Police citizens review chief to be announced

Erin Neff

Tuesday, April 11, 2000 | 10:39 a.m.

Attorneys with ties to government make up the majority of finalists selected to head a Metro Police Citizens Review Board.

Clark County officials were expected sometime today to name the person who will head the board.

"We have five people who were interviewed last week," county spokesman Doug Bradford said. "We have to check on references and educational experience before the finalist is named."

The finalists are private attorney Andrea Beckman, Senior Deputy Attorney General Bridget Branigan, Chief Deputy Attorney General Richard Linstrom, Senior Deputy Attorney General Paul Lychuk and former North Las Vegas Assistant City Attorney Mark Zalaoras.

A source familiar with the search said Beckman would likely be the choice announced today, in part, because she is the only finalist without immediate ties to government.

Branigan was sanctioned in December 1999 for "abusive" court tactics after she allegedly used office resources, including her secretary, to conduct pro bono work for clients.

Linstrom came to her defense, saying she was only following office guidelines and directions from District Judge James Mahan.

Mahan had ordered Branigan and Solicitor General Mark Ghan to pay $1,500 apiece out of their own pockets or perform 10 hours of community service for stonewalling attorney Christine Manno's efforts to uncover a reported intelligence investigation of top gaming regulators on behalf of her client, Mike Anzalone.

Lychuk has worked on cases involving police raids for evidence, including the seizure of $5 million in cash in an illegal betting network linked to organize crime.

Zalaoras, who resigned from his North Las Vegas post on March 31, served as acting city attorney for several months last year. He was a candidate for the city attorney's job, which went to Sean McGowan.

The Clark County Commission is expected to vote on the finalist for the position April 18. The Las Vegas City Council will vote on the director's hiring April 19.

The review board has been proposed for years but drew momentum after the 1996 drive-by shooting of 21-year-old Daniel Mendoza at the hands of then-Metro Police Officer Ron Mortensen.

Allegations of misconduct by Metro officers are reviewed by the department's Internal Affairs Division and in coroner's inquests in cases of fatal on-duty shootings.

Critics have argued that neither are truly independent. However, those who are critical of the review board claim private citizens do not have the working knowledge needed to police the police.

A diverse committee spent a year examining how such a review board should operate. The council and commission each authorized formation of the board, agreeing to share its costs.

But months passed before the final ordinance creating the review board was hashed out between the two entities. Some members of the original committee said they felt shut out by government officials during the search for a review board director.

"The entire search process has left a lot to be desired, not the least of which is the failure of the city and county managers to reach out to the advisory panel in an appropriate way," said Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Nevada.

"The list of finalists is so heavily weighted with governmental lawyers that it could be nearly impossible for the review board to have the appearance or to be genuinely independent," Peck added.

After an executive director is approved by both the county and city, that person will begin the process of setting up the 25-member review board.

The County Commission will appoint 13 board members, and the City Council will appoint 12. Both governments share the annual cost of the board, with the county funding $77,000 and the city $57,000.

Erin Neff covers Las Vegas government for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4062or 229-6436, or by e-mail at erin@lasvegassun.com