We have lost one of the greats. James 'Bucky' Buchanan died Saturday evening. He was reportedly backing his Ferrari into a driveway when he suffered a heart attack and drove the car into a wall.
Bucky was widely known as one of the greatest defense attorneys in Las Vegas. In an April 2005 interview with the Review-Journal, asked why he came to Las Vegas nearly four decades ago, Buchanan said it was "mostly for the strippers." Asked why he went into criminal defense work, Buchanan replied: "A funny thing happened on the way to the church."
Our hearts go out to the Buchanan family. Funeral arrangements will be announced over the next couple of days.
Please use this thread only for condolences and Bucky stories, thanks.
My sympathies to his family and friends. The legal community has lost one of its finest. I have been practicing corporate litigation for three years, so our paths didn't cross, but the partners at my firm have Bucky stories and everyone had very funny anecdotes and spoke highly of him. May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteOkay, here's a funny Bucky story -
ReplyDeleteYears ago in Justice Court a very poor and homeless looking African American man was being arraigned in front of Judge Abbatangelo in the old courthouse. The conversation went something like this:
Judge Abbatangelo: Do you understand the charges?
Poor man: No.
Judge: Have you hired an attorney?
Poor man: No.
Judge: Have you spoken to the Public Defender?
Poor man: No.
Judge: Can you afford an attorney?
Poor man (becoming agitated with the Judge): Nah, your honor; you know I cain't afford no attorney; man, I cain't even afford no Bucky Buchanan.
Every defense attorney in the courtroom cracked up. Even the judge, the bailiff, and the prosecutor laughed.
He was a part of the Vegas landscape (and from a better era) and he will be missed.
I watched Bucky's "Las Vegas Law" during my 1L year. I remember thinking, knowing I was going to Vegas after graduation, "Wow, are my clients going to be like that?"
ReplyDeleteThanks for making the law interesting, Mr. Buchanan. You will be missed.
RIP Bucky
ReplyDeleteMore Bucky stories, please!
ReplyDeleteTo know "Bucky", made you appreciate life. He lived life to its fullest and gave not only his time to the people he defended, but he gave his HEART to those he loved. I will miss his smile, his compassion, and I will miss him as a friend. I love you, Bucky Buchanan.
ReplyDelete(I wish that you could have been tardy for heaven.)
He loved his clients and hated the Clark County DA's office.
ReplyDeleteYears ago Bucky asked me to be one of his 'wine'girls at a party he was hosting at his house -
ReplyDeleteTo this day I remember that moment specifically and how we told Bucky ' thanks but no thanks -
I'm so glad I have at least one 'Bucky' story -
you wil be greatly missed Bucky - RIP
BUCKY WAS NOT ONLY HIGHLY RESPECTED BUT HE HAD A SENSE OF STYLE AND CONTROL IN THE COURTROOM.
ReplyDeleteMY SYMPATHIES TO HIS FAMILY, MAY PEACE BE WITH YOU AT THIS SAD TIME.
BUCKY WAS A GREAT ATTORNEY AND A GREAT MAN. . .HE HELPED SAVE ME FROM GOING TO PRISON AND CHARGED A FAIR PRICE. THANKS BUCKY.
About a year or so ago, Bucky got hired on a Fed PD case (retained) that I worked up to that point. I went to his office to give him the file and chat. He was gregarious and seemed to enjoy shooting the breeze even though it was his lunch hour. Cannot remember what brought it up but he related a story that got the FEDs mad, like he kicked their butt in court or something..he told me how sometime after that...another Fed agency paid him a visit to "audit" him...
ReplyDeletehe was glowing with pride as he told me how he led these agents all over the place showing them receipts for anything and everything...he beat em at their own game and was proud to share the story.
God Bless his enthusiasm and friendliness to a fellow attorney he knew nothing about but treated me like a new friend.
Bucky pulled very big rabbitts out of very small hats over the years in my defense. I will miss him greatly.My deepest sympathies to his family.
ReplyDeleteI used to do some work for Bucky a long time ago. He had a hooker and her pimp in his office and he was getting paid by $20 bills. He counted to his clients, "one blow-job, two blow-jobs......" I had fun working for him. He was a great man. Especially going to court on "Bucky time." I rember going to court on a status check. I checked into court and the judge looked at me and said, "Counsel, this hearing was yesterday!" I then spoke up and said, "Appearing for Bucky Buchanan, your Honor," and then proceeded to have the status check.
ReplyDeleteI love the one about Bucky defending a guy of a felony DUI charge, in which the primary witness was a Justice of the Peace who saw the guy swerving on the road, followed him home and then parked in his drive-way while waiting for the cops to arrive. Bucky went full force against the JP and argued that the guy's BAC was high because he went inside his house and drank because he was freaked out by the scary guy who followed him home and parked in his drive-way. Bucky got the acquittal and the respect of his peers for not taking it easy on the JP.
ReplyDeleteAll nice comments, but ask yourselves how many crimes were committed against people because of scumbags this guy got off? There is a dark side to aggressive defense lawyering.
ReplyDeleteTo 8:06 pm:
ReplyDeleteThere is a right and there is a wrong, and as long as I have been alive, I have not seen a "perfect" person. Although, I have witnessed a good attorney ~
His name is Bucky Buchanan.
I've never met a perfect person. But I've witnesses a good football player. His name is O.J. Simpson.
ReplyDelete8:06 - if the DA's and cops are doing their jobs correctly, they'll get a conviction if the guy is guilty. Bucky did exactly what he was supposed to do: vigorously defended his client. Just like the 6th Amendment demands.
ReplyDeleteNovember 9, 2009 11:50 PM
ReplyDeleteI just laughed out loud.
One bj,
Two bj....
Hilarious. Thanks for sharing.
"If the DA's and cops are doing their jobs correctly, they'll get a conviction if the guy is guilty." Not necessarily. You know better. And the Sixth Amendment does not demand a vigorous defense for someone you know is guilty--that's why you can withdraw if your client is repugnant to you.
ReplyDelete@ 4:02
ReplyDeleteThat's just a stupid comment. The Sixth Amendment doesn't differentiate b/w people you think are guilty and those you may think are innocent. And you're confusing what the Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct allow a lawyer to do and what the Sixth Amendment demands from the State.
* 6th applicable to the states through the 14th.
ReplyDeleteSixth amendment requires competent representation. Still arguable whether it should require the state to pay for it. but in no case dos it require a lawyer to represent someone who he knows is guilty and affirmatively represent that he is not.
ReplyDeletethe best lawyer I've seen, as a person and as a professional, I know that the best, my respects to the memory of "Bucky" inspired me to study law, Sheetl one day I be a good lawyer like him, may he rest in peace my dear friend. (From, Guero, the Mexican)
ReplyDeleteThe guy was a sleeze ball who at one time got his girlfriend pregnant the told her to go but she could leave the baby.
ReplyDelete