Keene was appointed as my childrens public defender. I had 5 children at the time, and the two older ones made charges that I dispute.
Keene was only interested in listening to the older children, even though there was no evidence to back up their bogus claims. There were no allegations against me, only to their other parent.
When my children asked me when they would be able to see their other parent, I asked if they brought this up with their attorney. All three looked confused. My daughter asked, "Is an attorney like a lawyer?" I told them, "Yes, Keene is your lawyer. He represents you and speaks for you in court," to which my daughter asked: "How can he speak for us if he's never met us or talked to us?" I had no answer. My son, then 11 (the oldest child) asked if he could talk to him. I said I though that was a good idea.
My son called his office twice and left detailed messages, with no return call. My son then emailed him, again with no response. I myself sent him an email, asking him why he wouldn't answer an email from a child on behalf of him and his brother and sister, a family who he was suppose to be representing and I'm sure was billing the county for his "services." And again, no response.
So I sent a complaint to the State Bar, explaining what had happened. The State Bar responded to me, said they sent a letter to Keene and told him to contact us within 14 days. After I told my children this, they asked if I could be there when they talked to him. I said of course, and I sent an email to Keene to let him know of my children's request that I be present while they talked to him.
On the last day that he was required to speak to my children, he went to their school and got them out of class to talk with them. I was not informed he was going to do this, even though I specifically said that my children wanted me present when he spoke to them.
I notified the State Bar about my experience with Keene, just to have it on record.
Keene seemed much more interested in representing the older children, because that fit the narrative of what Calaveras County wanted, not the truth or what was in the best interest of the children. He was doing and saying whatever the county wanted him to do and say. He did not represent my children; he was there to prove the county's case and do whatever they told him to do. He was much more interested in a dead chihuahua than representing my children or hearing the truth.
It is a crime that he was paid for "services" for clients that he never spoke to, until he was forced to by the State Bar. He is the lowest of the lows.
He was only there to do what an incompetent Calaveras County HHS told him to do. He is as worthless as the social workers at Calaveras County.
Hopefully, for the sake of the children in this county, he will retire soon and someone with a conscience will take his place, someone who will look out for what is in the best interest of the children. read more
