Conservatorship of the Person and Estate of J.R. CA1/2

BACKGROUND

On February 15, 2023, the public guardian filed a petition for reappointment as the conservator of J.R.’s person and estate pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 5361, alleging that the public guardian had previously been appointed conservator on March 18, 2022, and that J.R. was still gravely disabled and unable to provide for his basic needs. A hearing on the petition was held on March 17. J.R. participated over Zoom, and was represented by Joseph Futrell. At the beginning of the hearing, J.R. asked to address the trial court, stating that he had “fired Joseph Futrell because he’s not in my best interest and it’s conflict of interest against me,” had hired a new attorney named “Mike Buell” who was “in Toronto,” and that he “want[ed] a new lawyer besides Futrell because Futrell is trying to fuck me over.” After J.R. asked “Can I get a new lawyer?,” the trial court responded “[w]hen your attorney gets in touch, we’ll deal with that.” J.R then objected to the renewal of the conservatorship and requested a jury trial, and the court set a trial date of May 10. On May 3, the public guardian filed a motion to approve J.R.’s remote appearance for his jury trial.…