Man Says He Was Offered County Job After Shoving Incident

Friday, June 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Rick Bell says he turned down the $25,000 offer, calling it a bribe.

Bell claims he was shoved by Christensen following a confrontation at a February 1993 commission meeting. Christensen claims Bell shoved a video camera in his face.

In a January 1995 letter, Chief Deputy District Attorney Janson Stewart offered Bell a $25,000-a-year job as a paralegal for one year if he agreed not to pursue battery, libel and civil rights complaints.

Stewart said the offer was his idea and would have saved the county money on legal fees as well as exposing Bell to the inner workings of the county government he so often criticized.

Christensen said he didn't know of the offer when it was made and that he wouldn't have supported it because he wanted to take the case to court to clear his name.

Eight days after Stewart's offer, Bell filed suit against Christensen, the county and the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

Six months later, Bell said he ran out of money to pursue the case and settled out of court, accepting $3,000 from the county and dismissing his claims against Christensen.