Holidays slow, don’t stop court business

Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007 | 7:24 a.m.

If you're among the mounting number of citizens disillusioned by the dawdling pace of justice, take heart: The creaky wheels are not stopping to be greased during this holiday week.

"It's weird being here," said Las Vegas resident John Santarsiero, 51, who was at the Regional Justice Center on Monday for a civil hearing. "It doesn't entirely seem like Christmas. Do they take a day off?"

Yes, today.

But for the rest of the week, the courthouse is open for business: Arraignments are being held in the morning, as are some civil proceedings. The court calendar, though, is light.

So if you've delayed a visit to the clerk's office over fear of long lines, this week is your best bet to get in and out of there in less than 30 minutes.

This week, expect the elevators to be nearly vacant and the usually hushed chatter to be practically nonexistent: Most judges and attorneys are on vacation, so juries won't be paneled again until Jan. 2.

"It's already inconvenient enough for juries to be here than to have them here during the holidays," Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez said.

Maybe that explains why the owners of the infamous Minxx Gentlemen's Club and Lounge - the site of the February melee involving Tennessee Titan Adam "Pacman" Jones - didn't attend a civil hearing Monday. Perhaps the timing was inconvenient.

This isn't the first example of Minxx appearing cavalier toward dates and deadlines. The owners were expected at the Monday hearing because media giant Clear Channel has sued the club for allegedly failing to pay monthly bills for three billboard advertisements, including one at West Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard.

District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt indicated she would award Clear Channel more than $500,000 - at Minxx's expense, of course. That would include Minxx's outstanding balance, interest and Clear Channel's legal bills.

Though everyone was taking his part in the hearing seriously - at least those who attended - it was clear that sugarplums were dancing in some heads.

As she left the witness stand, Jeanine Defalco, a Las Vegas-based credit manager for Clear Channel, turned to Leavitt and said she was anxious to get home to bake for the holiday ahead.

Leavitt smiled.

"Good. Go home and bake," she told Defalco. "That's where you should be."

One courtroom away on the 14th floor, Gonzalez presided over her usual morning arraignments - yet the tone was unusually light, perhaps reflecting the Santa hat atop her head.

Gonzalez's staff had doubted she would wear it, but she accepted their challenge.

Christmas aside, the defendants entered their pleas, accepted their sentences and moved on - in some cases, back to jail. The mood may have been festive for some, but did not extend to the defendants. There was no leniency to be had.

But maybe they'll get turkey today.