Pro Se Plaintiff
John Cunningham is Totally and Permanent Disabled with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) through the Federal Government’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
As well as having other symptoms, this syndrome severely compromise the sufferer’s
ability to maintain concentration and attention to detail. (Pa5, Pa13, Pa14,
Pa1, Pa2, Pa3, Pa4). Although the claimant functions under much emotional,
physical distress due to this case, which adversely impacts his new marriage and other relationships,
he is determined to pursue what he believes to be right (Pa13, Pa6, Pa7, Pa8,
Pa9, Pa10, Pa11, Pa12).
Maynard
& Truland Partner Joe Truland, Esq. knew much details of the Claimant’s Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder, since the Winter/Spring of 2000 (Pa15, Pa16, Pa17). Maynard & Truland
Divorce Attorney Edward Busichio knew details of the Claimant’s disability as of September
6, 2000 (Pa22, Pa23,
Pa24).
On September 6, 2000, the claimant signed a Contract and paid the full $750 Retainer with Maynard &
Truland, LLC for the Law Firm to represent me during a divorce case (Pa18, Pa19).
[For reasons unknown, although the CONTRACT states that $750 was the full
retainer, Robert Correale certified to New Jersey Attorney Ethics that only half of the retainer was paid on September 6,
2000 (Pa29).] Partner Joe Truland, Esq. represented
Maynard & Truland at the signing meeting (18a). That day, I begged both Joe Truland
and his Divorce Attorney Edward Busichio for their Law Firm not to allow me fall into Divorce DEFAULT
(Pa22, Pa23, Pa24). Since I already was disabled with PTSD, my Catastrophic-Thinking and Hyper-Vigilance
symptoms were at an increased rate. I hoped that the Law Firm would give
me more understanding and accommodations of my emotional disability, especially since my disability was due to my honorable
service in the United States Marine Corps. (If my disability were more physical
and visual, I strongly felt that the Law Firm would offer matching benevolence.) Since
there were no real financial assets to divide in the divorce, my two minor children were my biggest concern.
I was terrified about losing my children due to a Divorce Default. (Pa22,
Pa23, Pa24).
During
our initial and only meeting, Divorce Attorney Edward Busichio repeatedly tried to reassure me that
since he specialized in divorces he completely understood divorce case procedures.
He took it somewhat insulting that I kept repeating myself about my fear of falling into
divorce default.
In
spite of my warning phone calls to Maynard & Truland’s Divorce Attorney Edward Busichio, the DEFAULT took place
twenty-two (22) days into the Contract on September 28, 2000 (Pa20, Pa22, Possible phone records).
I received no communications from Maynard & Truland until November 2000.
In spite of my phone calls, the DEFAULT and my Oct 6, 2000 Complaint Letter, Maynard & Truland, LLC. did
not start work until November 14, 2000 (Pa21). Maynard & Truland’s Start Work Date was sixty-nine (69) Days
into the CONTRACT. Maynard and Truland’s General-Practice Attorney Robert Correale (and their representive
on Attorney Ethics) certified to New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics (Pa29) that Edward Busichio, Esq completed work on an
Answer and Counterclaim on my behalf. However, Correale did not supply Attorney
Ethics with any evidence of Busichio’s Answer & Counterclaim. My former
wife’s attorney, Sussex County Superior Court and myself (Pa20) did not receive this Answer and Counterclaim.
And the claimant was never billed for this Busichio work (21a). Why Robert
Correale certified that this work was completed is unknown. However, his statement was accepted by New
Jersey Attorney Ethics without evidence and without question.
Soon after Edward Busichio’s
DEFAULT and my October 6, 2000 Malpractice Complaint letter, James Maynard, Esq. and Joe Truland,
Esq. switched my divorce representation from their Divorce Attorney Edward Busichio to their extremely
influential General-Practice Attorney Robert Correale. Robert Correale was
the Vice-Chairman of the local Attorney Ethics Committee – DISTRICT X. Both
Correale, Busichio and Maynard & Truland Senior Partner James Maynard vaguely explained this switch in their CERTIFICATIONS
to New Jersey Attorney Ethics. Due to his position with Attorney Ethics, Robert
Correale did most of the explaining. However, Divorce Attorney did admit
that the DEFAULT was a surprise. However, Busichio’s certification did
not mention that he completed any work on the Answer and Counterclaim (Pa29,
Pa30, Pa32, Pa33). These May 2003 CERTIFICATIONS were the first time, I ever
received details why I was placed into a DEFAULT.
November 14, 2000, Robert Correale billed me at an Over-Charged rate for Default Removal
(Pa21). (Maynard & Truland continued to overcharge me for their first 10 hours of contracted
work (Pa19). This DEFAULT Removal was the first Maynard &
Truland, LLC charges. For unknown reasons, in Vice-Chairman Robert Correale’s
CERTIFICATION to New Jersey Attorney Ethics he listed his firm’s start-work-date as Nov 3, 2000 (Pa29).
In my November 2000 Letter (Pa23), I first complained to the Law Firm about charging me for
their Default Removal. In December 2000, I made these same complaints to
District X, Vice-Chairman Correale’s own committee (Pa25). (I was not aware
that Correale was the Vice-Chairman or a member. Correale himself verbally informed
me of his membership on the committee on March 11, 2003. A month later, New Jersey Office
of Attorney Ethics admitted in writing to this CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Why it took
so long to admit to a CONFLICT OF INTEREST is unknown.) Two years later,
these false-charges and over-charges still remained on the Maynard & Truland Final Invoice. For reasons
of their own, the Law Firm made no attempt to correct their Billing Violations.
Due to the amount of exacerbated stress (13A) these battles with Maynard and Truland cause
me (and my Family), I never followed up with District X on these ethic violations until January
2003. (In January 2003, I was told by a District X representative, “It
is not your former law firm’s fault that you have mental problems. Just
workout a payment plan.”) Partner Joe Truland, Esq. stated in his Brief
for this Appeal, “Maynard & Truland filed action to collect after Mr.
Cunningham did not seek fee arbitration.” All Mr. Truland had to
do was review his Contract’s Billing Paragraph that he signed on September 6, 2000. The first
ten- (10) hours of contracted work were to be at a $150 rate (19A). I feel
the Honorable Judges will find Correale’s (Pa29) and Senior Partner James Maynard’s
(pa32) Attorney Ethics CERTIFICATIONS interpretation of their easy-to-read Contract (Pa19) billing
paragraph extremely interesting and perjurious. Although their CERTIFICATIONS
contradicted each other’s Billing CERTIFICATION and even contradicted their own CONTRACT,
their CERTIFICATIONS were accepted by Attorney Ethics without question or evidence
(34A).
Maynard
& Truland’s DEFAULT greatly exacerbated (and continues to exacerbate) my PTSD Emotional Disability and the Physical
Health Problems that are medically documented and associated to my PTSD. During
their three month Default, I exhausted every legal method I could in order to try to get out of the default. My
October, November and December Complaint Letters (22a, 23a, 24a) to Joe Truland, Edward Busichio and
Robert Correale highlighted; their Default, our Contract Signing Meetings, the tremendous stress their lack of communications
was causing, false billing charges and some of my actual divorce concerns, especially my former-wife’s false child-abuse
charge. (Vice-Chairman Robert Correale admitted in his CERTIFICATION to
Attorney Ethics that his Law Firm received each of these three letters, however, his description of their content were extremely
vague and misleading (Pa29, Pa30). He did not supply my letters
to Attorney Ethics, but I did on a number of occasions. I also supplied
New Jersey Attorney Ethics with much more evidence.
Still in Default
in late December 2000, my stress level continued to climb (7a, 8a).
Desperate, I wrote to New Jersey’s SUPREME COURT Attorney Ethics – District X (Pa25) and Sussex
County FAMILY COURT Judge Christine Miniman (Pa26).
On January 9, 2001, over four (4) months into the Contract, and receipt of my complaint letters, Judge Christine
Miniman released me from the Divorce Default that Edward Busichio’s “Surprise”
(Pa33) placed me in. Also on January
9, 2000, I was accepted into a Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital’s
45-Day Stress Unit in Montrose, New York (Pa6, Pa7, Pa8,Pa9). It is clear by my VA Medical Records that
Maynard & Truland, LLC was the trigger of my pain and suffering. Upon the request
of Robert Correale I was forced to delay my entry into the stress program (Pa9).
On January 10, 2001, the day after I was accepted into the Montrose, NY VA hospital for exacerbated stress, I appeared
in the small Sussex County Superior Family Court for a DEFAULT HEARING. I was
never informed by Maynard & Truland’s attorneys that the DEFAULT HEARING was cancelled
and changed to another purpose. Confused, during a break in court proceedings, I went to speak to Robert
Correale, who had introduced himself earlier to the court. I had never met him
before, so I did not know who he was prior to the court proceedings. Since,
I was never really informed that Vice-Chairman Correale replaced Maynard & Truland’s Divorce
Attorney Edward Busichio, I was hoping that Busichio would show up. Robert Correale
felt our first meeting was so important that he described it in a mocking, discriminative and
degrading manner to New Jersey Attorney Ethics. Please read his two Historical Events in his CERTIFICATION
that pertains to this same event (29a, 30a Events 23 & 56). Although
our first meeting was so important that he listed it twice (and last) in his CERTIFICATION, Correale listed the wrong date.
Why he described our first meeting in this degrading manner to Attorney Ethics is not known.
Regardless, it was accepted by Attorney Ethics without question (34A).
On February 14, 2001, because Robert Correale came to Sussex County Superior Court unprepared, I was
forced to represent myself during Divorce Arbitration (Pa31). Please read Correale’s
CERTIFICATION for this date (Pa30). Vice-Chairman Correale sat to the left of
me during the whole arbitration meeting. I spoke directly to my former wife’s
attorney and worked out the final details of the divorce case, including therapy for my two minor
children (9a).
In December
2002, Maynard & Truland brought a Special Civil Case (DC-004102-02) against me to Sussex County SUPERIOR COURT for collection
of their open bill. I Counter-Claimed on this same docket for Legal malpractice (Pa35).
Having already reviewed my clear, yet lengthy evidence and supporting documentation, Honorable
Judge Graves tried the case on March 11, 2003 . Against Robert Correale’s objections, Judge Graves
ruled that my Counter-Claim for Legal Malpractice warranted the Law Division for damages.
After Judge Ronald Graves’ decision, I went downstairs in the Sussex County Court room
and notified the clerical area that processes Special Civil Part cases. The woman court clerk , who I spoke
to, initialed NSA “To Be Filed In Law Div” on my Answer & Counterclaim
control sheet (Pa35). Please be advised that as of this date, the full Court Transcript
for Judge Graves’ decision is missing within the Sussex County Court. I’ve
been trying to obtain a full transcript from the Sussex County Court, since early November 2003 (Pa27,
Pa28).
Months later
in court documents, Maynard & Truland’s attorney Brian Banasiak clearly downplayed Judge Ronald
Graves’ decision and did not detail the results of the Superior Court Case in his Statement of Undisputed Facts
(Pa36). On August
26, 2003, Brian Banasiak, Esq. represented Maynard
& Truland in the Sussex County Law Division of Honorable Judge Karen Russell.
During court proceedings, I tried to bring up the facts of Judge Graves court, however, I
was quickly cutoff by Maynard & Truland’s attorney Banasiak (T5, T6).
Judge Graves’s court decision was so unimportant, Attorney Banasiak stated
“I don’t even know what the disposition was of that.” (T6
- Lines 16, 17).
Moment later, my LEGAL
MALPRACTICE LAW DIVISION CASE AGAINST
MAYNARD & TRULAND, LLC. WAS DISMISSED DUE
TO THE LACK OF AN
AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT.
From
January 2003 to the January 2004, I tried to get an Attorney Ethics Investigation started on Maynard & Truland.
Since Maynard & Truland’s General-Practice Attorney Robert Correale was the Vice-Chairman of
the local Ethics Committee, there were delays. After numerous letters from me
(37a, 38a), it took until April 2003, before the New Jersey’s SUPREME COURT - OFFICE
OF ATTORNEY ETHICS admitted to Correale’s CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
On January 19, 2004, although Edward Busichio, Robert Correale, James Maynard CERTIFICATIONS
were loaded with misleading, vague and perjurious statements, which were not supported by any
evidence, the New Jersey Office Of Attorney Ethics cleared them of all charges and closed the
case (Pa34).
Currently,
I am in the process of getting an Emotional (Harassment) Discrimination Case started by the Federal
Government - Department of Justice on New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics.
MY
EMOTIONAL DISABILITY HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS
DISADVANTAGE TO TRY AND KEEP
UP WITH MAYNARD & TRULAND’S
TAG-TEAMING POOL OF ATTORNEYS.
MAYNARD & TRULAND’S TAG-TEAMING TACTIC IS
A FORM OF BULLYING A PRO
SE, ESPECIALLY IF THE PRO
SE SUFFERS FROM A PTSD EMOTIONAL
DISABILITY?)
- 1. EDWARD BUSICHIO,
ESQ. - MY ORIGINAL MAYNARD
& TRULAND DIVORCE ATTORNEY, WHO
FOR WHATEVER REASON, HAD ME
FALL INTO DIVORCE DEFAULT
IN SEPTEMBER 2000, TWENTY-TWO
(22) DAYS AFTER SIGNING MAYNARD &
TRULAND’S CONTRACT WITH JOE
TRULAND, ESQ. (JUNIOR PARTNER).
- 2. ATTORNEY ETHICS VICE-CHAIRMAN
ROBERT CORREALE -
M&T ‘S GENERAL-
- PRACTICE ATTORNEY WHO TOOK
OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY DIVORCE
RIGHT AFTER M&T DIVORCE
ATTORNEY EDWARD BUSICHIO HAD ME
FALL INTO DIVORCE DEFAULT. Correale was
responsible for overcharging and false billing
of default removal (pa21).
- 3.. Joseph
A. Molinaro, Esq. maynard & truland’S
COLLECTIONS ATTORNEY.
-
4.
ATTORNEY ETHICS VICE-CHAIRMAN ROBERT
CORREALE - m&t ATTORNEY
WHO REPRESENTED THE LAW
FIRM IN
JUDGE GRAVES’ COURTROOM.
-
5. BRIAN
BANASIAK, ESQ. - M&T ATTORNEY
WHO REPRESENTED THE LAW FIRM
IN JUDGE KAREN RUSSELL’S
COURTROOM.
-
6. ROBERT
MAYNARD’S MAY 2003 CERTIFICATION COVER
LETTER TO DISTRICT XI ATTORNEY
ETHICS COMMITTEE, SECRETARY ROBERT STOBER.
-
7. JOE
TRULAND, ESQ. - MAYNARD & TRULAND’S ATTORNEY
AND PARTNER, WHO SUPPLIED THE
FINAL PAPERS TO THIS COURT
CASE.