Mayes: Judge's arbitration order in older adult abuse suit violates law
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by a vulnerable older adult who alleges abuse and neglect at her assisted living facility.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered the older adult to participate in a confidential arbitration proceeding with the Senita Ridge assisted living facility in Peoria.
But Mayes argues that order violates a law that requires any Arizonan who files a lawsuit alleging abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult to notify the attorney general.
That law ensures the AG has the opportunity to track these cases and potentially intervene.
Mayes says private arbitration crosses a legal line when it requires the parties to keep allegations of elder abuse a secret. Families who move loved ones into assisted living often sign arbitration agreements without realizing it.
