DMV says Williams received notice

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2003 | 10:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Department of Motor Vehicles is taking issue with the claim by Assemblyman Wendell Williams that he was never notified his driver's license was suspended.

Department Director Ginny Lewis said today the agency sent a certified letter to Williams, D-Las Vegas, in September 2001, notifying him his license was suspended because he failed to appear in court to answer a traffic citation.

The law requires the department to send the certified notice because "we want to track it and see who signs for it," Lewis said.

She said records shows the U.S. Postal Service tried to deliver the certified letter on Sept. 5, 2001, but no one answered the door. The postal carrier left a notice at the home that there was a certified letter for Williams, Lewis said.

The post office tried again on Sept. 7 and Sept. 12 to make the delivery and each time left a notice the letter could be picked up at the post office, she said.

Williams never picked up the letter, so it was returned to the department.

"The department complied with the law," said Lewis. "If a person chooses not to pick up a certified letter, that's their responsibility."

The three attempted deliveries and the notes left about the need to pick up the letter are considered proper notice under the law, Lewis said.

She said many people tell the judge they were never notified, but the state agency has a paper trail that shows that the agency tried repeatedly to deliver the letter.

She said the letter was sent to the Williams' home, and records show that it is his present address. If he has changed or moved, he has never notified the department, as required by law, Lewis said.

Williams could not be reached for comment today. In a newspaper interview last month, he said he was never notified that his his licensed was suspended. He drove on a suspended license for 18 months, until he got his license back on May 13, 2003.

In May this year Williams was cited for aggressive driving in Washoe County and he failed to appear for his court hearing. He said then he was never notified of the court hearing. But the Nevada Highway Patrol said it had a signed document that Williams received notice.