Transfer paves way for new LV deputy attorney

Steve Sebelius

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas plans to hire a new chief deputy attorney following the transfer of longtime deputy Val Steed, who lost a high-profile court case this summer.

John Redlein, a former deputy district attorney, chief deputy attorney general and in-house lawyer for the Super Pawn chain, will take over from Steed as the chief deputy civil attorney, if approved by the City Council Wednesday.

Steed, a 17-year veteran, will head the legislation unit within the civil division, where he will report to Redlein.

Las Vegas City Attorney Brad Jerbic said the move is part of a long-term reorganization of his office.

"I've always thought of John as a high-quality attorney with a wealth of experience," Jerbic said. "Val is a superb attorney and has unique skills that other people on my staff don't have."

Jerbic denied the move was a punishment for Steed, who lost a lawsuit filed by the owners of the Big Game Club, a neighborhood casino at Charleston and Decatur boulevards.

The Big Game Club, represented by Las Vegas attorney Jim Jimmerson, contended that a line in the city's gaming code gave it permission to expand into a full-fledged hotel-casino without the required special-use permit.

During the trial, Steed put on no witnesses and introduced no exhibits. District Judge Stephen Huffaker ruled quickly for the Big Game Club June 10, shocking City Hall and sending city attorneys scrambling to get a new trial.

After a hearing Nov. 19, District Judge Carl Christensen (who is retired but hears cases from time to time) granted the city -- now represented by Deputy City Attorney Bill Henry, a former federal prosecutor -- a new trial. That proceeding will likely take place next year.

Jimmerson said at the Nov. 19 hearing that the city was sacrificing Steed in an effort to get a second trial, noting that Steed signed an affidavit saying he would handle the case differently if he had to do it again. Jimmerson said Monday he stands by his view.

"I think Mr. Steed is a competent attorney who I have a lot of respect for," Jimmerson said.

But Jerbic denied the move was punitive.

"Absolutely not at all. That's not the way I supervise people," he said. "That would be a mistake for anybody to read that into it."

Instead, Jerbic said, he was putting Steed into an area where he has a lot of knowledge: legislation. He'll be responsible for writing and reviewing laws debated at the 1997 Legislature and for reviewing local laws, including an overhaul of the city's zoning ordinance.

Jerbic said he hadn't been pressured by anyone on the City Council to move Steed. Steed could not be reached for comment.

For his part, Redlein said he missed government service, where he has spent most of his legal career. After graduating from St. Mary's University in 1977, he served as a law clerk to Judge Carl Christensen. From 1978-1986, Redlein worked in the district attorney's office, where he briefly knew Jerbic, before he transferred to the attorney general's office, leaving in 1995 as chief deputy attorney general in charge of the Las Vegas office.

For the past two years, Redlein has worked for Camco Inc., the company that owns the Super Pawn chain. But he said he took Jerbic's offer because he wanted to be part of the "top-notch office" the city attorney is assembling.

"Brad Jerbic is making a strong effort to turn his municipal law firm into the very best group of government lawyers, not just in the state but anywhere," Redlein said.

Jerbic recently got permission from the City Council to add four attorneys, the first additions to the civil staff in years, creating a litigation unit headed by Henry. Steed will head the second newly created unit, government affairs.

Jerbic said his goal is to handle most legal situations without having to hire expensive outside lawyers.

"I would like to see the office become a full-service law firm," he said. "You can't be a jack-of-all-trades in this world. You need people who are highly specialized."