Trial costing county about $7,400 a day

Kim Smith

Friday, April 21, 2000 | 11:24 a.m.

Clark County taxpayers are paying about $7,400 per day for the Binion murder trial, a figure that is slightly larger than the cost of a typical murder case, court officials said.

Doug Bradford, county communication director, said that figure includes the district attorneys' salaries, the salaries of the judge's clerk, the regular courtroom bailiff and additional courtroom security and costs attributed to the jury.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure's salary is paid for by the state, said Michael Ware, assistant court operations supervisor.

Ware said jurors are paid $9 for their first day, $15 a day for the first four days and $30 a day for the remainder of the trial. In addition, their parking and meals are paid for.

Although no exact figures are available, the total daily cost of the trial so far has topped $100,000.

The cost of the Binion trial is higher than typical murder trials only because of the extra security staff needed to handle the presence of the media and larger numbers of spectators, Bradford said.

Unless Bonaventure decides to sequester the jury, Bradford said he believes court officials will be able to stay well within their trial budget.

Bradford said the county typically budgets enough to hold 10 four-week-long capital murder cases per year. Although the Binion trial is expected to last two to three months, which is much longer than a typical murder trial, the length of the other trials will balance out, he said.

Bradford said Thursday that because of a couple of recent incidents that could have forced a mistrial, the county has come up with cost estimates in the event Bonaventure decides to sequester the jury for the remainder of the trial.

He declined to release those figures, saying he would do so only if the jury is sequestered. However, the costs would include lodging, food, entertainment, any transportation costs and 24-hour security.

"If it happens, it would be the first time ever that I'm aware of," Bradford said.

Talk of sequestration was rampant this week after an alternate juror was dismissed for reportedly discussing the case despite Bonaventure's repeated admonishments not to. Then a bellman at the Golden Nugget hotel-casino was overheard by several jurors blurting out "They're not guilty" while they were on a lunch break.

"I think the judge has some legitimate concerns," Bradford said. "We're three weeks into the trial and he doesn't want anything to interrupt the judicial process."

The jury had already lost another alternate last week because of personal financial difficulties, Bradford said.

"I think the judge showed a lot of foresight by having six alternates instead of the normal four," Bradford said.

While the cost of sequestering a jury would still be far less than if Bonaventure had granted a change of venue motion, the last thing anyone wants to do is confine the jury, Bradford said.

"Being sequestered is not a fun thing," Bradford said. "Being cooped up 24 hours a day, seven days a week puts a strain not only on work relationships, but on personal relationships too. I don't think the judge will do it unless it's absolutely necessary."

If the jury is sequestered, Bradford said it is likely Bonaventure would forego the Friday breaks he has been giving and hold Saturday sessions. That would mean more overtime costs for all involved.

As it is, if sequestration is called for, Bradford said court administrators would have to go to the Clark County Commission to ask for additional funding.

"Our finance folks are already aware of the potential, and they know we have to make do, but it won't break the bank so to speak and no other programs would suffer because of it," Bradford said.

Not figured into the daily total is the $20,000 Sandy Murphy's defense team received early in the proceedings when she was declared indigent.

Murphy's attorney, John Momot in March asked Bonaventure to no longer consider his client indigent after the judge questioned how she could be dining in gourmet restaurants and living in the posh Regency Towers at the Las Vegas Country Club.

The cost of the preliminary hearing in the Binion trial was about $5,000 per day, somewhat less than the trial itself because fewer witnesses were called and fewer of them were from out-of-town, Bradford said.

Kim Smith covers courts for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2321 or by e-mail at kimberly@lasvegassun.com.