News briefs for August 21, 2003

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 11:11 a.m.

Appeal rejected in capital case

The Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday rejected the appeal of Gregory N. Leonard, sentenced to death for the 1995 strangulation of a 65-year-old man in Las Vegas.

Leonard sought a writ of habeas corpus, arguing he received ineffective assistance from his trial and his appeal attorneys. He said the defense attorneys did not do certain pre-trial investigations, failed to object to evidence at trial and did not challenge jury instructions.

The court found there was no merit to Leonard's claims.

Leonard, now 38, was convicted of the killing of Thomas Williams in Williams' apartment and stealing jewelry and his gun and then pawning the jewelry. Leonard worked at the apartment complex on Twain Avenue near Paradise Road.

Malpractice award upheld

The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a $10 million medical malpractice judgment against a Fallon physician for a delay in diagnosing a bowel ailment in a young woman.

Rosetta Mullins-Sarver was 18 years old in 1996 when Dr. James Hockenberry failed to properly diagnose her bowel problem and refer her to surgery, according to the suit.

She now is unable to perform the activities of daily living without becoming excessively fatigued, according to court records. She also is dependant upon intravenous feeding for nutrition and requires a variety of medications daily. The court rejected several claims of errors made at the trial before Senior Judge Mario Recanzone. Mullins-Sarver had incurred $700,000 in medical bills at the time of trial. Her economic experts calculated her cost of lifetime future medical expenses at $9.3 million.

The Supreme Court did wipe out a $50,000 award to her lawyer but upheld the other parts of the judgment.

Woman found shot to death

Henderson Police said a woman found dead in a car at an apartment complex early this morning had been shot in the head.

A security guard making rounds about 1 a.m. at the South Valley Ranch apartment complex off Boulder Highway near Sunset Road discovered the woman, who appears to have been in her 50s. She was in a white Honda CRV parked in in the back of the complex.

Police said the death appears to be a homicide.

"She does not live in this complex, but she does live in Henderson," Shane Lewis, Henderson police spokesman, said. "At this point it is unclear as to why she was here. She could have been visiting someone."

NLV approves courthouse pact

A $23 million construction contract for a new North Las Vegas Justice Facility was unanimously approved by the City Council on Wednesday.

The new municipal courthouse is on schedule for a September groundbreaking and early 2005 opening. The Las Vegas company Clark and Sullivan Contractors were awarded the construction contract.

The courthouse will be built on property just north of the current courthouse, which is part of the main City Hall campus along Civic Center Drive north of Lake Mead Boulevard. The building will include space for three courtrooms, judges' chambers, and inmate holding and release areas.

City officials say the new building should alleviate crowding at the current court and will allow for the addition of two more judges in the future.

North Las Vegas Municipal Judge Warren Van Landschoot, who is overseeing the construction project, said if the new courthouse opens in early 2005 a new judge could be added in elections that year.

The project, which would be the city's largest public works project to date, is being paid for with city bonds and fees collected by the court, Van Landschoot said.

Woman killed in I-215 crash

A woman was killed on Interstate 215 this morning when the Jeep she was traveling in rolled and she was ejected from the vehicle, a Nevada Highway Patrol dispatcher said.

Authorities were called at 5:09 a.m. regarding the crash. Another person who had been in the Jeep was taken to an area hospital.