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November 28, 2009

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Attorney asks court to OK his tactics in DUI cases

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999 | 10:35 a.m.

Attorney John Glenn Watkins tried to convince a three-justice panel on Monday that more than one charge resulting from a misdemeanor DUI arrest is redundant.

Watkins has convinced at least some of the judges and justices of the peace in Las Vegas, having his clients pleading guilty to minor traffic offenses and getting more serious misdemeanor DUI charges dismissed.

Watkins has cited a Nevada case to successfully argue that prosecution for both crimes would constitute double jeopardy. Double jeopardy means a person cannot be prosecuted twice for the same offense.

But Clark County Deputy District Attorney Bruce Nelson asked the Supreme Court to issue a writ overruling this view and allow the six cases to go to trial.

"Common sense would tell us these are not the same offenses," he said.

Justices Cliff Young, Deborah Agosti and Myron Leavitt heard oral arguments in the case, and will rule later.

Watkins said prosecutors often make as many as four

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