Court briefs for September 27, 2000

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000 | 10:49 a.m.

Drunken driver gets up to 40 years

Vaun O'Laughlin died on a Las Vegas road in February cradling her 7-year-old grandson in her arms. On Tuesday the man accused of killing the 64-year-old Las Vegas woman and her 75-year-old husband in a drunken-driving collision was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.

Cy Van Norman, 34, was sentenced in Clark County District Court on two counts of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, causing death. He received sentences of six to 20 years on each count to be served consecutively, making him eligible for parole after 12 years.

Van Norman was charged in connection with the February collision on Hollywood Boulevard caused when his Jeep Wrangler drifted into the oncoming lane and struck a Volkswagen Jetta driven by Charles O'Laughlin head on.

Charles O'Laughlin and his wife died at the scene. The couple's grandson, Charles O'Laughlin III of Phoenix, suffered severe injuries but survived.

Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said the child's life was likely saved when his grandmother grabbed him just before the collision.

Van Norman had a blood alcohol level of 0.21 at the time of the accident, well above the Nevada threshold of 0.10 for drunk driving.

Probation sentence given to LV man

A Las Vegas man initially charged with murder for beating a 46-year-old woman who later died of complications from her injuries has been sentenced to probation.

Bobby Banks, 22, was given a suspended sentence of 12 to 36 months on charges of battery with substantial bodily harm and coercion Tuesday at a hearing in Clark County District Court.

Banks was initially charged with open murder for the April 3 death of Charlene Woodward, who died about 10 days after being beaten in a dispute over drugs, Deputy District Attorney Robert Daskas said.

Woodward died of an infection she suffered from one of her wounds, and her death was not a direct result of the beating, Daskas said, explaining the reduced charges. Witnesses also gave conflicting reports of the incident, he said.

Car dealer sues NLV police

A North Las Vegas used car dealer has filed a federal lawsuit against the city's police department alleging his civil rights were violated when an officer acting on behalf of his business rivals towed away vehicles from his lot despite a court order.

John Locke, owner of Main Street Motor Cars, Inc., filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court seeking $500,000 in damages against the North Las Vegas Police Department.

According to the lawsuit, Locke agreed in 1997 to sell the business to David Hansen and Richard Wilson, who worked as salesmen at the lot. The sale broke down, however, when a dispute erupted between the parties that resulted in a court order preventing the removal of any vehicles from the lot.

But Locke claims police Lt. Edward Finizie towed 16 cars from the lot on Feb. 26, 1998, forcing the company to file for bankruptcy. Locke claims the towed vehicles, which included a Ferrari, were worth $360,000.

A bankruptcy judge later ruled Locke was the rightful owner of the vehicles, which were sold by a third party for $50,000, according to the lawsuit. The judge ordered the money returned to help settle Locke's bankruptcy debt.

A spokesman for the police department could not be reached for comment this morning.