Landreth will not be prosecuted

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2003 | 10:55 a.m.

The Justice Department will not prosecute former U.S. Attorney Kathryn Landreth for taking copies of documents when she left her position with the government in April 2001.

The documents in question were regarding Robert Leon Torres, a former employee in the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas, who was fired and has since filed a civil rights suit against the office allegeing that he was discriminated against because he is Hispanic.

A motion filed Monday by the government asks a federal judge to exclude evidence of removal of documents by Landreth during the trial, and the motion states that the Justice Department's criminal division declined to prosecute Landreth for taking the documents.

Landreth, who now works as a legal adviser for Metro Police, said she took the copies in order to be able to refresh her memory during various proceedings that she assumed would follow in the Torres matter, according to the motion.

"The removal of files in these circumstances is not probative as to the truthfulness or untruthfulness of Ms. Landreth," the motion states. "If it establishes anything, it suggests that Ms. Landreth was concerned about providing truthful and accurate testimony in the Torres legal proceedings."

Landreth, who served as Nevada's U.S. attorney from 1993 to 2001, could not immediately be reached for comment this morning at her Metro office.

Torres, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, worked as a supervisor in the U.S. attorney's office and was fired by Landreth and Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Zlotnick on allegations of lying on his employment application.

Torres alleges in his suit that Zlotnick made repeated racist remarks against him and other Hispanics and that Landreth violated his rights by taking copies of files having to do with his employment.