Dear Readers;

As you know, this blog is for YOU, the person who can no longer see grandma or grandpa, the person who listens to grandma and grandpa cry in a nursing home to go home or go to a loving home with relatives to care for her, but she can’t go–because the probate courts say so.

So, Ken and I have suffered and been prosecuted with ARDC complaints.  The problem is, we have done nothing wrong.  We talk about what YOU the reader wants to talk about. We take your side, give free legal advice, I draft form pleadings for you to use in court–all you pro-se’ers out there. 

And the ARDC apparently hates that.

I have to tell you, I have worked for large law firms that have cautioned and me and wanted to get rid of me for “giving it away for free”.  Yep, that’s right, got told “don’t work so hard for so little money.”  Well, I’m honest and I love to work.

The ARDC is going to have problems with me and Ken, well, because we’re not yellers and screamers and we don’t use foul language, so we can’t fall into the pattern of cases THEY want to use to disbar us.

We think.  We write.  We read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and we believed in all of that when our mother told us, memorize some of that stuff–it’s important.  Even my grandparents told me that.

Now I am older and my head is spinning about all of this.

And yet the legislatures–Federal and State keeps on churning out more ways to protect grandma and grandpa and Ken and I speaking out for both of them and keeping them out of nursing homes, and us telling you the truth IT IS A WIRED IN SYSTEM for a chunk of people out there.  And you can ask, well these people have a lot of money and my family has nothing so it won’t happen to me.

Think again, grasshopper.  The reality is, you can have nothing and if a wired in institution–you know the type that buys mega pharma psychotropics to chemically restrain anyone, gets ahold of someone who might have soc. security benefits, pension benefits, really anything or any “govt program” for the disabled (Danielle Murphy’s institution gets $300,000 per year– you could be in for the state tied in ride.

Don’t fool yourself.

So while Ken and I work tirelessly for you, and we are indeed the real thing, I struggle every month to make ends meet, I have long months where I turn down the heat to 60 degrees, turn off the A/C until it’s unbearable in here.  I live from month to month with no money—but it means no disgrace, no accusations from the ARDC for taking millions for no work (whew, I’m so glad of that), so I can blog for you.  And the ARDC can’t say it’s money motivated.

When I go to probate (true story) I had a probate atty AND a GAL say you won’t get paid for all that work and I (honestly) turned to them and said I don’t care.  They threatened to “tell the judge”.  True story.  I said “I don’t care”.  I don’t have any money, so there’s nothing to lose.  Go right ahead.  I am there to make sure that the WARD is cared for by the BEST person, not to make money.  So go ahead and cut my bill.  Tell me I won’t get paid.  Same ole same ole for me.

I grew up poor.  When I don’t work at large law firm (80% of my time in law), I don’t make much and I work hard.  Sounds like a fine plan for me.  I did my undergrad on a scholarship and my law degree GM (“generous mother or “General Motors”) paid for at Indiana University, so I’m not in a bind to take advantage over money.  I’m frugal.

If I don’t get a vacation this year and I work 80 hours per week BUT I keep grandma and grandpa safely at home for a few more days before being dumped in a nursing home and chemically restrained, I’m happy.

I’ll take a vacation when I’m dead. (There’s actually a song by that name, good song).

But I digress and it’s a long digression.  The reality is, the ARDC says I can’t blog for YOU.  I don’t know where the ARDC dug up attorneys to go after honest and ethical attys and say that Ken and I lie, and I don’t know how many times I can publish the fact that Mary Sykes was never served, but I will do it until my fingers bleed and fall off, that’s for sure.

So I filed a SLAPP or CPA motion.  SLAPP means (and I actually learned this in BAR review BARBARI, so thank you very much), Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation.  It evolved from mega corps going after citizens making public grievances and complaints which were groundless.  You know, where you buy a house in a subdivision, you are promised nirvana, but the model house you bought has leaky plumbing, a bad roof, bad furnance, etc. and so you take to the streets with your neighbors and protest. The developer, all high and mighty files a defamation suit against you.  So, the Illinois state legislature came up with SLAPP or the Illinois CAP or Citizens Participation Act.

Is the ARDC really any different?  I don’t represent Sykes.  i tried to back in 2009 but was booted out of the elite and gold palmed old attys club of probate.  I got over that.  So I blog.  I blog for Mary and Gloria, Wyman, Tyler, Bedin and Gore, etc. Whomever comes to me.  Whomever needs purchase and rest.

What does the ARDC do on May 7, 2013?  They deny my motion for SLAPP against them, without comment, without explanation, without findings of fact or conclusions of law.

They are obviously gold plated and high and mighty.  And I know that 130 E Randolph where they reside are pretty much part of “ivory towers”.  I get that.

So here is my Notice of Appeal and Docketing Statement to get everything going at the First District Court of Appeals.

And I know I am not particularly favored there.  I’ve had my $6 million dollar case lost due to corruption.  I know the system.  Gloria’s been up against it and she leads a line so well known on this blog and so well studied, there’s pretty much nothing left to the imagination.

The court of appeals is not an easy or pretty place.  it’s when your case gets on life support.

But no matter.  I publish this for you so you have a sample pleading and know that somewhere out there, in a very miniscule manner, there is hope.

Sykesblog Notice of Appeal and Docketing Statement

sorry, link button isn’t working, I’ll fix later

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6FbJzwtHocwNXpuMUR0UmdVMEE/edit?usp=sharing

But I want you to know, I am still working for you and your rights and I will not abandon you.

JoAnne