One Man’s View:

Clark County unveils commemorative seal

Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 | 5:13 p.m.

Clark County's Centennial seal.

Tim O'Callaghan

The Clark County District Attorney's office will mark its 100th anniversary on July 3.

According to Assistant District Attorney Christopher J. Lalli, the District Attorney's office commissioned a special centennial seal to commemorate the founding of the office in 1909.

The silver and blue seal with a banner that reads "A Century of Service" features the Roman Goddess of Justice, symbolizing the office's primary function as a prosecution office. The will seal will begin to appear on memorandums, letterhead and used in place of the district attorney's badge where appropriate for the year.

According to Lalli, David Roger is the 22nd district attorney to serve Clark County. In 1909, W.R. Thomas was the first appointed district attorney. O.J. Van Pell became the first elected district attorney on Jan. 1, 1910.

The longest-serving district attorney was Harley Harmon, elected to four terms in the 1920s and '30s. It was during Harmon's terms that the elected term of the district attorney changed from two years to four years.

Another interesting Clark County district attorney was George Holt, who after one term in the office decided to run for Clark County sheriff and lost in the primary in 1978. Holt felt the newly consolidated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department needed change. Holt was succeeded by Bob Miller, who went on to be elected lieutenant governor in 1986 and to succeed Gov. Richard H. Bryan in 1989 when Bryan resigned to become a U.S. Senator.

The Foleys, a prominent law family of Las Vegas, produced the greatest number of district attorneys in Clark County, starting with Roger T. Foley and followed by sons Roger D. Foley and George Foley.

Tim O’Callaghan, co-publisher of the News, can be reached at 990-2656 or tim.oc@vegas.com. He writes a regular blog at tocomv.blogspot.com.