State argues against combining lawsuits against Board of Regents

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

District Judge Jackie Glass heard arguments Wednesday to consolidate the attorney general's lawsuit against the Board of Regents with the individual lawsuits in relation to alleged open-meeting violations Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.

Richard Linstrom, assistant solicitor general, argued against consolidating the lawsuits, saying state agencies need quick clarification on the open-meeting law.

"We are a public entity seeking to validate statute," Linstrom said. "We don't want to have it dragged out."

Attorney General Brian Sandoval asked the District Court to find that a closed personnel session on those days, which focused on the contents of a 1,026-page investigative report and led to the removal of Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington and lobbyist John Cummings, violated the state's open-meeting laws. His motion sought to have the votes overturned.

Cummings' attorney, Frank Cremen, and Remington's attorney, Kathleen England, filed complaints for injunctive relief in December.

All three attorneys argued against combining the cases, which was requested by university attorneys to expedite the case. University attorneys have also filed a motion to dismiss the individual cases.

Cremen and England both argued the attorney general's complaint, which asks the court to rule on specific interpretations of the open-meeting law, was too narrow to encompass their multiple complaints. Remington's and Cummings' cases were consolidated in December.

Linstrom argued that consolidating would actually slow the progress of the attorney general's lawsuit because of the added motions filed by Cremen and England.

An appeal Cremen filed with the Nevada Supreme Court could complicate the move to consolidate. Cremen is asking the high court to overthrow Glass' decision in December not to provide injunctive relief, Linstrom said.

Glass told the parties she would fax them her decision by end of business Friday.