Colorado psychologist TP indicted

[Demosthenes]

Grand Junction psychiatrist charged with tax evasion

By Marija B. Vader
Grand Junction, CO, Colorado

DENVER — A Grand Junction psychiatrist was charged Wednesday morning in Denver County Court with 19 charges of tax evasion and forgery.

Linda Luther-Starbird, Ph.D., 60, is accused of attempting to evade paying state income taxes, filing a false return and forgery. She appeared Wednesday morning on formal advisement of the charges. Her preliminary hearing is Jan. 7.

She was charged in Denver because the victim in this case — the Colorado Department of Revenue — has its office in Denver, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

The state claims her tax liabilities, along with penalties and interest, reached $26,869 as of July 31, according to her arrest affidavit.

Luther-Starbird practices at the Associates in Behavioral Counseling and Center for Family Studies at 518 28 Road, B207. No one answered the telephone there Wednesday.

She turned herself in to authorities in Meeker and posted $5,000 bond, Kimbrough said.

According to the arrest affidavit, Luther-Starbird told a Colorado Department of Revenue agent she “did not earn any income per federal statutes and internal revenue code, which defines income.”

The state agent, Rick Roehling, said her assets are in the name of her husband, Glenn Bordelon, who “does file and pay his income taxes,” the affidavit said.

In a letter to the state, Bordelon said his wife “no longer worked for her own psychiatry practice, and stated she had been terminated in 2006,” the affidavit said.

She wrote a letter to the state in 2004 asking the state to “settle her income tax debts for a reduced amount,” the affidavit said.

In the letter, Luther-Starbird said, “American citizens have absolutely no obligation to file individual income tax returns ... I am not willfully ‘failing to file’ as the IRS likes to call it, but that I have a reasonable and ethical responsibility NOT to file because there is no constitutional and legitimate reason to do so.”

In the years between 1997 and 2002, when she filed her taxes, she listed her taxable income ranging from $19,830 to $47,994.

In the years 2006 and 2008, her self-reported income was nothing.

[Prof]

Minor point: Is this nut a psychiatrist (MD) or psychologist (Ph.D.)?

[Demosthenes]

Minor point: Is this nut a psychiatrist (MD) or psychologist (Ph.D.)?

Good point. According to her bio, she's the latter.

Dr. Linda Luther-Starbird is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience.

Areas of practice include:

· Therapy for adults experiencing depression, anxiety, divorce crisis, workplace conflicts, life transitions, or a medical crisis affecting emotional health;

· Therapy with couples focusing on communication, conflict resolution, & relationship planning;

· Therapy with elderly clients facing life challenges;

· Therapy for children/adolescents with behavioral and/or emotional problems, divorce adjustment, or abuse issues; (with ongoing parent consultation);

· Psychological Evaluations of children and adults.

Dr. Starbird also conducts court-ordered Parenting Time Evaluations & Parenting Assessments. She has served as an expert witness in nine Colorado counties.

Dr. Starbird currently serves as President of the Colorado Psychological Association, and President of the Colorado Interdisciplinary Committee. She is on staff at Community Hospital. Her most recent publications in the area of child custody can be found in Colorado Lawyer, October 2002 and July 2004 issues.

[Prof]

I'm always curious as to which of the degree programs attracts more disturbed folks -- the raw numbers are probably on the side of the psychologists, but I think the % award goes to the MD's.

I'd suggest a poll, but it would be too anecdotal.

I love the "Starbird" which it seems she just added to her name, since her husband's name is not "Starbird." Did she steal that from one of the name changes for Jefferson Airplane?

[Demosthenes]

I see that she was a Bob Schulz plaintiff on his now-dead class action lawsuit.