The ongoing case centers on Ms. Lubben's 2017 attempt to re-open her divorce case and get her hands on the Mexican timeshare property she ceded to him in their 2016 divorce.
In other words, Shelley Lubben no-showed at her own proceeding.
Today's hearing was scheduled months ago after a series of continuances in the case.
No one I spoke to in the Springville and Visalia areas (where Lubben resides) believes for a second that she is actually suffering from a cold or flu -- that is to say unless she caught one while prowling around and trespassing the property of her ex-housemates on New Years Eve.
That trespass resulted in a report being taken by Deputy E. Lemoine of the Tulare County Sheriffs on Dec. 31 -- the third report taken by the sheriffs while investigating claims that Mrs. Lubben has trespassed, robbed and vandalized the home and/or grounds, as well as harassed and threatened the residents.
The prevailing theory is that Lubben is afraid to show up in court, either because she will face a difficult cross examination, or because she fears being served with more legal papers.
Multiple witnesses confirm that Lubben -- an all-day drinker who soils herself when she doesn't get her alcohol in time -- is seriously on the skids. A few days ago she arrived extremely intoxicated at a Springville cafe -- so intoxicated in fact that they refused to serve her the alcohol she requested.
A history of harassment
In 2011, former adult performer Michelle Avanti filed for an order of protection against Shelley Lubben in Tulare County Superior Court in Visalia, and provided evidence that Lubben had begun threatening and harassing her when she fled Lubben's sham nonprofit Pink Cross Foundation and appeared in a video exposing Lubben as a manipulative, abusive addict. Official records indicate that Lubben had Pink Cross file two false complaints with Child Welfare Services, in an attempt to make Avanti lose custody of her young daughter.
Cases in three counties
Last year, Lubben was sued for wrongful death by the family of cyclist Octavio Munguia, who was killed in a DUI hit-and-run collision with Shelley Lubben's car while her boyfriend Joe Valley was behind the wheel. The next hearing date in Tulare County Superior Court for that case is January 23.She has also been served by her ex-husband in a harassment case in San Diego County, in which her ex and his new wife seek protection from Lubben's ongoing threats and harassment. The next court date in that case is February 5, and this author has been called to testify.
Today's hearing in Kern County was continued until June 20. The judge ordered that if Mrs. Lubben cannot provide a doctor's note, the case will be dismissed.
As one can see, Shelley Lubben has quite a busy court calendar in 2019, and it's getting fuller by the day. An additional report will be filed shortly.