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Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Matriarch's well-being protected in Crean trial Food for Thought By BARBARA VENEZIA CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST For the past month, there hasn't been a day when someone hasn't asked me about when the verdict would come in the Crean trial, and not a day I haven't thought about it. On March 2 the conservatorship trial of Donna Crean began and had all the elements of a well-scripted mini-series; wealth, intrigue, forgery, deceit, tragedy and great love. It was "Dynasty" on steroids. As I walked into the court room the first day, I had no idea what lay ahead. I'd never covered a trial before, let alone one where the drama unfolding would be life-changing for someone so dear to so many, including me. Crean siblings Andy, Emily and Susie were all in agreement that their mom, suffering from advanced Alzheimer's, needed a conservator for the every day decisions she could no longer make. They felt Andy should be appointed to that position. Eldest son Johnnie, who lives in Hawaii, disagreed, stating he thought his mom just needed to "get out more." He fought the concept of conservatorship, but if one was needed, he felt it should be him. Over the course of the two-week trial, it was evident Donna was loved by her family, though Johnnie's love seemed misguided at times. So on April 20 the final episode unfolded at 2:30 p.m. in the family court in Orange. As Judge Mary Fingal Shulte entered the courtroom, anticipation was high. I sat with the Crean kids and their spouses. Johnnie was conspicuously absent. Why would he miss such an important moment? One can only guess. Judge Shulte gave an in-depth depth accounting of how she belabored the decision she was about to render. She stated codes of the probate law and re-capped pertinent testimony that influenced her. She seemed a bit disappointed that Johnnie, who had been so disruptive during trial, was not there to hear how she came to her decision. As she spoke, she did little to hide her emotions. She shared that her own 90-year-old mother had passed away a little over a year ago, and being one of 10 children, she felt this family's pain. For the better part of an hour I wondered, "When is she going to rule?" Like the end of any good mini-series, she took the drama of anticipation all the way to the final scene. At 3:30 p.m. Judge Shulte ruled Donna Crean did indeed need a conservator. You could feel the sigh of relief from the family present. Since Johnnie had withdrawn his application for conservator just before closing arguments in March, Andy's application was the only one for consideration. Judge Shulte asked all the attorneys if there was any objection to appointing Andy Crean as his mother's conservator. No objection was made. "Andy will be the captain of this ship;" Judge Shulte stated. Attorney Dan Callahan, who represented Susie and Emily in their bid to get Andy appointed, put it best as we walked out of the court house. "I'm relieved for Donna and the family," he said. "This ends unnecessary turmoil and lets this family focus on Donna's well-being." |
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