Request by mayor’s son raises ethics question

Erin Neff

Thursday, June 6, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

A simple cost-savings measure sought by Las Vegas Municipal Court is proving anything but easy, thanks to the application by Mayor Oscar Goodman's son to provide defense services for the court.

Goodman abstained Wednesday from an item involving a professional service agreement between the court and private attorneys for indigent defendant services because of his son Ross Goodman's application to serve that role.

City Attorney Brad Jerbic requested an opinion from the Attorney General's office to see if the proposed hiring of Ross Goodman would violate the state's nepotism law.

James T. Spencer, senior deputy attorney general, said the hiring would not violate the law provided the mayor and council do not actually decide whom to hire.

"Each court judge will select an attorney from the pool of qualified applicants to serve his or her respective department and will direct the court administrator to offer that attorney a contract to provide indigent defense in that particular department," Spencer wrote.

Court Administrator James Carmany said Ross Goodman is one of about 90 attorneys who applied for the new contracts, which are being offered to allow the court to cut its ties with the Clark County public defender's office.

The contract with the public defender's office for the fiscal year beginning July 1 was expected to cost $900,000, and Carmany said the Municipal Court can provide the same services with the attorneys under contract for about $500,000.

When Goodman's application came in, Carmany asked Jerbic for advice. Jerbic, in turn, got the attorney general's opinion clearing the way for Ross Goodman's potential hire.

The judges have just finished interviewing about 30 attorneys.

The contract approved Wednesday covers costs of $6,500 per month plus investigative expenses.

Carmany said he expects the judges to make a decision in the coming days on which attorneys to hire.

In related Municipal Court news, the council unanimously approved George Assad to fill the vacancy in the Department 3 seat.

Assad, who is currently an alternate judge for the court, was approved without comment.

Councilman Gary Reese initially voted no on the recommended appointment, but once he saw his lone vote in the no column asked the clerk to record his vote with the majority.

Reese had reportedly supported a different candidate for the post.

Assad was appointed to replace Michelle Leavitt, who was appointed by Gov. Kenny Guinn to District Court. He will be up for election next spring.

The council also began the process to give its Municipal Court judges a raise. A bill, sponsored by Councilman Lawrence Weekly, would increase the salaries to $113,578 and would provide for subsequent increases up to $129,000 granted by the county to the Las Vegas Justice Court.

Each judge would make about $18,000 more under the proposal, on which the council is expected to vote July 17.