Candidate forum brings out differences among colleagues

Erin Neff

Friday, March 8, 2002 | 9:40 a.m.

Three candidates for Clark County district attorney who all work for current DA Stewart Bell started showing their differences at a sparsely attended voter forum Thursday night.

But the two Republican candidates who must face each other in the primary disagreed the most.

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger, a Republican, said he had great respect for his colleagues, but added, "they're not career prosecutors."

Abbi Silver, the other Republican in the race, said her 12 years in the office make her a career prosecutor. And, she added, her position as chief deputy district attorney assigned to the special victims unit/domestic violence division, leaves her the "only candidate who's a chief administrator as well as a trial attorney."

Assistant District Attorney Mike Davidson, the Democrat, rose each time he answered a question from members of the Charleston Neighborhood Preservation Group, responding as if in court.

While Silver and Roger mentioned "respect" for each other as they disagreed subtly on a few points, Davidson mentioned the office's larger "battles" such as Yucca Mountain, Nevada Power and homeland security.

All three said they agreed with Bell's decision not to prosecute boxer Mike Tyson based on a case file submitted by Metro Police in a sexual assault investigation.

"We all voted independently and we agreed we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Roger said.

Silver agreed, but added: "That is not to say that these victims might not have a remedy civilly."