Amador County Bar Association

Background

This is a strange case that started as an attempt by the Amador County Bar Association to justify its name. In August 1998 then, President of the Amador County Bar Association, Helen O. Page, published a letter in the Amador Ledger Dispatch to establish the authority of her Association to use the name 'Amador County Bar Association'. In her defense, she makes a statement that 'The Association occasionally participates in local fund raisers for charitable purposes.' By law, all charitable fund raising organizations must apply and be granted this status through the state and/or federal government.

Whenever Lawyers claim charitable acts - bells ring. Some brief research reveals the following facts:

This statement by the President, Helen O. Page is false.
Page later denies that The Amador County Bar Association is a charitable organization.
The IRS denies that the Amador County Bar Association is tax exempt
The State of California denies that the Amador County Bar Association is registered in California.
The City of Jackson denies that the Amador County Bar Association is licensed at all
Under subpoena, lawyers for the Amador County Bar Association reveal that their are no records of charitable activities and that they are exempt from taxes because they earned less than $5000.

The truth is that the Amador County Bar Association is not charitable and if they were to be so, it would be illegal, without first establishing themselves as a charitable organization (which pre-supposes that they have established themselves as a business entity).

CC Note: Helen O. Page has since resigned as President of the Amador County Bar Association.

Amador Ledger Dispatch
August 18, 1998

[Letters Section]

May Be Fictitious

I am the president of the Amador County Bar Association. A notice of a Fictitious Business Name Statement filed by Karen Anderson has recently been and is now being published in this newspaper, wherein Karen Anderson claims to be doing business as the "Amador County Bar Association."

People of Amador County; Ms. Anderson is not a licensed attorney and is not a member of our attorney's association. Ms. Anderson has no right to use the association name. Appropriate steps are being taken to stop Ms. Anderson from further misleading the people of Amador County.

The Association occasionally participates in local fund raisers for charitable purposes. We are not conducting any fund-raising activities at this time. We are concerned that Karen Anderson might try to do so using our association name.

If you receive any mail, get any telephone calls, see any "flyers", or see any advertising using the name Amador County Bar Association, please call me. It is extremely important to us, the local attorneys, that you not be mislead or defrauded by this woman. My phone number is (209) 223-0553. Please help us stop this woman before she takes advantage of our citizens.

Helen O. Page
President
Amador County Bar Association

Top of the Corruption pile