Groesbeck pleads guilty to two misdemeanor counts

Bill Gang

Friday, Sept. 17, 1999 | 11:06 a.m.

District Attorney Stewart Bell's saber-rattling at Robert Groesbeck resulted today in the former Henderson mayor accepting a plea bargain that he had earlier rejected.

Groesbeck pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts -- one for disturbing the peace and one for resisting arrest. As part of the deal, Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis fined him $2,000 and ordered him to perform 80 hours of community service.

The negotiated resolution also calls for Groesbeck to donate $2,500 to the Injured Police Officers Association.

In a statement after the brief court session, Groesbeck admitted he was "very intoxicated" during a private party at an exclusive Mandalay Bay hotel-casino club on Sept. 3 when he was alleged to have groped a woman.

Metro Police were called and Groesbeck tussled with them as they were trying to arrest him, placing one officer in a headlock before being subdued by several other officers.

"I acted inappropriately," Groesbeck said. "My conduct was embarrassing, rude and obnoxious. I was angry, injured and afraid. I sincerely apologize."

Groesbeck, an attorney for Republic Silver State Disposal, denied some of the allegations in a graphic police report, including that he had his shoes on the wrong feet and exposed himself.

He also denied he "inappropriately touched anyone."

His attorney, David Chesnoff, explained that by his plea Groesbeck was "saying something happened but it wasn't a sex offense."

"His plea doesn't encompass an admission that he put his hand down her dress," Chesnoff said, referring to the complaint from Las Vegas real estate agent Gay Gustafson.

In fact, Groesbeck was not asked during his guilty plea to specify what he had done to warrant the criminal charges and the guilty plea.

"It's over," Chesnoff said of the case that he equated with "getting in trouble at a college frat house."

Groesbeck confirmed that he has talked with Gustafson and apologized for the incident in the House of Blues Foundation Room that sits just below the neon sign on the top floor of the Strip resort.

"We've made our peace and I hope you respect that," he told the media who he said had "tried and convicted me" before the case got to court.

In public statements, Gustafson stood by her statement of events but said she preferred that no charges be pursued against Groesbeck.

Bell appeared in court today to handle the politically charged case.

When early plea bargain talks broke down several days ago, Groesbeck was given notice by the district attorney's office that he was on the verge of being indicted by a Clark County grand jury over the incident.

The potential charges were gross misdemeanors that could have put Groesbeck in jail for up to two years and labeled him a sex offender had he been convicted.

An indictment also would have made public a videotape of the events leading to the altercation with officers. The security camera tape, according to sources in the district attorney's office, would have been embarrassing to Groesbeck.

By accepting the plea bargain, Groesbeck guaranteed that the video will not surface.

The original plea bargain offer from Bell would have required Groesbeck to plead guilty to the two misdemeanor charges, but Groesbeck wanted a deal that would result in the charges being dismissed -- even if there were counseling, community service, fines or other requirements involved.

Bell would not approve such a deal.

Finally, Groesbeck today took Bell's ultimatum although it will leave him with a criminal record.

In today's statement, Groesbeck apologized to Metro and to Mandalay Bay security.

He said the legal battle has been "unbelieveably difficult, unbearably difficult.

"But it is nothing compared to what it was like having to tell my family I had been arrested," he said. "This has broken my heart."

Although there were suggestions that drugs may have played a role in Groesbeck's erratic and aggressive behavior, he said that simply is untrue.

"I abhor illegal drug use," he said, explaining that after his release from jail, he went to an independent laboratory and had his hair, blood and urine tested for drugs, with negative results.