Controversy surrounds NLV race

Bill Gang

Monday, May 5, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

During his 16 years as North Las Vegas Municipal Court judge, Gary Davis feuded with city officials, championed the rights of the downtrodden and slammed the bad guys behind bars for long stretches.

He also did enough controversial and problematic things to get him booted off the bench in 1995 by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.

Now he wants voters to give him his old job back, despite the commission's actions that were sanctioned by the Nevada Supreme Court.

But standing in his way are three challengers and the race has not been without its controversy.

Davis, 48, and Steve Szostek, 58, have been criticized for what some have said are campaign signs that mislead voters into believing they are the incumbents.

The incumbent, James Kelly, who was appointed to fill the slot after Davis was tossed out, is not seeking the seat.

Davis had "re-elect" on some of his signs, although that was removed after his staff acknowledged it was improper.

Szostek has been criticized for listing "judge" ahead of his name, implying he already sits on the bench.

Szostek, a former Detroit firefighter, says his 11 years as a warrant officer for the Municipal Court has prepared him to take the bench.

The only lawyer in the race is Natalie Tyrrell, 32, who works at the Senior Law Project and is endorsed by the Women's Democratic Club of Clark County,the Southern Nevada Women's Political Caucus and Hispanics in Politics.

She said her legal training would make her more impartial than the two opponents with law enforcement backgrounds -- Szostek and North Las Vegas police detective Warren Van Landschoot, 52.

Van Landschoot has touted his 29 years in police work and community service in such groups as Little League and Boy Scouts. The 45-year resident of Clark County said, "I know the law from the victim's point of view. No criminal will get any favors in my courtroom."

Davis has based much of his campaign on his accomplishments while a judge, including establishing a bilingual court program, generating $4 million in revenue for the city and $700,000 for charities, and establishing work programs to lower the jail population.

Henderson Judge

Incumbent John Provost is trying to hold onto the seat he was appointed to in August when the court was expanded to two judges.

He is being challenged by Ann Small, 64, who served as pro tem judge two days a week during much of 1995 and 1996 in the court that handles traffic offenses and misdemeanors.

Provost, 36, is a former Chicago police officer who became a city attorney for Wilmette, Ill., after graduating from John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

He was a civil trial lawyer in Henderson before his appointment.

Small, a former University Medical Center nurse, became a Henderson deputy city attorney in 1990, prosecuting misdemeanor cases in the court where she would like to preside.

She cites her five years as a prosecutor as her greatest qualification.

Small said she focused on domestic battery cases and also provided training for Henderson Police officers.

She earned a nursing degree from UNLV, a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the University of Wyoming and her law degree from California Western School of Law.