Alanna's Lawsuit

November 3, 2002

LAWSUIT FILED BY ALANNA KRAUSE AGAINST HER FATHER, THERAPIST, AND COURT-APPOINTED ATTORNEY

Marin County's Marshall Krause, Sandra M. Acevedo, Lana Clark, Ph.D. and Diamond, Bennington &Simborg, P.C. all named in Federal Lawsuit

Eighteen year old Alanna Krause filed a multi-million dollar federal court lawsuit [Case No. C-02-5277, Northern District of California] on November 1 in San Francisco against her father, Marin County attorney Marshall W. Krause, her psychotherapist Lana Clark, her court-appointed attorney Sandra Acevedo and the law firm of Diamond, Bennington &Simborg, alleging that she suffered years of childhood abuse at the hands of her father. Ms. Krause claims that Acevedo and Clark knew of her abuse, but failed to protect her. Ms. Krause, now an honors student at Northwestern University, has been a vocal critic of the Marin County family court system and the use of court-appointed attorneys for children in custody cases who ignore substantial evidence of child abuse and fight to keep children with parents about whom the children complain. Ms. Krause demands a trial by jury on all issues.

On July 17, 2000, the San Francisco Daily Journal published Ms. Krause’s editorial comment, “Letting Children Speak for Themselves: Youth in Court Need Attorneys Who Represent Their Interests Fairly, Strongly.”

www.ocof.org/KidsSpeakOut/Alanna’s%20Truth.htm
www.leadershipcouncil.org/Research/PAS/PAS4/pas4.html


Ms. Krause is represented by a nationally renowned legal team, New Orleans attorneys Richard Ducote and Becki Truscott, and Napa attorney Seth Goldstein.


Contact:

Richard Ducote, Attorney at Law, 504.314.8400
Seth Goldstein, Attorney at Law, 707.226.6660
Alanna Krause, alannakrause@hotmail.com

Additional resource: Richard Ducote, Guardians ad Litem in Private Custody Litigation: The Case for Abolition, 3 Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law 106 (Spring 2002).



Alanna's Case Related Links:

Federal Lawsuit: Richard Ducote Files on Behalf of Alanna Krause Against Her Father, Therapist & Court Appointed Attorney
United For Justice Article

Marshall Krause Denies Abuse Charge but Evidence Contradicts his Claim
News Making News Article 1

CA State Bar Probes Attorney Misconduct Against Marin's Marshall Krause & Sandra Acevedo
News Making News Article 2
News Making News Article 3
Marin Teen Files with State Bar Against Court Appointed Lawyer, Sandra Acevedo
United For Justice Article 2
News Making News Article 4
Center For Children's Rights Article
Daily Journal Op Ed: Kids Speak Out Against Abuses of Family Court, (Alanna Krause)
The Leadership Council Article
Letting Children Speak
The NCSC Report on Marin Courts is on the web (National Center for State Courts)


Investigative Writer, Karen Winner, "The Winner Report"
Divorced From Justice

Firestorm

California NOW Family Court Report 2002
CANOW

Marin Independent Journal: Family Court System Needs Repair
Marin Independent Journal Article

Marin N.O.W. Meets on Family Court Abuses
Marin NOW

Judging Family Law More News

Marin Family Court, Judge Michael Dufficy & Commissioner Sylvia Shapiro Pritchard SF Weekly

Marin Independent Journal

News Making News


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