Court briefs for February 1, 2002

Friday, Feb. 1, 2002 | 8:57 a.m.

7-year sentence given in killing

A 32-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced to 7 1/2 half years in prison Thursday for a fatal Halloween morning shooting near downtown Las Vegas.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane said Thomas Lee Williams pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced by District Judge Joseph Bonaventure.

Kane said Williams chased and shot an unidentified man after the man stabbed him in the abdomen near 21st and Fremont streets.

Kane said police found a list of aliases for the victim, and they suspect he was an illegal immigrant. The Clark County coroner's office identified the victim as Aleso Mendez, 35.

Local chapter's motion denied

District Judge Sally Loehrer Thursday refused to hold the national NAACP in contempt of court for failing to provide local chapter members an agenda for a hearing at which the local chapter's charter was suspended.

Loehrer ruled that although the national chapter wrongly stated no such agenda was available, the local chapter did not suffer as a result. She did, however, award former president Gene Collins and member Chester Richardson $1,500 in attorneys' fees.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People suspended the Las Vegas chapter's charter in April after complaints about administrative inadequacies, questionable election procedures and infighting.

Loehrer stayed the decision, saying the local chapter hadn't been given enough notice and told the national group to provide an agenda for an Oct. 20 meeting of the national board of directors in Los Angeles.

An agenda wasn't provided, the chapter was suspended again and Collins filed the contempt of court motion on behalf of the chapter.

Former teacher put on probation

A former Laughlin elementary school teacher was placed on five years' probation Thursday after pleading guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography.

Byron Covert will also be subjected to lifetime supervision as a result of his plea agreement.

Covert was on leave from Bennett Elementary School in May when he was arrested by Metro Police.