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Beware of the AFCC
History of the AFCC – Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
COURT CANCER METASTASIZES Metamorphosis of the Conference of Conciliation Courts into the Association of Family Conciliation Courts A Guide to Destroying Children BY MARV BRYER
1939 Judges, lawyers and mental health professionals got State law passed (SB 737).
The 53rd Session of Legislature. The court became a lobby group. Each and every county would pay for marital counseling to help unclog the court system from divorce cases. The Family Law code • Section 1740 et seq formed The Children’s Courts of Conciliation, which was later repealed. • Section 1760 Article III Whenever any controversy exists, disruption of household with a minor child, the Court of Conciliation takes jurisdiction: to create a reconciliation. Evidence: Senate Bill and Family Law Code Lukewarm reception
1955 A Los Angeles judge formed the first Conciliation Court as per this law in Los Angeles.
1958 The Los Angeles County courthouse at 111 Hill Street was dedicated.
1962 The Conference of Conciliation Courts (CCC) established a bank account at Security First National Bank (which later became Security Pacific Bank)
Evidence: CCC 1968 Financial Statement. A balance from 5th Annual Conference is described. This indicates the account probably began 6 years before in 1962.
1963 Conference of Conciliation Courts, a private organization, was formed. The address of record was 111 N Hill Street, Room 241, which is the LA County public courthouse.
No incorporation documents on file, and no registration with Secretary of State, Franchise Tax Board or IRS. Evidence: Statement from IRS that there is no such entity and corporation papers in 1969. The founders of CCC were Los Angeles judge Roger Pfaff and Meyer Elkin. Six (6) California counties were involved • Los Angeles County • Imperial County • San Mateo County • San Bernardino County • Sacramento County – Albert H. Mundt, Phillip Schleimer • San Diego County 339 W Broadway The incomes of Blacks, Hispanics, Orientals, Caucasians were profiled.
Evidence: Publication of first CA Conciliation Courts Quarterly
1965 Tried to get Family Law bill passed.
1965 The CCC has other states involved
• Arizona California was dropped from their publication name.
1967 CCC became a national organization.
Treasurers in Missouri and Michigan Still no incorporation documents filed; still no Secretary of State, FTB or IRS registration • President Lauren Henderson from Phoenix,AZ • VP Hugh Page from San Luis Obispo, CA • Treasurer William Shields (where from?) CCC expanded to include • Alameda County • San Luis Obispo County
1968 CCC became international.
Still no formal incorporation status, despite being an international group with a money flow. Treasurer: from San Luis Obispo In the seminar business, began giving Family Law Symposiums in Los Angeles Combined with Bar Association (marriage between attorneys and court) Have a legislative committee CCC expanded to include • San Luis Obispo • Phoenix,AZ • Chicago, ILL • Detroit, MICH • Missouri • AUSTRALIA Evidence: CC Quarterly
Money began flowing in from everywhere, despite no incorporation status, no registration with FTB o
• Income of $2716.64. Into this unincorporated entity, which did not pay taxes, flowed dollars from membership dues and conference registration fees. • Expenses of $208.64. Out flowed dollars for stamps, a rubber stamp, check imprinting, Holiday Inn meeting rooms, a refund to Conner Cole for conference registration, Hills Stationery Ledger Papers, and a mysterious entry: reimbursement to the County of San Luis Obispo for stationery. NOTE: the treasurer is from San Luis Obispo Evidence: CCC Financial Report (through May 21, 1968)
After May 21, 1968, the CCC, an unincorporated entity paying no taxes, anticipated they would have:
• Income of $700 from Registration, and $300 from County of S.L.O NOTE: the treasurer is from San Luis Obispo • Expenses of $2433.64 for banquet, luncheon, breakfast and cocktail party • Expenses to Drs. Stembr, Suares, Steller, Muhrich,Transcription costs, flowers, music and Expenses to President Meyer Elkin for publications. Evidence: CCC Anticipated Income and Expense Report (after May 21, 1968)
1969 The national CCC finally filed to incorporate as a domestic nonprofit CA corporation with Secretary of State. Michael Aaronson, attorney from San Carlos, filed these papers.
• Filed seven years after establishing the original bank account at SPNB. • The address of this corporation was Room 241, Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles 90012, which is the LA County public courthouse address. • Stated on the form filed with Secretary of State that CCC is not incorporated, is now being incorporated, and is not an outgrowth of another unincorporated predecessor (despite the fact that they have maintained a bank account for seven years under that name) • Stated on the form filed with Secretary of State that that they have not applied for an exemption with the federal government, nor filed federal tax returns (despite money flowing in and out of their account). • Defines the specific purpose: “To improve marriage counseling procedures so as to provide greater assistance to parties having marital difficulties. To attempt to improve the professional and ethical standards of professional family counseling so as to help preserve family relationships.” • Defines major activities: Conduct meetings and seminars with the various judges, handling domestic, relations and with marriage counselors and court commissioners for the purpose of disseminating knowledge and information that will be direct benefit to marriage counselors and thus benefit the families which are counseled by them. • Sources of income: dues and contributions • Purpose use of funds:“Cost of meeting halls and speakers, costs of reference books, telephone and clerical and stenographic services.” Evidence: documents filed with Secretary of State
NOTHING EVER ON FILE WITH IRS FTB contacted them because they had left off part of their articles:
Judge Victor J Baum of Michigan Edward Staniec of Michigan Franklin Bailey of Los Angeles Mailing Address: James E. Frick, 3100 S Central Ave, Chicago, Ill 60650 (Cook County) Corporation # CO376876 Evidence: Secretary of State Status Inquiry
1974 FTB contacts the corporation again because they had not named statements of officers.
Judge Solie Ringold of Washington State filed a document and said he was president of CCC. In their documents the Conference of Conciliation Courts states that it is also known as the Association of Family Conciliation Court Services
1975 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts of Law was incorporated in Illinois
Registered with IRS and Secretary of State in Illinois, but claimed they were a charity and were brand new. But Meyer Elkin takes charge shortly after their incorporation. (NOTE: he is the co-founder of the CCC) Shortly afterwards they changed to Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (dropped Law) (Not supposed to use a misleading name, claiming they are a court, but are not.) At the same time the Conference of Conciliation Courts was still operating in California and was not registered with the IRS.
1978 Child Custody Colloquium had their first conference.
1979 Conference of Conciliation Courts was suspended by Franchise Tax Board
Evidence: Secretary of State Status Inquiry
1981 The Association of Family Conciliation Courts was established as a foreign non-profit corporation
Located at 111 N. Hill Street, LA (no room number, but in courthouse) Headquarters in Cook County, Illinois They are an Illinois corporation doing business in California. • Margaret Little is a custody evaluator since 1986 until now she is the child custody evaluator and the head of family court services in LA, and is the local agent/president, corporation head of the AFCC) • Jessica Pierson is also an agent and incorporator outside of CA in Colorado Evidence: Secretary of State corporation papers filed in California No IRS papers filed.
1989 Association of Family Conciliation Courts surrenders their intrastate license to do business i
No longer supposed to be doing business in CA Evidence: Corporation papers
1990 Gregory Pentoney began working as an accountant for LA Municipal Court, 110 N. Grand, LA (same building as 111 N. Hill St., LA)
1990 Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund bank statements indicate an account was established at Security Pacific National Bank
Address was Room 1198, 111 N. Hill Street, LA. This room is the Finance Department of the LA County Courthouse. Can’t tell exactly when it was established, since bank records destroyed after 7 years (and these records were requested in 1997) Evidence: Bank Statements Current BofA bank statements state that JMEF has been a customer since 1962. Curiously, that was the approximate date of the establishment of the Conference of Conciliation Courts which was also at located at 111 N. Hill Street.
1991 The County Functional Listing directory of phone numbers and addresses does not show any entry for Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund in Room 1198
BUT there are two entries in LA and Norwalk for a Judges Trust Fund Accounting. • Judges wrote checks out of Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund for cash. (Kelly O’Meara article) • A check made out to Family Court Services Special Fund was deposited into the Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund. • A check from a District Attorney and his judge wife, David and Sally Disco, was made payable to Judges Trust Fund, and was deposited into the Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund. • This is called “diversion of funds” because one can’t cash or deposit checks made out to one entity into the account of another entity. (Penal Code 487 Grand Theft Larceny, or Penal Code 484 if under $400 or Penal Code 242 Theft of Public Funds.)
1992 Al Schonbach began working for LA Superior Court, Manager of the Finance Department (Revenue and Pace-Professional And Court Accounting Expenditures handles all Court money from every part of LA)
Judges Trust Fund Accounting was listed in the County Directory
1992 14th Child Custody Colloquium
This book states that the LA Superior Court Judges Association created the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, which was formerly the Conference of Conciliation Courts founded in 1963. How conflict resolved. Judiciary and attorneys redefined roles, to learn and celebrate interdependence. Grown in stature,work together, cooperative judges, attorneys, mental health Promotes Richard Gardner and PAS. Thanked Pat Higgins especially. She collected money from lawyers to take the classes which were created and taught by judges and psychiatrists, free tickets were given to evaluators. Calderon (legislator) and Lionel Margolin (evaluator) were part of the colloquium.
1992 April 22, 1992 Security Pacific National Bank merged into Bank of America.
BofA is now the bank of record for the Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund. The bank had to convert all the accounts from SPNB to BofA which took a year-it is a complex process.
1993
April 23, 1993 Bank of America/Security Pacific National Bank conversion completed.
All SPNB account numbers all had to be transferred and assigned a new BofA account number.
Not only was the Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund given a new BofA account number, but it also received a new name. It is now the LA Superior Court Judges Association. Evidence: a signature card with the old and new account numbers and date of conversion. Neither JMEF or LASCJA is registered with the Secretary of State, FTB or IRS. There is between $60,000 and over $100,000 in the account, and one transaction was $30,000
1993 LA Superior Court Judges Association, an unincorporated, non-profit, nonbusiness Evidence: On their business card.
Marvin Bryer’s daughter filed disqualifications on Presiding Judge Richard Denner (his Judicial Profile states his court is sexist) and head of Family Law Judge Kenneth Black in December due to fraud. At first both denied, then Kenneth Black disqualifed himself.
1994 January, Richard Denner becomes head of Family Law and is out of the case. Sacramento Judge Ford rules that since Black disqualifed himself, no hearing needs to be held.
Citizen Marvin Bryer reported possible financial fraud and wanted a criminal investigation in LA to Christopher Darden, Bureau of Special Operations (CID) in LA District Attorney’s office. . May 23, Christopher Darden declined to investigate.
Also in May, Gregory Pentoney transferred from LA Municipal Court to the Superior Court, Finance Dept Al Schoenback was his boss. • n June,Marvin Bryer contacted Pentoney and asked for copies all donations from lawyers and judges to the court. • July 19, Bryer received a letter from Schonbach, composed by Pentoney identifying donation, 2 of which were anonymous to the Colloquium. Has copies of checks, which were to Family Court Services Special Fund from the County Bar $3,848 Aug 1991, and the other was to Family Court Service April 1992 from LA County Bar $2,902. • Pentenoy said he never heard of the LA Superior Court Judges Association, but all the checks went through him for the whole county court system. • Pentenoy was later and convicted of a felony.
1995 LA Judge Richard Denner started a Child Custody Visitation Center, to train and license monitors for supervised visitation.
• One check was made out to Family Court Services Special Fund ended up in the LA Superior Court Judges Association account.
1995 In May, Melissa Morris registered to set up a business called Morris and Associates Bookkeeping Services, 7336 Quill Drive #66 in Downey, CA , a building complex owned by Gregory Pentoney.
On October 10, Tax Collector puts Pentenoy and Schonbach under criminal investigation due to the 12 checks which never were deposited in the LA County Treasurer. Total $6,750
• Starting in December 1995 to Nov 1, 1996 Pentenoy takes $463, 465 from attorney Robert Fenton (bribery) while he was under investigation. • All the checks were made to Morris and Associates. Pentenoy is later convicted of bribery, after pleading no contest in Year 2000.
1996 Suddenly Judges Trust Fund Accounting was removed from the County phone directory
In May, Marv received a letter from DA (same Bureau) thanking him for delivering evidence, and they would consider turning the evidence over to the AG.
• Also in May, Deputy Executive Officer to Auditor Judy Call (who is on the signature card for the LASCA and person who signed the checks to cash and to judges) sent a letter to Tyler McCauley, LA County Auditor- Controller (who is doing the audit). The letter stated that Judy wanted all the money transferred from the (Subject: transmission of administrative responsibility for the LA Superior Court Judges Account ) to transfer LASCA account to the judges. • LASCJA is still not registered at IRS or FTB or city. The only identity belonging to the account is the Auditor-Controller because the tax number is for LA County. None of the money has been reported to IRS. (just like if I used Marv’s SSN and opened an account…and then got a job using Marv’s SSN. He would be reported to IRS if he didn’t report taxes after cutting the W- 2. If I don’t pay taxes, they will come after the ID and Marv) a Federal crime • Also in May, a letter saying Confidential from Tyler McCauley to John Clark, admitting that there was an attempt to charge Marv $2000 which Marv called extortion. Admitted that the checks that Pentenoy gave Marv should have gone into the Court revenue, not into the private fund for judges. • Marv’s daughter subpeoned the Auditor’s investigation file. The Auditor admits they are doing an investigation but refused to give the file to her.
1996 August 6, Marv sued Pentenoy and Patricia Higgins for fraud and lying about court money.
DA raided the court with a search warrant and shut down work in Finance Dept.
• November 1, DA raided Pentenoy’s office, car, home (which is the same as Morris and Associates) and Judy Call’s office, locked up the computers and home Robert Fenton in Encino (who was bribing Pentenoy) and hid evidence. (Marv was busily suing and now could not get to the evidence.) • November 7, DA made another raid on Finance Dept and took a package marked “Marvin Bryer”,Pentenoy had notes on Marv.(Unconstitutional because no new search warrant…still don’t know what first search warrant said) • Dec 10, the Daily Journal reported the raid. (Since 1900, LA has been stealing money from the public. Pentenoy had lists of all the money that was stolen in Eminent Domain (when take people’s money) and Interpleader Accounts. He and Al Schonbach take it to the dumpster, but Pentenoy went to the dumpster later and retrieved it.)
1997 Marv Bryer subpoenaed all bank statements.
The LA Superior Court Judges Association bank statements state they have been a customer since 1962.
1998 LA Superior Court Judges Association corporation incorporated Jan 1, 1998
Registered with IRS and Secty of State/FTB with a new EIN # after Marv subpoenaed the bank statements.
2000 Hypothesis: CCC became the AFCC which became the JMEF which became the LASCJA.
We are requesting that you assist us in calling for an audit of the LA Superior Court Judges Association and the Superior Court Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund. It appears from documents included with this letter that the Superior Court Judges Association maintained a checking account, yet neither the IRS nor the County of Los Angeles claim any knowledge of this account. It appears that the Judges Association put on seminars and co-sponsored events with the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and registration fees from these events went into this abovementioned fund.
There is a possibility of impropriety that needs to be investigated because the attorneys attending these functions regularly appear in front of these judges, and the checking account seemed to be used for purposes unrelated to court administration. Bank records show that this account reached almost $80,000 in August of 1991. Several of the copies of cancelled checks included with the attached material are for ‘Cash,’ and the amounts are not trivial.The small number of checks for cash that CA NOW was able to obtain total over $4,000. In addition, there are checks to country clubs and jewelry stores. Further questions are raised by numerous checks by Los Angeles attorney made out directly to the ‘Judges Trust Fund.’ Given that the account appears to have been used for personal reasons, it seems highly improper for practicing attorneys to be paying money into this checking account.
In 1997, after Insight Magazine published an expose on the checking account, the Judges filed articles of incorporation. The address of the nonprofit, however, is the Central Courthouse in Los Angeles. CA NOW questions whether is it appropriate for the judges of the Superior Court to be operating a private nonprofit corporation out of a county government building.The name on the articles of incorporation and the checking account is the LA Superior Court Judges Association. It appears, however, that this account may be a continuation of the Miscellaneous Expense Fund, since the Bank of America records indicate that the Association has been a member since 1962, despite being incorporated in 1997.
Regardless of whether this account is the same as the Miscellaneous Expense Fund, the use that this account was put to raises even more questions. It appears from the attached documents that attorneys wishing to be employed as Child Visitation Monitors were required to complete a class offered by the Court. Attorneys attending these classes made out checks to the ‘Family Court Services Spec. Fund’ but the checks were deposited into the LA Superior Court Judges Association checking account.
In an effort to gather as much information as possible, the various administrative departments in Los Angeles County were ask to identify any records they had of the LA Superior Court Judges Association. The County Counsel for Los Angeles responded that there were no records transferring the right to use the County tax payer ID number to the LA Superior Court Judges Association, nor is there any record of a fictitious name state having been filed. It appears that the County of Los Angeles has no knowledge of the LA Superior Court Judges Association.
Obviously, this is a complex matter. CA NOW does not have the resources to fully investigate this matter, and is hesitant to make allegations.The appearance, however, is that a group of judges within the Los Angeles Superior Court are operating a checking account and a business that is essentially ‘off the books,’ with no oversight from any regulatory agency, and receiving money from attorneys who are practicing in their courtrooms.To those of us on the outside, this appears highly improper, if not illegal. For these reason, we respectfully ask for your help seeking an audit.
Here are the documents we have attached and our analysis of what they indicate:
#1) A page out of LA County Directory showing the official address of the County Court and the Finance and Pace Management Room 119A.As stated above, the County Court should not be the official address for this nonprofit, nor should the official address on this non-profit checking account be 111 Hill Street Room 119A.
#2) Documents indicate that the LA County Bar Association offered annual Family Law Workshops and “The Child Custody Colloquium,” to its members. The fees of which had been diverted into accounts purportedly held by the LA County Superior Court, but which in fact, are not under the jurisdiction of the County.
#3) Documents indicate the existence of account # 0106021263 at Security Pacific under the name of Superior Court Judges Miscellaneous Expense Fund. Into this account checks were deposited in 1991/1992 from attendees for the “Child Custody Colloquium” and out of this account checks were drawn to pay for expenses for this event and other unknown expenses.The deposited checks were payable to either “The Family Court Services Special Fund,” or the “Judges Trust Fund” neither of these purported accounts are legally incorporated. In fact, as of October 9th 1997 the expense fund had not registered a fictitious business name with the LA County Recorder.
#4) Documents indicate the existence of account #00211-80052 at Bank of America under the name of LA Superior Court Judges Association. Into this account checks were deposited from attendees for the 1995 “Superior Court Child Visitation Monitor Training Workshop.” The deposited checks were payable to “The Family Court Services Special Fund,” this purported account is not legally incorporated.Additional documents indicate that an entity The Los Angeles Superior Court Judges Association, incorporated December 1997, is using the address at 111 North Hill Street, LA CA which is the official Los Angeles County Court address as mentioned in #1 above.Additional documents indicate that as of October 9th 1997 the Judges Association had not filed a fictitious business name with the LA County Recorder.
#5) Documents indicate that the Bank of America account was using LA County tax identification number 95-6000927 and that neither the IRS nor the County of Los Angeles can confirm the legal relationship between this account and this tax identification number. In addition, the attorneys for the recently incorporated Judges Association denied knowledge of the Association’s use of the tax identification number.
#6) Documents indicate the non-existence of the Judges Trust Fund, Family Court Services and The Family Court Services Special Fund as legal entities.
Sincerely,
Helen Grieco CA NOW Executive Director
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