|
Many Veterans Never Left the Hell of War Behind...
| Edgar Goulet | The (New Jersey) Courts and those who run them are the criminals
and a fifth grader can see that. Veterans with PTSD have gone through hell and back for this Country and top priority
and all the respect that goes along with it. This game will end someday soon, as you will all be judged by someone else other
than yourselves. (Corrupt Politicians & Corrupt Lawyers)
|
| Thomas A. Ross | Government
corruption, which is quite obvious in this case, is the vilest form of governmental abuse of power. As a retired police officer,
this case violates every tenet that I placed my life on the line for every day for in order to uphold our constitution. Shame
on New Jersey. Your state's reputation precedes you, and this case confirms why. |
This is the first installment of a true story, where the stigma of PTSD was used
against me. I vowed, I would never give up, so that other PTSD sufferers would not have go through this...
Over the next week, I will add more installments of the story.
Although this has dragged out for over 12 years, there is governmet fraud involved and there is NO Statute of Limitations to bring those guilty to justice.
The greatest divorce fear of mine was the battle over custody of my two minor daughters. The
thought of losing them was traumatic in itself, but the fact that I had Post-Traumatic Stress from the Vietnam War made it
even more terrifying. Far too often, the stigma of this disability was successfully used against a Post-Traumatic
Stress sufferer. My war buddy’s ex-wife and her lawyer used it against him, successfully gaining
custody of their six children.
I
needed my children. They were my bridge to the closest thing I had to a normal life.
After over twenty years of marriage, I knew my ex-wife would not try to use my disability against me, but I did not
know the tactics her lawyer would use. After the divorce papers were filed in court, I soon found out that
my greatest fears were real. Her lawyer was using ‘verbal child abuse’ as the center
of their case. Although it was unfounded, I knew with my disability, it would be extremely hard to defend
myself against the charges.
In spite of tremendous anxiety, I had to do something.
I had buddies, who did not respond to their initial court divorce documents and were then placed in Divorce Default.
They too lost custody of their children. Although, I did not have the money, I knew that I needed
a divorce lawyer.
With 22 days left to respond
to court, I hired the law firm of Maynard & Truland (Morristown, NJ). In the first day, I had two meetings,
one with a law firm partner and the other with their divorce attorney. The contract
was signed between the law firm partner and me. The agreed upon check retainer was accepted.
Since there were no assets to divide between my ex-wife
and I, both the Maynard & Truland attorneys said that they saw no problems to get the divorce resolved amicably. I,
on the other hand, was obsessed with the fact that I was being accused in the divorce papers of verbal child abuse and the
fact I had Post Traumatic Stress.
I repeatedly highlighted that I did not want to fall into
a ‘divorce default’ and lose the children. Both attorneys reassured me that they, and the law
firm were all professionals and they knew their jobs. They both felt that my Post Traumatic Stress disability
was making me think irrational. In a few days, I would be receiving all necessary court notification papers
to sign. I volunteered to drive the papers back to the law firm and later the court to speed up the process. Again,
they reassured me that there was 22 days left and it was plenty of time to get the papers to court, before I was placed into
default. As I was leaving, they told me to call, if there were any added concerns.
It only took a few days, before my cashed-check for the retainer was returned to me.
As the days passed and I did not receive the court papers to sign, I called the law firm Maynard & Truland and
spoke to an office representative. Each time, I was told I was being irrational and to calm down.
The divorce attorney was professional and he knew his job. (At no time did I receive return communications
from a Maynard & Truland attorney.)
During
this time, my sister was operated on for cancer and had part of her lung removed. On a day, I was to visit
her in her Manhattan hospital, I checked the mail first. There was my biggest fear. The
22 days had passed without any communications to the court from the Maynard & Truland attorneys. My
ex-wife’s attorney had sent me notification that I was now in divorce default, due to my lack of response to the court
papers.
Before visiting my sister in the hospital,
I immediately called the law firm of Maynard & Truland and demanded to speak to their divorce attorney or the junior partner
of the firm. The office representative recognized my voice and asked what the problem was.
After I informed her, she asked for me to send the office a copy of the divorce default communications and promised
to have the lawyers call me.
Weeks turned into
over a month, without any written, or phone communications from the Maynard & Truland law firm. The
law firm partner and their divorce attorney did not return my letters of desperation to them. I remained
in divorce default for over three (3) months, until I sent the family court judge a letter explaining the facts.
Sometime, during
the over three months of default, without asking permission and without notifying me, the Maynard & Truland lawyers, switched
my divorce case from their divorce attorney to one of their influential, general practice attorneys Robert Correale.
At the time, Robert Correale was also serving as an assistant district attorney in the same county, and he was about
to be appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Ethics.
For the months to come, Robert Correale over-charged from the contracted rate, did some
false-billing and attended court unprepared. On the day of arbitration, I was forced to represent myself
for hours against my ex-wife’s attorney as Robert Correale sat silently unprepared next to me in a small room of the
courthouse. He later billed me hundreds of dollars for the day.
Two years later, the Maynard & Truland law
firm sued me in Superior Civil Court for a $1,600 open bill that I refused to pay. I counter sued the law
firm for Legal Malpractice on the same court docket. Since Robert Correale was now serving on the New Jersey’s
Supreme Court Office of Attorney Ethics, no New Jersey state attorney was willing to represent me without thousands of dollars
in retainer fees.
On the day of court, I was forced to represent myself and
Robert Correale (NJ Supreme Court official) represented himself and his law firm of Maynard & Truland. I
supplied evidence of Maynard & Truland own contract, their own invoices, court filed letters and court issued documents.
I also supplied federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) weekly medical records that documented everything in great
detail.
The
Superior Court judge reviewed my evidence and determined that the evidence warranted the Superior Court Law Division for damages.
Maynard & Truland open bill charges were thrown out.
What happens then: The court transcript goes missing in the courthouse, before it can be typed by the court
clerk. (Only in New Jersey).
Legal
Triple Dipping Gone Wrong
In the State of New Jersey, an attorney can simultaneously
serve as a practicing law firm attorney, serve as an assistant district attorney and serve as a member or officer of New Jersey’s
Supreme Court Office of Attorney Ethics. The influence around the State of New Jersey, one of these attorneys holds, is tremendous.
Even the federal government looks the other way… If one of these influential
attorneys is also a friend of the New Jersey Governor: WOW
Robert D. Correale is one of these ‘lucky’
attorneys. What happens, if Supreme Court Attorney Ethics official and local
D.A. Robert Correale and his law firm, Maynard & Truland bring a former client to court for an open bill?
The Superior Court judge, hearing the case, rules that based on the evidence their open bill case gets thrown
out. Their former client has a right to bring a Legal Malpractice case against Robert Correale and his law firm to the Superior
Court Law Division for damages.
What happens then: The court
transcript goes missing in the courthouse, before it can be typed by the court clerk. (Only in New Jersey).
The
State of New Jersey claims nothing can be done for the missing court transcript. (It happens sometimes…)The
federal Department of Justice (DoJ) claims this is a state issue and must be handled by the State of New Jersey.
Governor Chris Christie continues to look the other way… What adds to the twists and turns is the fact that the former client served in combat in the Marines
during the Vietnam War and is PTSD disabled. And refuses to give up.
What adds to the twists and turns is the fact that the former client served in combat in the Marines during
the Vietnam War and is PTSD disabled. And refuses to give up.
This
was just the beginning of ten (10) more years of battling with my own law firm that I hired to protect me. And
the State of New Jersey, who fought to protect the ethical image of one of their own Supreme Court officials as well as the
image of their Office of Attorney Ethics.
Please call (And have
your family and friends call) Governor Chris Christie's office at 609-292-6000 and say, "Jack Cunningham deserves his investigation request against
New Jersey's Supreme Court Attorney Ethics official Robert Correale and his former law firm, Maynard & Truland."
Please keep calling, until this disabled
PTSD veteran gets his investigation.
|
