Doctor who hosted party faces charges

By Abigail Goldman

Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 | 2 a.m.

A well-known Nevada doctor has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of two minors who were allegedly provided alcohol at his home.

Dr. Rudy Manthei was scheduled to go to trial on the charges in Henderson Municipal Court today, though it now appears the case will be continued for possible negotiations. Manthei initially pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the May incident, according to court documents. Neither the doctor nor his attorney was available for comment Friday.

Manthei, an ophthalmologist, was named health care adviser to Gov. Jim Gibbons in 2008 and is chairman of Keep Our Doctors in Nevada, a group of medical professionals that most recently opposed a bill seeking to remove a cap on damages for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases. The bill died in the state Senate.

Manthei has also been floated as a potential Republican candidate for state Senate.

Police responding to a complaint of noise at Manthei’s Henderson home just after midnight on May 24 reportedly found teenagers standing in the doctor’s driveway on the verge of a fight. When officers approached, some of the teens ran into the home while others remained outside and told officers that “most of the other juveniles were drinking, but there was an adult inside the residence,” according to the police report.

The report goes on to detail the officer’s interaction with the doctor: Manthei “advised he was supervising his son’s party. Manthei stated he was aware that the juveniles were consuming alcohol, and Manthei himself appeared intoxicated. Manthei advised he had hired two security guards to supervise the juveniles. Manthei stated that the approximately 10 juveniles remaining inside the residence were going to stay the night, and nobody was to drive.”

As the police officer was leaving, however, he observed two teenagers leaving the Manthei home by car.

The officer pulled over the teens, who said they had been drinking at the doctor’s house and failed Breathalyzer tests. They were cited for consuming alcohol, and the doctor was cited with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor.

According to the police report, Manthei “provided minors with alcohol and then allowed them to leave after stating all minors would remain at his residence.”

This case is not the only legal battle Manthei is involved in. In April, 57 local anesthesiologists filed a lawsuit against Seven Hills Surgery Center — which Manthei owns — as well as the surgery center’s management group, alleging Seven Hills Surgery Center violated their contracts.