Chapter 17 - The trust hearing begins
Judge Eleanor March began evidentiary hearings on:
Validity of Stewardship Designation.
Effect of 2022 restatement.
Custodial-account expenditures.
Civil sanctions.
Not criminal guilt.
First:
Forensic document examiner.
Dominic’s signature on Stewardship Designation was digitally identical to signature in 2019 closing binder.
Same pixel patterns.
Not a fresh wet signature.
Marjorie Bell’s witness signature likewise reproduced.
The document was assembled after the supposed execution date.
No valid original found.
Then Adrian.
He testified under subpoena and cooperation agreement.
He admitted:
Creating the assembled document.
Using scanned signatures.
Certifying it as reconstructed.
Failing to disclose reconstruction clearly.
Why?
“Genevieve believed Dominic intended Felix to have priority.”
“Did you believe intention was enough?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Adrian looked toward Genevieve.
“Because I wanted my marriage to survive.”
That sentence did not excuse him.
Then:
“Did Genevieve know?”
“Yes.”
“Did she direct omission of Schedule F?”
“Yes.”
“Did she ask you to create a legal opinion saying Felix had priority?”
“Yes.”
“Did you believe the opinion was sound?”
“No.”
There.
Then Genevieve’s lawyer attacked him.
Bar discipline.
Self-interest.
Possible criminal exposure.
Cooperation benefits.
All fair.
A cooperator has motives.
But emails and metadata did not depend on his character.
Then Felix’s money.
Adrian admitted his firm should never have accepted part of the $92,000 without independent review.
His firm had already escrowed:
$64,000
pending restitution/accounting.
Why not all?
Some work arguably related to Felix’s actual beneficiary rights and document review.
May you like
Court would decide.
No magical full return.
