[Long] Weekend Roundup

Yeah, we took Friday off ... so sue us.[1] Here are some of the more interesting stories we missed:

• Another Nevada Judge's boy got himself in some hot water. (RJ)
• Pretty sure we are (a couple years) late on this, but who doesn't like videos of drunk Las Vegas Attorneys? (Jonathan Turley; YouTube)
• Congratulations IPEX class action members, you have just made your attorneys very rich. Your $5 coupons will soon be in the mail. (RJ)
• Good news? Minors can now "plead the Fifth" in juvenile court. (RJ)

[1] Please don't.

Magic Number. Update?

Update: Now with updated 2008 Hale Lane, Payne & Fears, Snell & Wilmer (for 1st yrs and after), KKBRF, Alverson Taylor, Hutchinson & Steffen, Boies Schiller, DLA Piper, Downey Brand, Duane Morris, McCormick Barstow numbers.

2008 salary and billable number updates noted with a *. [disclaimer: these numbers are the most recent available from tips and websites]

[If you don't know about the magic number, learn more here.]

So, here, ranked in order by highest (or best) magical number are the Vegas firms (did I miss something or someone, let me know at nevadalegal@gmail.com):

Name $ per billable (Salary/Min Billable)
Watt, Tieder 73 ($145,000/2000 billables)
DLA Piper 72.5 ($145,000/2000 billables)
Duane Morris 69 ($135,000/1950 billables)
Ballard Spahr 68 ($133,000/1950 billables)
Fox Rothschild 68 ($125,000/1850 billables)*
Snell & Wilmer [1] 67 ($120,000/1800 billables)* -- [only 1800 billables for 1st yr]
Fennemore Craig 65 ($125,000/1925 billables)
Payne & Fears 64 ($125,000/1950 billables)*
Lewis & Roca 63 ($120,000/1900 billables)*
Hale Lane 63 ($120,000/1900 billables)* -- [incl. 100 required pro bono hrs--67 if excl. pro bono]
Lionel Sawyer 61 ($110,000/1800 billables)
Snell & Wilmer [2] 60 ($120,000/2000 billables)* -- [2000 billables after 1st yr]

Greenberg Traurig 59 ($112,000/1900 billables)*
Jennings, Strouss 58 ($110,000/1900 billables)
Bullivant Hauser 57 ($105,000/1850 billables)*
Downey Brand 57 ($100,000/1750 billables)
Brownstein Hyatt 56 ($110,000/1950 billables)
Jones Vargas 55 ($102,000/1850 billables)*
Fisher & Phillips 54 ($100,000/1850 billables)
McDonald Carano Wilson 54 ($100,000/1850 billables)
Santoro, Driggs 53 ($95,000/1800 billables)*
Gordon & Silver 53 ($95,000/1800 billables)
Kummer Kaempfer 53 ($100,000/1900 billables)*
Morris Pickering 51 ($95,000/1850 billables)
Marquis & Aurbach 50 ($100,000/2000 billables)
McCormick Barstow 46 ($80,000/1750)
Hutchison & Steffen 45 ($86,000/1900 billables)
Lewis Brisbois 43 ($84,000/1950 billables)
Alverson, Taylor 43 ($78,800/1840 billables)*
Thorndal, Armstrong 31 ($68,000/2160 billables)

Other--not enough info for magic number (any tips would be appreciated so we can clear this up)

Boies Schiller ($168,000/???? billables)
Jolley Urga 50 ($92,000/ avg of 1850 billables--no minimum listed)
Gordon & Rees ($????/1850 billables)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stop reading legal blogs and go spend time with your families! 

Okay, just one story.

An ex-felon in possession of a firearm is not inherently dangerous. Wait, what?

The Nevada Supreme Court recently handed down an unpublished opinion wherein it ruled that an "ex-felon in possession of a firearm" charge could not be used as the predicate felony for purposes of a felony murder conviction. From the opinion:

"We agree with the district court that, when viewed in the
abstract, 'ex-felon in possession of a firearm' is not inherently dangerous."

So, there you have it, you may now stop worrying about felons with firearms. The opinion is unpublished and can't be used as precedent under SCR 123.

(Harmful Error; State v. Spina)

Don't Tase Me, Sir!

Two Las Vegas police officers are suing Taser International, Inc. (makers of the YouTube sensation) after reportedly being seriously hurt during mandatory Taser training. As part of their training, the officers were tased so that they could "truly understand the weapon." Police detective Marcus Martin, the department's lead Taser instructor, had this to say when asked why the "hands on" training was subsequently stopped: 

"I have to tell you that I have a different understanding of that weapon than folks that have never been Tased, but as training went on what started occurring is we started having officers getting hurt. So it was a policy decision that was made at the higher levels of the agency as to should we allow folks to be Tased and get hurt. It's a cost-benefit analysis.''

Costs: a little pain, the occasional lawsuit. Benefits: truly understanding the weapon, hilarity. We demand a recount! 

(KTAR; LV Sun Thanks, Anonymous)

Question of the day ...

Previously on WWL we posted about a rumored merger between IP pimp Greenberg Traurig and Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario. After the post, nothing.

The rumor appeared to be confirmed by the reportedly large number of KKBRF associates present at a September 2nd GT open house, but there has yet to be an announcement. So, what's going on? Is GT getting cold feet? Has the free-falling economy put talks on hold? Both KKBRF and GT associates appear to be in the dark, anyone care to shed a little light here?

Slipped through the cracks ...

To whet your weekend appetites, here are some of the notable stories that we didn't get around to posting about last week:

• Local windbag to voters: You are all idiots who can't be trusted. (LV Sun)
  
• Red stripper, blue stripper. Old stripper, sue stripper. (Posted Toronto)
  
• They got suspicious when the breakfast burritos started tasting a little too good. (RGJ)
• Another doctor punished for cutting corners to save money. (LV Sun)
• A Las Vegas Mormon who was excommunicated over publishing shirtless photos of return missionaries wants his BYU diploma. (Salt Lake Tribune)

About those Judicial Elections ...

We previously posted about the Clark County election results, but neglected to comment about what may be the biggest upset to come out of this election: Judge Jessie Walsh remains on the bench.

Now, let's not get off on a Halverson rant here, Judge Walsh is not (and will never be) as bad as "the great one." However, the fact remains that Judge Walsh was the only judge to score below a 50% retention rating in the Judging the Judges poll (available here as a PDF) and survive the election.

(To be fair, Judge The Hut was, shall we say, indisposed, and Judge Gates didn't bother to run.)

However, common wisdom seems to be that the Judging the Judges poll is what governs the general public's opinion of our judiciary. With no party affiliation listed on the ballot, how else is the general public deciding whether to retain (or replace) these individuals? How is it that an incumbent Judge so poorly rated as Walsh is able to maintain her seat on the bench? Is it because it was easier to draw a mustache and horns on Bill Kephart's signs? Here's a theory:

Anything the public heard concerning judges this election year was focused on one person: Liz Halverson. The bar for judicial ineptness has officially been raised. Short of being an absolute unbearable tyrant in the courtroom, the public now thinks: "Meh, how bad can she be? At least she's not like that fat lady."

All the incumbent judges who retained their seats in this election should send Halverson a big box of Krispy Kremes in gratitude. Without her, the public may have been a bit more critical of our currently-seated judicial jockeys. Or, maybe, Walsh just isn't that bad of a Judge. We're interested to hear your take on what happened, sound off in the comments.

In re Mosley

If you are not yet familiar with the recent incident involving District Court Judge Donald Mosley's son, Michael Mosley, you can catch up here. For those of you who came to class prepared today, let's begin.

Our hearts go out to the family of the young teen, Olivia Hyten, who lost her life in the crash. This was truly a tragic event. It is also unfortunate that Michael, with a pending reckless driving case already in the system at the time of the accident and an otherwise questionable driving record, was still able to be in a vehicle at all (albeit he apparently was not the driver). 

However, the real story here appears to be that Family Court Judge William Voy conceals a huge set of brass balls under his robe. From the Review Journal:

Donald Mosley asked Voy to release his son.

"I can assure you he will not drive any vehicle until the court otherwise makes a determination," he said in his gravelly voice. "Additionally, there will be no drinking, and I would intend to monitor that strictly."

He also wanted his son to return to school so he wouldn't fall behind, he said.

The teen's mother, Terry Mosley, accused the judge of violating a court order to share custody of their son. She also said Donald Mosley left their son home alone for a week while he went on a hunting trip.

"There's a whole different set of rules in my house than there are in Judge Mosley's house," she said.

Donald Mosley defended himself, saying he went to Tulsa, Okla., for a week to settle his father's estate. He said he asked Terry Mosley to care for their son, but she refused, and "this is the result."

The parents have been involved in a long and bitter custody battle over their son.

Voy put a quick end to the back and forth.

"This is not about you all. It's about this young man right here," he said.

He ordered Michael Mosley to remain at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center until at least next week, when prosecutors were expected to file formal charges. Voy cited the violation of the driving restrictions in making his decision.

As the kids say: Oh, snap! 

Good for you, Judge Voy. It's nice to see a judge going against the perceived "good ole' boys network" mentality. You take that high-and-mighty District Court judge and send him right back where he came from. This is your house! Just make sure you manage to stay out of trouble, we would hate to see the tables get turned on you. 

Fun With The Boyd InfoServe

From time to time we here at Wild Wild Law receive tips from current law students attending everyone's favorite second-tier punching bag, our own Boyd School of Law. The majority of these tips refer to postings on the school's InfoServe, an inter-school email system that can be posted to by any student or faculty member, and is subsequently forwarded to ALL students and faculty.

We begin this series with the sad, sad tale of a law student whom, despite apparently making it through his 1L year, still failed to "get it." From the aforementioned InfoServe:

Hello students,

I am a 2L and want to purchase or trade for outlines in the following classes:

Professor Lazos' Constitutional Law II

Professor Grant's Real Estate Finance Law

Professor Gordon's Employment Law

Like you, I am about to finish my outlines for the semester. However,
due to a less-than-desirable GPA last year, I want to augment my
chances of higher grades by studying others' outlines for a different
perspective on the material. I am offering $50 cash for an outline in
any of these classes. Alternatively, if you want to trade outlines
(including my Anderson's Bus Orgs outline), we can just do a
one-to-one trade if we each find the other's outline sufficiently
comprehensive.

Outlines must be completed and ready for trade in person on campus (or
another mutually-agreeable location) by 1:00PM (PST) on Wednesday,
November 26th. I reserve the right to view the entire outline(s)
and/or compare to the syllabus to ensure comprehensiveness for up to 5
minutes before I decide whether to finalize the purchase. Payment
will be made in cash immediately after the complete outline(s) is/are
successfully sent as an attachment to my email address and opened by
me to ensure the correct document was received. If I do not make
payment at such time, you have the right to assault me until I pay.
That is, of course, a joke, as such a right is precluded by public
policy, regardless of consent. If interested, please email me the
following:

1. Subject line: "Outline for [class and teacher]",

2. The first page of the outline's content,

3. A word count for the document, and if it is not complete, an
estimate of how complete it is,

4. The date the outline will be finished (if not complete already),

5. Whether you are taking the class this semester or took it
previously (in such case, include what textbook(s) was/were used), and

6. Whether you prefer cash or a trade.

I have no qualms about paying a single person $150 for the three
outlines if each is thorough and comprehensive. I prefer Word
documents. I highly prefer outlines from this semester but may
consider previous semester outlines.

Finally, at your option, I am willing to sign a contract, created by
you (but perhaps blue-pencilled by me), stating this is a single user
license and may not be used commercially or for purposes other than my
own personal (1) exam preparation and use during the exam (if
permitted), (2) bar preparation, and (3) general knowledge.

Thank you, and good luck with your exams.

[name redacted]

I appreciate the generous souls who offer their outlines for free, but
I prefer to compensate you for them. If you don't hear from me, thank
you for interest but I have chosen another outline. By making me an
offer, you certify you are the owner and creator of the outline(s) and
have the right to sell or license it/them. Furthermore, you certify
the finished outline is complete and comprehensive to the best of your
knowledge, and covers all materials covered this semester in and out
of class, as well as all materials you have reason to know should be
tested on the exam, for the corresponding class.

Well, he certainly was detailed and thorough, two attributes that should one day make him very attractive as a faceless document review monkey at an insurance defense firm junior associate. Perhaps some of our more experienced readers can offer this young whipper-snapper a little advice in the comments. Good luck to you, my friend, good luck.

Thanks to DS for the tip!

Meet the new boss ...

Hello, fellow law gossip-hounds (and mid-level associates running short on billable work), meet your new leader: me.

I am looking forward to embarking on this journey to the depths of legal society with all of you, and look forward to reading your biting wit and relevant social analysis in the comments.

As for my credentials, well, I am either a snot-nosed 2L at a local law school, or a senior partner at a large local firm who has grown tired of watching the practice of law deform into a billable-hour chasing mess. Either way, I am a Las Vegas native, I am filled with angst and I think I know everything there is to know about the practice of law. Does it really matter who I am for our purposes? You may call me Joe, Joe Law.

As for the old boss, Legal Eagle has graciously offered to stay on and post occasionally, but as for the day-to-day activities of this blog, they are now under my control. Muahahah! I would like to thank LE for the hard work she has put into making this blog a great place to read about our local legal shenanigans. In addition to LE, we will be adding a few guest posters who shall reveal themselves when the time is right.

Our focus is now on churning out at least one post per day, so keep checking back and we will do our best to keep you entertained, or at a minimum, amused. Guaranteed, or your money back.

Welcome to the new Wild Wild Law ... same as the old Wild Wild Law.

Of Course She is

Judge Halverson is appealing her permanent removal from the bench (decision removing her available here).

The RJ reports:

Former District Judge Elizabeth Halverson will appeal the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission's decision to permanently remove her from the bench, her attorney said today. Attorney Michael Schwartz said he will file the appeal within 15 days.

He said Halverson wasn't surprised when she learned Monday that the commission would remove her from the bench.

I was surprised anyone would ever try to move Halverson anywhere.  Seems physically impossible.

Justice of the Peace going down

With Judge Halverson permanently gone, there's a lack of complete and total embarrassment in the Nevada Judiciary. That is, until yesterday.

The RJ reports:

"Sue Abbatangelo, the wife of Justice of the Peace Tony Abbatangelo, accused her husband of grabbing her by the neck, choking her and screaming at her during a fight at the couple's home Wednesday.

She further accused the judge of physically abusing her over a two-year period."

As if the news story wasn't bad enough for the judge, it turns out that his wife is the sister of District Judge Michelle Leavitt and attorney Andrew Leavitt. We've written before about the wrath of the Leavitts when you go against the family (post available here). If I were Justice of the Peace Abbatangelo, I'd be praying to be locked up.

Robbers and Murderers are soooo hot

Damn it.  The secret's out.  The best place to meet men in Vegas is actually the District Courthouse.

The RJ reports:

A juror in a recent Las Vegas murder case sent one defendant sexually explicit letters and visited him at the county jail.

As the juror sees it, she did nothing wrong. But the defendant's attorney says he now has possible grounds for a mistrial.

The juror, 21-year-old Marnie Ramirez, sent the flirtatious letters to Ricky Vazquez, convicted in October of second-degree murder for a 2006 slaying.

What does a love letter to an [alleged] murderer and robber sound like:

I'm pretty straightforward so when I feel the need for sex I just get it and I always get what I want! Ricky, I don't think you'll have to work hard to get me to fall, I fall for guys quite easily which I totally hate! I'm just weak like that and I'll give you a 'hint' if you really want to get me, smile and I'm all yours! 

See boys?  Stop wasting all that money you spend on bottle service in the clubs and go kill someone.  That's the easiest way to get laid.

Editor/Replacement Wanted for Wild Wild Law

Wild Wild Law is currently looking for a new Editor to run the show.  Interested in providing hungry attorneys and law students with the gossipy, bitchy legal news diet they crave?  Please contact us at nevadalegal@gmail.com

So long, so long

I said, so long, it's been good to know ya Judge Halverson [but not really]

The RJ reports:

The Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission has removed suspended District Judge Elizabeth Halverson from the bench and prohibited her from ever serving as a judge in the state again.

In a strongly worded decision released today, the commission stated that her "antics and willful misconduct will be felt by the judicial system for a significant future period of time." 

In its decision, the commission stated that Halverson made significant legal errors while conducting her first jury trials that resulted in "significant costs to taxpayers" because her mistakes will likely result in at least one new trial.

The commission ruled that Halverson fell asleep on the bench, improperly communicated with jurors, mistreated staff and made false statements to the commission.

It also accused Halverson of refusing to cooperate with the Judicial Discipline Commission and demeaning the August hearings.

My office is currently having a debate.  The topic: who's been more embarrassing for Nevada,  Judge Halverson or Governor Gibbons?  Discuss amongst yourselves. 

Back by popular request: Salary info

Hi all, we've gotten a few requests to update our chart of salaries in Nevada (and the magic number of salary amount per billable hour).

As usual, we'll need some tips to make sure we've got accurate information.  So please send in information about the first year salaries and billable requirements for firms in Nevada.  You can leave the information as a comment on this post or email it to nevadalegal@gmail.com.

Results will be up next week. 

Nevada doctors sure know how to make lawyers feel better about themselves

Thanks to another Nevada doctor, another Vegas Plaintiff's attorney is putting on the white hat and riding to the rescue.  

The RJ reports: 

A Las Vegas eye doctor who has been sued for medical malpractice at least 17 times during his career is the target of a new class-action lawsuit filed by four Las Vegas Valley residents.

The patients claim Dr. Vikas Jain and his wife, Dr. Anamika Jain, advertised a flat rate for laser vision corrective surgery to be done with state-of-the-art equipment by a board certified ophthalmologist. But according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Barry Levinson, Jain's practice offered none of those services.

"The surgery was not state-of-the-art, did not use the most advanced equipment and all care was not provided by board certified ophthalmologists," states the lawsuit, which was filed Monday. . . .

Now, we here at the blog don't know much about Barry Levinson, other than what we found on his website (available here).  But attempting to put un-certified medical workers out of business sounds like good work.  Oh, did I not detail the history of the medical villain of this story?  Here's his background:

Dr. Vikas Jain, also known as Ken Johnson, lost his medical license in Ohio in 2005, then moved to Nevada and used his wife's medical license to open the Valley Eye Center on Tenaya Way the next year.

Vikas Jain is not licensed to practice medicine in Nevada. . . . Jain, who has been licensed in six other states, was the subject of a 2001 "ABC News Primetime" special on negligent eye care.  Jain was the first Ohio eye surgeon to be punished by the State Medical Board of Ohio, whose members hoped they could prevent him from practicing in another location. . . .

More than 20 patients suffered "substantial harm," and Jain's peers deemed him to be unqualified to perform refractive surgery, according to a report by the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, which is also investigating Valley Eye Center.

Thank God for doctors in Nevada.  They make even the worst attorneys look like princes [or in honor of the civil rights debate in the comments section, we'll add that they make attorneys look like princesses]. 

Strip Club Wars lead to lawsuit

Vegas does bring the drama to the courtroom.  This time, it involves everyone's favorite Vegas residents: strippers!

The RJ reports:

. . . attorney Neil Beller, on behalf of club owner and porn king Harry Mohney, filed a lawsuit in District Court alleging a string of [strip club] rivals have conspired with cabdrivers to divert customers from the Little Darlings and Déjá vu Showgirls . . . 

In addition to tipping drivers for delivering customers, some savvy club operators have taken to giving drivers free-drink coupons as deal sweeteners for passengers. Other drivers have worked deals with club managers to charge customers less at the door in order to close a deal, adult industry sources say. . . 

Customers were being encouraged by cabdrivers to go elsewhere.  "Nobody goes there," one driver said. The dancers were "old hogs" and "chicks with bullet wounds."  Another driver told the undercover investigator that Little Darlings was "a dump." "You'll have a much better time (at Treasures)." And "Treasures and Sheri's are much higher-class joints."

In all, a dozen topless clubs are named as defendants in the civil complaint, which alleges intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, negligent interference, negligence and conspiracy, and seeks injunctive relief. Beller added a twist to his legal strategy when he filed a voluminous complaint with the state Taxicab Authority against 11 local cab companies, alleging a general conspiracy among the drivers to divert customers from Déjá vu Showgirls and Little Darlings. That complaint asserts the taxicab companies "are liable for the actions of its agents and employees."

Sounds like a fun case for Mr. Beller, especially if he gets to have client meetings during happy hour at the strip club.

Class Action Denied

The attempt by Plaintiff's attorneys to bring a class action on behalf of Endoscopy Center patients who did not contract HIV or Hep-C from the clinic, but allegedly suffered anxiety waiting to find out, has failed.  

Judge Earl denied class status to the claimants.

Las Vegas now reports:

Attorney Robert Cottle [the pretty boy pictured to the right] has more than 4,500 patients who tested negative, "To not have class status granted, it is very difficult. Especially for a lot of my clients who are elderly, 50 or older, because that's the kind of people who went to the clinics for those procedures. So they are very worried they will never see any justice." . . .

"Now they have just put a big roadblock in their way and they don't know what they are going to do," said Cottle.

All hope is not lost. Patients have until February of 2009 to file their own lawsuit, but attorneys say a patient's litigation costs might be more expensive than what they could win in a lawsuit, making it risky to even try.

Cottle says a class action lawsuit was supposed to make it economically feasible for everyone. Now it's every patient for themselves.

At this point, these people just look screwed.  Breathe easier Dr. Needles Desai.  Your money is protected for another day.

Tuesday Roundup

Is there a legal specialty to be had in suing condo-hotels?  Gerard & Associates is apparently building one, handling lawsuits filed against the MGM Grand hotel-condo and Trump International Hotel & Tower.  (LV Business Press)

Congratulations to Valerie Del Grosso, who was hired as an Associate by Kummer Kaempfer after passing the 2008 Nevada Bar exam.  (KKBRF blog)

Meanwhile, In Business Las Vegas has a profile of Ellen Schulhofer is the managing shareholder for the Las Vegas office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. (In Business Las Vegas)

Monday Roundup

If you're "urban" [re: African-American, Latino, Asian], Harrah's is willing to overcharge you for drinks, admission and ambiance at Poetry nightclub, but just isn't comfortable with you walking through its expensive mall at Caesars [allegedly] (Marketwatch)

Seriously, Judge Assad?!?  The Nevada Supreme Court already reversed your censure from when you had a woman handcuffed and jailed for just over two hours to assure her boyfriend appeared in court on traffic charges.  Did you really need to appeal the requirement that you apologize  (RJ)  [whoops Todd Phillips, maybe Judge Assad (pictured right) is the state's biggest asshole]

Love gambling, but you're frustrated that there just aren't enough teenage girls around while you do it?  You may soon be in luck in Nevada.  (Scripps News)

Nevada's biggest a**hole

Everyone meet Todd Phillips.  We've briefly profiled his efforts to protect the rights of men against sexual discrimination before (post available here).  Well, congratulations, to Mr. Phillips.  The Nevada Equal Rights Commission officially made him the state's biggest asshole on Friday.

KTNV reports:

Phillips claimed sexual discrimination against the Las Vegas Athletic Club for letting women enroll for free during certain promotions while men paid $10.

"It is discrimination and they are breaking the law," says Todd Phillips.

LVAC claimed it was trying to be more inviting to women. . . .

The Commission decided in a 3-to-1 vote that the gym's promotional practices discriminate.

"I am tickled to death we prevailed today it's a tremendous victory for Nevada Civil Rights," Says Todd Phillips. 

Phillips claims he went after the LVAC because he was a member there and personally suffered discrimination.

Seriously Todd?  You fought about this at the gym?  Given the amount of men who seem to enjoy watching me and the other ladies work out, you'd think Todd would be all about getting more women in the club.

LV Sun is reporting this could affect free admission at clubs for women too.  (LV Sun)  In other words, when you boys get tired of the sausage fests when you go out, you can blame Todd Phillips, civil rights crusader!

Weekend Roundup

Best prison photo ever (see photo to the right) (RJ) 

Congratulations to Judge Jennifer Elliot, the Eighth Judicial District Court's new Adult Drug Court Judge.  (lvcourts)

Celebrity prosecution watch: Las Vegas Justice Court just issued an arrest warrant for hip-hop genius and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy star Mos Def. (RJ)

Judicial Election Results

Looks like the incumbent judges did pretty well yesterday (RJ).  And a ballot measure was passed requiring North Las Vegas Judges to have law degrees (RJ) [what?!? law degrees for judges? what state am I living in?]

Here is a breakdown of the judicial election results (courtesy of Harmful Error):

Supreme Court Seat B (Read all about the race results here)

Kris Pickering - 41.98%

Deborah Schumacher - 39.07

None - 18.95

 

Supreme Court Seat D

Mark Gibbons - 54.83

Thomas Christensen - 25.22

None - 19.94

 

District Court Judges

District 8, Dept. 6

Elissa Cadish - 64.78

Benjamin Childs - 35.22

 

District 8, Dept. 7

Linda Bell - 71.22

Robert Spretnak - 28.78

 

District 8, Dept. 8

Doug Smith - 70.22

Josh Kunis - 29.78

 

District 8, Dept. 10

Jessie Walsh - 51.95

William Kephart - 48.05

 

District 8, Dept. 12

Michelle Leavitt - 67.24

Kurt Harris - 32.76

 

District 8, Dept. 14

Donald Mosley - 59.06

Chris Davis - 40.94

 

District 8, Dept. 17

Michael Villani - 62.15

Bruce Gale - 37.85

 

District 8, Dept. 22

Susan Johnson - 82.13

Donn Ianuzi - 17.87

 

District 8, Dept. 23

Stefany Miley - 70.37

Jason Landess - 29.63

 

District 8, Dept. 25

Kathleen Delaney - 62.24

Susan Scann - 37.76

 

District 8, Family Div. G

Dianne Steel - 64.59

Amy Mastin - 35.41

 

District 8, Family Div. I

Cheryl Moss - 68.48

Greta Muirhead - 31.52

 

District 8, Family Div. J

Kenneth Pollock - 52.31

Lisa Kent - 47.69

 

District 8, Family Div. K

Cynthia Giuliani - 53.37

Vincent Ochoa - 46.63

 

District 8, Family Div. L

Jennifer Elliott - 73.79

Dawn Throne - 26.21

 

District 8, Family Div. N

Mathew Harter - 53.22

Gayle Nathan - 46.78

 

District 8, Family Div. O

Frank Sullivan - 54.56

Ron Israel - 45.44

 

District 8, Family Div. Q

Bryce Duckworth - 53.57

Carl Piazza - 46.53

 

District 8, Family Div. R

Bill Henderson - 61.87

Chuck Hoskin - 38.13

 

District 1, Dept. 2

Jim Wilson - 51.93

Noel Waters - 48.07

 

Distict 2, Dept. 4

Connie Steinheimer - 71.15

David Neidert - 28.85

 

District 2, Dept. 6

Brent Adams - 64.16

Greg Zunino - 35.84

 

District 2, Dept. 9

Robert Perry - 57.35

Elliott Sattler - 42.65

 

District 2, Dept. 14 Family Div.

Linda Gardner 75.47

Roger Harada 24.53

 

District 3, Dept. 1

David Huff - 55.59

Jack Kennedy - 44.41

 

District 3, Dept. 2

Leon Aberasturi - 59.29

John Schlegelmilch - 40.71

 

District 3, Dept. 3

William Rogers - 53.44

Thomas Stockard III - 46.56

 

District 4, Dept. 1

Mike Memeo - 59.29

Mark Torvinen - 47.71

 

District 5, Dept. 1

John Davis - 62.30

Marla Zlotek - 37.70

District 6, Dept. 2

Michael Montero - 64.67

Kent Maher - 35.33

Nevada Supreme Court Continues to Forget this is Nevada

The Nevada Supreme Court again proved that it is confused about what state it sits in.  This is Nevada, the state where doctors [allegedly] hand out Hep-C to their patients.  But the Supreme Court seems to think that some Nevada patients might have rights.  It's ridiculous is what it is.

The Las Vegas Sun reports:

In a 4-3 decision, the Nevada Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a Las Vegas woman who sued Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center over the amputation of her lower left leg.

A district court jury originally found in favor of Sunrise Hospital in the suit filed by Linda F. Cook and her husband Frank.

Linda underwent back surgery in January 2000 and during the procedure a blood clot formed in her left leg that led to the amputation.

The medical malpractice suit said Sunrise failed to provide equipment that prevented Dr. John Ameriks from properly treating Cook. And the lack of the equipment increased the time her vessels were without oxygen in the leg.

At the conclusion of the trial, District Judge Valorie Vega accepted jury instructions proposed by the hospital that said a bad outcome in this case does not prove or even imply the hospital was negligent.

The court majority, in the decision written by Chief Justice Mark Gibbons, said the instructions were wrong because the jury was not clearly informed it can consider other evidence that Sunrise was negligent.

What?!?  Who do these Justices think they are asking the Nevada District Courts to properly instruct the jury on negligence law?  Do they think this is California or some liberal tort law paradise?  This is going to raise our insurance rates!

No Prosecution of Suge Knight [alleged] batterer of women?

Looks like the next celebrity prosecution in Vegas may have stalled.  The D.A. is refusing to move forward in the prosecution of hip-hop mogul/thug entrepreneur Suge Knight unless his girlfriend of three years testifies that he beat her.

The Las Vegas Sun reports:

So why, two months later, haven’t charges been filed? Apparently it is because the victim, Melissa Isaac, who said she was Knight’s girlfriend of three years, has vanished. Even though prosecutors have the police witnesses, they want Isaac’s testimony, and she’s not helping.

Metro detectives can’t find her. She won’t return their calls. She has stalled her own case.

Hmm . . . hiding from police.  Doesn't want to testify.  Could it have something to do with Knight's history (available here)

Suge Knight must be frightened to death that the police will find her and she'll testify against him.  Why I bet he's cowering in a corner, crying . . . um . . . nope, apparently he found some solace in a strip club: 

. . .  Knight was spotted partying in a Strip nightclub less than 24 hours after he posted $19,000 bail on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon, drug possession and misdemeanor domestic violence.

Awesome.  Some celebrities are afraid to live above the law.  It's nice to finally have one who openly couldn't give a damn what the D.A. is planning.

Dream of Federal Government Strip Club One Step Closer

Today I feel like standing on my chair and belting out "I'm Proud to be an American" at the top of my lungs.  Is it the approaching election?  Dreams of President McCain?  Fantasies of President Obama?  Nope.  It's because my dream of federally-operated strip clubs is one step closer to reality.

Mercury News reports:

Federal authorities are reversing position and asking a judge to let U.S. marshals operate a strip club seized after the owner was convicted of tax evasion.

The change is reflected in documents filed Thursday asking U.S. District Judge Philip Pro to extend by one month, until Dec. 3, a deadline for a decision whether to let a California bank foreclose on the Crazy Horse Too.

Security Pacific Bank has said it wants to foreclose to satisfy a $5 million loan it made to former owner Rick Rizzolo. It filed documents recently saying the value of the club had declined from about $30 million to $4.6 million under the marshals' control. . . . 

But in the new court papers, the government said a private law firm that specializes in land use issues has been hired to help persuade Las Vegas city officials to grant the government a liquor license to run the club.

Forget the rhetoric of Obama the socialist or the bailout of banks as the onslaught of socialist-style government control of the financial sector.  The real sign that socialism is upon us is when the federal government controls what strippers get to work the pole on Saturday night.

Wacky Defendant Monday

First, Governor Gibbons was finally found innocent for something (well . . . cleared of corruption charges).  (NY Times) [only one nasty divorce and one lawsuit for civil rights violations to go] 

As for innovative murder methods: today a soon-to-be-convicted man cut a hole in an apartment door with a chainsaw and then fired a shotgun through the hole to wound his ex-girlfriend and unborn child and kill the current boyfriend.  (RJ)  [Sure, it's sick and twisted, but he still wins the innovative defendant award]

Attention Nevada residents, when you need to kill someone and travel to California, make sure you take the body out of the motor home freezer! (LV Sun)