High court upholds LV woman’s conviction

Friday, July 29, 2005 | 9:58 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of Amy Green, found guilty in Las Vegas of exploiting an 85-year-old ailing woman, getting her to hand over $1.5 million of her life savings.

The court rejected Green's argument that her court-appointed attorney was incompetent. She was convicted in May 2004 of seven felony counts of exploiting Esther Governale by getting her to withdraw the money and giving it to Green in six bank transactions.

District Judge Lee Gates placed the 66-year old Green on probation for up to five years and ordered her to pay restitution of $1.5 million to the estate.

Governale, who was in an assisted living center when she handed over her life savings, died in 2003. Her husband, Charles, had died in 2001. Green maintained the money was a gift from Governale.

Green, in her appeal, complained that Gates should have appointed a new lawyer for her trial.

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