Family of Late Judge John Phillips Sues Park Slope Nursing Home

The family of a Brooklyn judge has slapped a Park Slope nursing home with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit charging that shoddy treatment led to his death.

The $10 million suit alleges the Prospect Park Residence - where Judge John Phillips lived for eight months until his death two years ago - refused to give him a diabetic menu and frequently missed giving him required insulin shots.

"He had diabetes that was supposed to be controlled," said lawyer John O'Hara, also a longtime friend of Phillips. "They kept screwing up. ... They killed him."

Phillips - known as the "Kung Fu judge" during his 17 years on the Civil Court bench for his habit of making martial arts moves in court - died at 83 in February 2008 after collapsing in a Prospect Park Residence elevator.

He had been declared mentally incompetent in 2001, a move some charged was politically motivated because he had announced plans to challenge Brooklyn District attorney Charles Hynes.

A series of court-appointed guardians allegedly squandered Phillips' assets, and he died owing more than $1.5 million in taxes and other debts.

Phillips' nephew, the Rev. Samuel Boykin, who is managing his estate, said he noticed signs of trouble soon after Phillips moved into the Prospect Park West nursing home.

"Looking at him, you could tell his health was going downhill fast," he said. "I was afraid that his life was in danger."

He insisted poor care - not just advancing age - led to Phillips' decline, noting the judge was "a health fanatic."

"My uncle was a 10th-degree black belt in Asiatic martial arts," he said. "He never drank. He never smoked cigarettes. He went to bed every night at 8 o'clock.

"The justice system that he served let him down. It's been devastating."

Full Article and Source:
Family of 'Kung Fu Judge' John Phillips Sues Nursing Home Over Death, Allege Missed Insulin Shots

Contact John O'Hara: OHara007@comcast.net
See Also: FreeJohnOHara

See Also:
Even a Judge is not Safe

Crosspost from StopGuardianAbuse.Com

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"The justice system that he served let him down. It's been devastating."

To the family, don't feel alone, we have all been left down by the 'system' except it isn't a system anymore it is now a business, an organized racket, untouchable and totally corrupt that has been instrumental and decisive in destroying many lives.