Tuesday Roundup

District Judge Mark Denton issued an injunction in the battle between the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Friends of Southern Nevada Libraries preventing Friends of the Library from distributing any money made from the sale of unwanted library books or other materials to any entity but the library district. (Review-Journal)

Police in St. George broke up a prostitution ring allegedly run by two Las Vegas men who would recruit women in St. George to work as prostitutes in Vegas. (Deseret News)

Olympia Group--the developer of master-planned community Park Highlands in North Las Vegas--filed suit in District Court, alleging its partner failed to pay its share for infrastructure. (In Business Las Vegas)

Governor Gibbons and his soon to be ex-wife are putting the divorce proceedings on hold in an attempt to resolve the issues that brought them to court. (Las Vegas Now)

The Carson kidnapping doctor will come up before the parole board next week. (Nevada Appeal)

A trial of four men allegedly involved in racketeering in Vegas and stealing more than $400 million from the Bank of China. (Review-Journal)

The Clark Co. District Court and Office of the County Clerk are sparring over how badly the County Clerk mismanaged an attorney trust fund. (Las Vegas Sun)

A federal lawsuit alleging Clark Co.'s child welfare system leaves children at risk has not been approved as a class action. (Las Vegas Now)

The environmental group Glen Canyon Trust has filed a lawsuit over the way the Glen Canyon Dam is being managed. (Las Vegas Now)

Congratulations to Joseph Liebman who was hired as an associate attorney with Bailey Kennedy. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Monday Roundup

Las Vegas lawyer Jeanne Winkler, who was suspended in March amid allegations that she misappropriated more than $200,000 from her attorney-client trust account, is now facing a felony bad-check charge. (Review-Journal)

An owner of dogs who mauled a man in East Vegas is under arrest because he's also a registered sex offender who failed to inform police of his residence. (Las Vegas Now)

In a 2-1 vote, the Nevada Supreme Court's northern panel has ruled a former sex offender serving time for a non-sexual offense doesn't have to get a psychological panel certification before his parole. (Nevada Appeal)

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)

Doctors threatening Ed Bernstein?

Ed Bernstein of Ed Berstein & Assoc. [you know, the lawyer in that super annoying "doors closed in your face" commercial] apparently received a threatening email related to his representation of Plaintiffs in the Hep-C/Endoscopy/Dr. Needles civil case. Best part is, police tracked the email back to a doctor's email account.

The Las Vegas Sun reports (scroll down under the Aryan Warrior report):

Personal injury lawyer Ed Bernstein received a threat that attracted the attention of law enforcement early in his involvement in the massive litigation over the hepatitis outbreak.

Bernstein received an e-mail from someone using a phony name in March telling him to “watch his back” in the litigation. The writer told Bernstein, “We will be following the events closely, and we will certainly be keeping an eye on you and your associates.”

The e-mail concluded, “It would be quite the tragedy if you or someone you cared for ... were to be diagnosed with hepatitis C, wouldn’t it?” That sentence included
Bernstein’s home address, which naturally caused him some concern.

Bernstein turned the message over to Metro Police which, with the help of subpoenaed records, traced the e-mail to an account belonging to a doctor. Police
determined the e-mail originated at a computer in the physicians break room at
Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center, Bernstein said. The doctor denied
creating the e-mail, and police have not filed charges in the case.

Wow. In this round of the eternal war between lawyers and doctors, doctors appear to have taken the d-bag title.

Judge Dawson discusses chaos of Schiff tax trial

As part of the Nevada Federal Courts Media Conference, U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson spoke and recounted "a few of the chilling incidents" that occurred during the 2005 trial of Las Vegas tax protester Irwin Schiff [pictured right].

The Review-Journal reports:

During the tax trial, Schiff and his allies used local radio airwaves to drum up support. That effort resulted in the courtroom sometimes being jammed with vocal loyalists of the self-styled tax protester, who eventually was convicted and sentenced in February 2006 to more than 13 years in prison. At one point, a Wyoming man was sentenced to 30 days for contempt to trying to verbally encourage jurors to acquit Schiff.

Around that time, strange things started happening around the courthouse. Court personnel had their tires punctured, and IRS agents found that acid had been splashed on their vehicles. At one point, Dawson's safety became enough of a concern that he and his wife started traveling with a U.S. marshal escort. The judge was even harassed at his place of worship.

Following the verdict, jurors in the case reported receiving harassing phone calls. A window was broken at the home of at least one juror.

Not exactly breaking news, but I thought the image of a protester appealing to the jury in open court is priceless.

Friday Roundup

A Kansas-City couple is suing ex-Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo alleging that Rizzolo still owes them $10 million as part of his plea agreement and that Rizzolo is hiding millions. (Las Vegas Sun)

The man who shot up the Penthouse Club [who, amazingly, was not Pacman Jones] ran from the club and, when confronted by police, continued shooting. He injured one officer in the leg before being shot and killed by officers. (Review-Journal)

Yesterday, District Judge Valerie Adair sentenced the two men who tortured a 42-year-old man and then dumped his body in the desert. (Review-Journal)

OSHA is coming to City Center to inspect whether the project is obeying federal worker safety laws. (Review-Journal)

The Clark County District Attorney's office rejected a term-limit challenge to Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley. (Review-Journal)

Since the owner of Harrah's has a 2.4 percent stake in the Celtics, Harrah's 13 casinos won't be allowed to take bets on the NBA Finals. (Las Vegas Now)

Former pastor and intoxicated contractor arrested for road rage. (Nevada Appeal)

Family Court Judge Nicholas Del Vecchio denied he sexually abused his step-daughter when she was a minor says he never sexually harassed her as an adult. He also explained that he never called a Hispanic bailiff a "lazy Mexican" or made sexually explicit comments about female court employees, lawyers and judges, but if he did, the comments "would have been said in jest, and in a joking manner". (Review-Journal)

The Southern Nevada Health District has opened an investigation into an Endoscopy Center-affiliated clinic, Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center at 4275 Burnham Ave., after a former patient was diagnosed with Hep-C. (Review-Journal) Meanwhile, inspections of Nevada's ambulatory surgery centers reveals many are still not following disease control policies. (Review-Journal)

Nevada Business Journal Announces List of Legal Elite

Nevada Business Journal has released its list of the Top Nevada Lawyers. The list was compiled from the polled opinions of members of The Nevada Bar who were asked to name the lawyers they hold in the highest regard, the best up-and-coming attorneys in the state, as well as two government attorneys.
And the results are in:

Top Attorneys
Bruce T. Beesley - Lewis & Roca (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Todd L. Brice - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Commercial Litigation)
Kurt Bonds – Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Business Law)
Anthony Cabot – Lewis & Roca (Government & Administrative)
Donald J. Campbell – Campbell and Williams (Civil Trial)
Laurel E. Davis – Fennemore Craig, P.C. (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Robert T. Eglet – Mainor Eglet Cottle (Civil Trial)
John Frankovich – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Andrew Gordon - McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Michael D. Haight – Henness and Haight, Injury Attorneys (Personal Injury)
Israel “Ishi” Kunin - Kunin & Jones (Adoption, Marital & Family)
Charlie H. Luh – Luh & Associates (Insurance)
George F. Ogilvie – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Nathan Reinmiller – Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Insurance)
LeAnn Sanders – Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Civil Trial)
Frank A. Schreck – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Government & Administrative)
Ellen L. Schulhofer – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Business Law)
Ambrish S. Sidhu – Sidhu Law Firm (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Richard M. Trachok – Bruce & Trachok, P.C. (International Gaming & Regulatory Law)

Top Up and Coming Attorneys
Stephen Dixon – T. James Truman & Associates (Business Law)
Michael V. Infuso – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Commercial Litigation)
Josephine Binetti McPeak – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Michael Pagni – McDonald Carano Wilson (Real Estate Transactions)
Karie Wilson – Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Transportation Law)

Top Government Attorneys
Mark A. Clayton – Nevada Gaming Control Board
Mike Davidson – City Attorney for North Las Vegas
C.W. “Bill” Hoffman – Clark County School District
Carie Torrence – City Attorney for North Las Vegas
Robert T. Warhola – Clark Co. Deputy District Attorney

In Case you weren't keeping count, here's the list by firm:
McDonald Carano Wilson--3 Top Attorneys, 2 Up and Coming
Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders--3 Top Attorneys, 1 Up and Coming
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck--3 Top Attorneys, 1 Up and Coming
Lewis & Roca--2 Top Attorneys
(and several others with 1 named associate or partner)

Congratulations to all the named top attorneys.