesters are asking that the Probate Court be investigated. “This court has been given total control over people’s lives and property,” said Mrs. Ussery. “They force you to get a lawyer. We don’t get to speak up.”

“Both my friend, my brother and I were all told by the same judge to shut up, or we would be held in contempt of court,” she said.

The court essentially is taking away people’s property and saying they are not competent enough to be in control of them,” she said. “The lawyers and judges are the ones becoming the realtors. They sell our properties and don’t have to report much they made.”

For information contact the Alameda County Probate Court Reform Movement at (831) 238-0096 or email maxineusssery@comcast.net

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

5 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.