Estate of 'kung fu judge' wins $750K in suit over his claimed unlawful confinement in nursing home
A nursing home in New York has agreed to settle a lawsuit for $750,000 that claimed a former Brooklyn judge was confined there against his will for eight months prior to his death in 2008. The case, which was brought by a nephew, also noted that his uncle was in an unheated room and did not get the diabetic diet he needed.
Known as the “kung fu judge” because of the martial arts gestures he made in court, John Phillips heard civil cases for 17 years and was said at one point to have $10 million in real estate holdings. However, he was declared incompetent in 2000, and a court-appointed guardian was disbarred for stealing over $325,000 from his estate, reports the New York Daily News. Phillips was 83 years old when he died.
The settlement with Prospect Park Residence came as trial loomed in the Brooklyn Supreme Court case. The nephew also alleged in court papers that the nursing home barred visits by Phillips’ family and friends and that owner Haysha Deitsch claimed to have a court order authorizing Phillips’ confinement there, but never produced it.
The article doesn’t include any comment from Deitsch and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle says the Prospect Park, which it describes as an assisted living facility, declined to comment on the nephew’s allegations last year, citing pending litigation.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “No $853K Guardian Payday for N.Y. Lawyer; Also Hit With $403K Surcharge”
New York Post: “Family of judge who froze to death to get $750K from nursing home”
