Lawmaker told court her mom had dementia in family property battle. Not so, said doctors

CA Lawmaker Told Court Her Mom Had Dementia in Property Battle. Not So, Said Doctors

What happened when CA lawmaker tried to put mom in conservatorship

Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías during a floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on May 28, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters AnaMaria Ávila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn’t have dementia.  So the 76-year-old showed up impeccably dressed for her final exam with a neuropsychologist, according to court records. Tearful …

Lawmaker told court her mom had dementia in family property battle. Not so, said doctors

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. AnaMaria Ávila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for psychological evaluations, legal costs and fiduciary fees to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn’t have dementia.  But one of her daughters claimed […]

Contra Costa County lawmaker told court her mom had dementia in family property battle. Not so, said doctors

Records show the state assemblymember attempted to have her mother placed under conservatorship in the midst of a family real estate dispute – a CalMatters investigation.