UPDATE:
This is a first, I just received a demand letter from a firm in California requesting that I “remove [this] posting from [my] blog forthwith.” [Click here for copy of demand letter]. Apparently, I “should” have known that the original story was pulled by the Orange County Business Journal. No, I didn’t know, and am at a loss as to why I “should” have known this fact.
I have to say I’m somewhat flattered that someone in California thinks this Florida-focused blog is important enough to warrant a demand letter. Anyway, as stated in the demand letter, the offending report has been pulled by the Orange County Business Journal, so who am I to say no. The post below has been redacted accordingly.
ORIGINAL BLOG POST – AS REDACTED:
I’ve previously written about Florida probate litigants successfully claiming the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination [click here]. The reason why litigants claim this constitutional right in a probate proceeding is because they don’t want their testimony used against them in a criminal investigation. This is a legitimate concern.
A probate case out of California involving the estate of Vitamin C entrepreneur Jay Patrick and his California-based Alacer Corp. is a good example of how estate litigation can spill over into a criminal investigation. . . .
[Original text deleted in response to the demand letter linked-to above.]