Do Not Forge the Judge's Signature

Georgia lawyer, Lynn Swank, is in very serious trouble for forging adoption documents in cases including the signature of a Judge in some of the cases she was handling.  The following report is from reporter Christian Boone at the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents on Tuesday arrested a Stockbridge attorney alleged to have forged a Fulton County judge's signature on several court orders.  Lynn Swank was arrested at her office and charged with four counts of forgery, two counts of perjury and one count of theft by deception. Swank also stands accused of lying under oath after telling the judge her former husband forged the signatures.

Fulton Superior Court Judge Gail Tusan requested the GBI investigation in January after discovering her faked signature on four orders terminating parental claims. The orders, required before a child can be placed for adoption, were presented by Swank on behalf of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, said GBI spokesman John Bankhead.

Agents allege that Swank was paid in March 2009 for legal services she failed to render. Catholic Charities first expressed concern that Swank had misled them in August 2009 and fired her a month later, Bankhead said. At that point Swank filed the four forged orders with the Fulton Superior Court Clerk's office.

Catholic Charities discovered an incorrect name on one of the orders and requested that Tusan issue a revised order. The judge's staff attorney noticed the forged signature, Bankhead said. 'We were very surprised,' archdiocese spokeswoman Pat Chivers told the AJC. 'We had worked with her before and had no problems.'

Swank was asked, under oath, if she had forged the orders but the attorney blamed her ex-husband, who she said had delivered the orders to the court. But the ensuing investigation found that the former husband was out of town at the time.

Chivers said the adoptions in question were not impacted by the forgeries. Swank was not surprised by her arrest, Bankhead said. She was taken to Fulton County Jail where she's expected to spend at least one night.

She has faced charges of ethical misconduct before. In 1999 Swank received a public reprimand for advising both husband and wife in a pending divorce suit without notifying either party that she was consulting the other, according to documents uncovered by Atlanta Unfiltered. She continued representing the wife without informing her that she had begun a personal relationship with the woman's ex-husband."
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Is there anything more problematic than lying to the court?  How about forging the Court's official signature?  Yep.  The reason is, at least with the lie, you can rationalize a la, Bill Clinton.  With the forgery of the Judge's signature you have put yourself in the shoes of the court and committed a pretty unpardonable sin.  In Attoeny Swank's case, she compounds the error by lying.  Oh and with "priors" she's hit the Bad Lawyer ethical trifecta.

White Trash, Georgia

The Augusta Chronicle reports on the efforts to provide adoption services for the Long children who were taken from a Burke County (Georgia) shack.  This story is the second one this week to catch my attention.  The picture is of the "father" Jeremy Long (pic).  This is reporter Sandy Hodson's account:

"The 10 children found living in a Burke County shack without food or utilities have begun new lives.


The court denied petitions filed by attorneys for Christine Long and a child advocate guardian to appeal the termination of the Longs' parental rights. Although the Burke County Juvenile Court records remained sealed, the fate of the minor children of Jeremy and Christine Long has been revealed in a single-sentence ruling by the Court of Appeals of Georgia.

On July 17, the court denied petitions filed by attorneys for Christine Long and a child advocate guardian to appeal the termination of the Longs' parental rights. The termination of parental rights means the children are now [available] for adoption.

Earlier this year, the Juvenile Court judge appointed to handle the Long case rejected an attempt by The Augusta Chronicle to cover the court proceedings, and closed the hearings to the public.

The Longs' minor children, who ranged in age from 1 to 17, were taken into protective custody July 31, 2008, when they were discovered by law enforcement deputies. According to police reports, there was no food or water in the home. None of the children had ever been to school or seen a dentist or doctor. The younger children had never worn shoes or ridden in a car. Several needed extensive medical care.

Jeremy and Christine Long were indicted on criminal charges of cruelty to children in the second degree and failure to provide an education. Jeremy Long pleaded guilty in June 2009 and was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation.

Christine Long pleaded guilty July 31, 2009, and was sentenced to two years in jail and 16 years on probation. She is serving the jail time by spending every other weekend in the Burke County jail. The Court of Appeals can be asked to reconsider its denial. If the court doesn't change its stand, Christine Long can ask the Georgia Supreme Court for permission to appeal, a request that is not often granted. The Longs' divorce case is pending in Burke County Superior Court. Christine Long filed for divorce in February 2009."
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These horror stories of children living in neglect and filth break my heart and fill me with dread for the life prospects of the children.  While my family upbringing was marginally better than this, I can attest to a legacy of pain and suffering stemming from poverty and deprivation especially of proper health care.  My father, a child molester, used violence and manipulation to enable his molestation of my sisters and the other young girls who visited our house over time.  The offspring of these families are no better off than the orphans of third world countries.

Meeting with the Disciplinary Authorities, Best Wishes for a Good Lawyer

I have children through the miracle of adoption.  The adoption process was unpleasant, painful, difficult, humiliating, expensive, and finally something I would do again over and over if the children who are my children were there with the Blond Super Lawyer and me at the end of the day.  My children, to this day keep me motivated to show up--and, if you have read anything I've written here over the last couple of months, it hasn't  been easy.  My daughter was 72 hours old when she was placed in the Blond Super Lawyer's arms.  My 14 month old son was alleged to be "special needs" and unplaceable--my God, we should all have his special needs:  the special need to be loved and be able to give love.  In this and many other departments he is a brilliant and beautiful guy.
 
This mash note to my brats is by way of telling you about a friend of mine who has an appointment with the disciplinary authorities in OurState, today. 

I met BB, nearly 20 years ago when a "targeted adoption" that she was handling as an attorney meant for my friends, Pat and Sharon, which they were prevented by "the adoption rules" then in place because they had adopted a beautiful baby boy, within certain time-frames then in place--even though Pat and Sharon wanted and were able to support a larger family.  My friends would later adopt a second baby--also an amazing beautiful and funny child.  And my friends, Pat and Sharon are the truly gracious and loving God parents in the truest sense of the word for both of my children both formally and informally--as well, as half of the known world. 

But this post is about BB, the adoption and family law attorney who meets with the disciplinary authorities, today.  If you pray, pray for a good outcome for her.  BB deserves a good outcome.  BB did many wonderful things over many years--including bringing discarded children and children lovingly placed for adoption together with loving parents.  Like me she screwed up, without getting into details, I imagine her deviations were not on the scale of mine--but an indiscretion sufficient to cause her endless pain and suffering. BB deserves a good outcome, in my opinon--but we are dealing with the disciplinary authorities of OurState who are capable of inconsistently reprimanding one young lawyer who screws her clients, then lies about it;  while a veteran attorney serving the indigent community who improperly notarizes a document gets suspended.  My point is that while I think the Supremes think they are being consistent, disciplinary outcomes can be and often are arbitrary and capricious.

So here's hoping for a great outcome for a good lawyer.