Judge campaigns keeping clean

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

The race to determine the next North Las Vegas municipal judge pits two friends who are running solely on their credentials.

There are no issues that divide former Judge Gary Davis and North Las Vegas Police homicide detective Warren Van Landschoot as they head into the June 3 general election. Anyone hoping for mudslinging will have to look elsewhere.

The 48-year-old Davis is fortunate in that regard because he was ousted from the bench in 1995 for misconduct after 16 years in office. The Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission accused him of borrowing money from court employees, using them to run personal errands, playing offensive music to jail prisoners and peddling antiques out of the courthouse.

On the campaign trail, however, Davis said he is getting support from residents who believe he got a raw deal.

"Most people believe I got rooked, got taken advantage of," Davis said. "A lot of people are upset that they voted for me last election (in 1993), and that vote was taken away from them. A number of these people believe government is intrusive."

The commission even tried to get Davis removed from the ballot but failed. Meantime, his appeal of the commission's ouster awaits a decision from the Nevada Supreme Court.

Van Landschoot, 52, said he sees no reason to bring up the past.

"I don't see where I've got to belittle Gary Davis," he said. "What happened to Gary he has to overcome himself. The voters have to make their own decisions about it. I don't see any reason to kick up old sand and dirt."

Instead, the detective has been telling citizens about his law enforcement experience, which includes an estimated 250 homicide investigations.

"What the voters have to determine is whether they want my experience in law enforcement and my tough stand on the streets," Van Landschoot said.

Davis is running on his prior judicial record.

"There are a number of people who are concerned that a number of DUIs (driving under the influence) are being amended down to reckless driving," he said. "I got an award for being the toughest DUI sentencing judge over a 10-year period in the country."

Davis landed 43 percent of the vote among a field of four candidates in the May 6 primary. Van Landschoot placed second and made the runoff with 29 percent. But third-place finisher Natalie Tyrrell, who gained 25 percent of the vote, is supporting Van Landschoot.

The detective believes Tyrrell's support will help him win the election. But Davis said the only reason he didn't win the contest outright during the primary is that many of his supporters stayed home, assuming he'd capture the majority of votes needed to get elected.

The winner of the four-year seat will replace Judge James Kelly, who was appointed to succeed Davis.