Tues Roundup

Convicted sex offenders are challenging a new Nevada law that tracks sex offenders based on the crime they committed instead of their assessed risk of re-offending. The sex offenders' attorney, Randall Roske, says the new law is unconstitutional and demonizes a group of people who aren't a risk to society. (Fox 5) [uh . . . I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that most people wouldn't describe convicted sex offenders as not "a risk to society". But maybe it's just me]

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge for allegedly providing more than 160 pills, including 32 hydrocodone pills to a 16 yr-old wrestler at Centennial High School. (Review-Journal)

Apparently, the U.S. Dept. of Justice doesn't know how we do things in Nevada. They are looking into the details of how the Dept. of Energy awarded a four-year $47.7 million contract to handle licensing for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository with Morgan Lewis & Bockius, a firm acknowledged to have conflicts on nuclear waste matters. (Review-Journal)

After 15 minutes of deliberating, a coroner's jury unanimously found a Las Vegas police officer was justified when he shot and killed a man who was armed, pacing and screaming for the demons to go away and had pointed his weapon at a friend and his brother. (Review-Journal)

One of the first patients infected with hepatitis C at Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada spoke about the infection, "When they diagnosed me with hepatitis C, it was just like my whole world crashed." (Las Vegas Now) [makes me proud the judicial system will allow Dr. "Needles" Desai to plead the 5th and not testify in the civil trial].

Some homeowners who are being foreclosed on are vandalizing the property before leaving. (Las Vegas Now)

A Lyon County man was sentenced to eight years in prison for the unprovoked February knife attack/throat slashing of a Carson City man. (Nevada Appeal)

Apparently Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure doesn't want alleged murderers on the street of Vegas. A 24-year-old woman accused of murder in connection with slaying of a furniture store manager was denied bail on Monday morning. (Review-Journal)

Over at the O.J. circus, District Court Judge Jackie Glass rejected a bid by O.J. Simpson's defense team (headed by criminal defense attorney Gabriel Grasso) to question prospective jurors about what they know and think about the former football star and a bid to use a lengthy pretrial questionnaire to gauge how people in the jury pool might respond to defense strategies in Simpson's armed robbery and kidnapping case. (Review-Journal)

Congratulations to Richard Chatwin, named as an associate by the Gerrard Cox Larsen law firm. (Review-Journal)

And Congratulations to Steve Hiltz, directing attorney for the Clark County Legal Services Program's Children's Attorney Project, who the American Bar Association recognized with its Child Advocacy Award. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Finally, Congratulations to Michael Bonner, John Brewer, Mark Ferrario, Mark Fiorentino, Robert Gronauer, Christopher Kaempfer, Neal Klegerman and Thomas Kummer, who Chambers USA ranked as leaders in gaming, corporate law, litigation and real estate/zoning and land use. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Weekend Roundup

History of how Nevada won the 1930's race to be the best place to get a divorce. (Review-Journal)

Why do people read the Nevada Appeal? Well in 1878 one reader subscribed because she "noticed one pleasing peculiarity of your instructive and purifying paper: It is free from all such horrid things as lawyers advertisements! Ma, who has a great dislike for lawyers, says your paper is a precious blessing on this account." (Nevada Appeal)

Billionaire orgies in Vegas? (Australian Herald Sun) Allegations in a California court that Henry T. Nicholas III, founder of the microchip company Broadcom, gave ecstasy to unwitting business associates and hosted orgies in Vegas. Best part of the story: "In 2001, it is alleged, Mr Nicholas smoked so much marijuana during a private flight between Orange County and Las Vegas that the pilot had to put on an oxygen mask."

Term limit challenges continue, with a recent Supreme Court challenge to Clark Co. Commissioner Bruce Woodbury. (Review-Journal)

Morgan Lewis & Bockius, the law firm hired by the Department of Energy to handle Yucca Mountain licensing will remain on the job despite the protests of the state of Nevada. (Review-Journal)

Iraq war veteran Walter Laak was acquitted of murder charges Friday afternoon after a week long trial in which it was alleged that he shot and killed 19-year-old Juan Cordova during a confrontation at a friend's house. (Review-Journal)

Advocates of two proposed ballot petitions to cap revenue for the Las Vegas tourism authority and a third plan to restrict tax-raising ballot questions filed a court appeal Friday to revive the plans rejected by Secretary of State Ross Miller. (Las Vegas Now)

Nye County officials have filed criminal charges against the organization in charge of a former Pahrump cat sanctuary where hundreds of ailing cats were rescued last year. (Review-Journal)

Surgery has been banned at Shadow Mountain Surgical Center after state and federal health officials reinspected the eye and foot surgery center in May and turned up 32 deficiencies. The surgical center had initially been allowed to continue operating in March after two dozen violations were found based on promises from the center that procedures would change. (Review-Journal)

Thurs Roundup

Clark Co. bailed out District Court officials after learning they were $3.2 million over budget. (Las Vegas Sun)

General Patent Corporation International settled its patent infringement lawsuit against Vegas Experts.com of Cleveland, OH and Vegas Insider.com of the UK. (Gambling 911.com)

Nevada challenges the DOE's Yucca Mountain license, arguing there are no final designs or radiation health protection standards in place. (Review-Journal)

The woman convicted of cutting trees down on federal land received 4 minutes of probation in U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval's Reno courtroom. (Nevada Appeal)

An editorial calls for the Halverson hearing to be resolved prior to the judicial elections, so we can vote her out. (Review-Journal)

The Secretary of State rejected ballot access for petitioners trying to get a hotel room tax provision on the ballot, which directs the tax income to go to state programs. (Review-Journal)

Out in New Hampshire a group of men have been convicted in a murder-for-hire plot that was hatched in Vegas. (Review-Journal)

And due to the high number of petitions for measures to be put on the 2008 ballot, the Nevada Supreme Court has scheduled a case management hearing on June 13. (Review-Journal)

Wed Roundup

Dr. "Needles" Desai's attorneys are requesting that the civil suit brought by the [alleged] victims of Endoscopy Center, who are now permanently afflicted with Hep-C, be delayed until the end of any criminal case. Plaintiffs' attorneys objecting, stressing that no criminal case has been opened--prosecution is just being threatened. (Review-Journal)

18-25 yrs olds in Vegas who carry a gun better watch out because they're being targeted by a federal-state task force. (Review-Journal)

The Nevada Supreme Court will hear a constitutional challenge to a deadline set by the Legislature for signature gatherers filed by property tax cap proponent Sharron Angle. (Review-Journal)

Nevada death row inmate William Castillo, who last year came within 90 minutes of his wish to be executed for a 1995 Las Vegas murder, has changed his mind and has been given a stay by U.S. District Judge Robert Jones while Castillo appeals his case in federal court. (Review-Journal)

The Fernley flood hearings continue in Reno before U.S. District Judge Lloyd George and yesterday evidence showed the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's risk assessment team recommended water flows at less than half the level currently channeled through the irrigation canal. (Review-Journal)

Congratulations to Las Vegas lawyers Aaron D. Lovaas and Kristan E. Lehtinen on opening the new business litigation law firm of Lovaas & Lehtinen, P.C. as of June 1, 2008. (PR Web)

And in political news, the state's highest government attorney, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, endorsed Senator Barak Obama to be the Democratic nominee for President. (Review-Journal)

Arson is suspected in the North Las Vegas home fires. (Las Vegas Now)

Nevada Attorney General Cortez Masto filed a challenge to the Federal government's plan to build a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain. (Las Vegas Now)