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Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 | 1:29 p.m.
Michael J. Amador
A fight Thursday morning led to the arrest of a Las Vegas attorney on two assault charges with a deadly weapon.
When Metro Police officers arrived at 5 a.m. Thursday to PT's Pub at 3470 East Sunset Road, they found a man with a gun who was subdued by two other men in the parking lot, according to an arrest report.
The men had been playing pool inside the pub and a fight broke out over $200 missing from the billiard table, a bartender told police.
Police learned that attorney Michael J. Amador of Las Vegas had been inside the pub with Charles Huggins and Nick Brannigan at the pool table when the argument began, the arrest report said.
Brannigan and Huggins left the bar with Amador following them. Huggins told police he got into his vehicle when he heard his rear window shatter. He then jumped out of his vehicle and saw Ramano Frediana, James Deutz and Brannigan holding down Amador, police said.
The arrest report indicates Brannigan had begun arguing with Amador in the parking lot when the attorney pulled a semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and struck the back of Huggins' vehicle, breaking the window.
Brannigan, Deutz and Frediana, who were in the parking lot, tackled Amador to the ground and secured the gun, police said. They held Amador until police arrived.
Police said the gun was registered to Amador and that he had a concealed weapons permit.
Amador was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he was checked for bruises from the parking lot fight. He then was taken to the Clark County Detention Center and booked on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and injury to property.
The bartender told police he had seen the argument, but locked the back door to the bar when the men went into the parking lot.
Amador has defended high-profile clients in the past, such as Margaret Rudin, accused of killing her millionaire husband, Ron Rudin, in 1995. Real estate mogul Ron Rudin was Margaret Rudin's fifth husband. She was convicted of murder in 2001, but in 2008 was given a new trial.
District Judge Sally Loehrer ruled that Margaret Rudin's attorneys were not prepared to defend her, according to several lawyers on both sides of the case. She also ruled that Rudin's main attorney at the time, Amador, was not effective.
Amador has been licensed in Nevada since Sept. 29, 1981, according to the Nevada State Bar. He has had no disciplinary actions taken against him by the bar, according to its Web site.
Amador was not in his office Monday and was unavailable, a spokeswoman said.
An ineffective lawyer who isn't good at playing pool, shooting a weapon, or fighting with his fists.
What a bum ...... I wonder if he still lives in back of St.Anne's Church .......... I wanna go over there and laugh !
The mistake that Ramano Frediana, James Deutz, Charles Huggins and Brannigan made is that now the fight goes into the courtroom, which is Amadore's own turf.
Also this story does not give much detail. What's the bartenders name ?
Who was Ramano and Deutz ?
where they bar patrons, someone waiting in the parking lot ?
What happened to Huggins ?
Did he stay in his car ? drive away in fear ?
After all didn't Amadore follow these 2 fellows out to the parking lot ?
Where they running from the big bad billiard playing defense lawyer ?
How did Amadore strike Huggins car ?
How did he "strike" Huggins car?
With a bullet or the but of his gun ?
Was he defending himself ?
Did these 2 guys steal his money?
(too many unanswered and open ended questions)
This attorney is a former deputy district attorney as well. Will he call on some favors ? He must have a helluva pool game !
This is not the Mike Amador I have known over the past seven years. I also worked closely with him for a few years straight. Mike Amador is a very good attorney who fights fair and ethical. Please people do not condemn him or find him guilty before you know all of the facts.
"District Judge Sally Loehrer ruled that Margaret Rudin's attorneys were not prepared to defend her, according to several lawyers on both sides of the case. She also ruled that Rudin's main attorney at the time, Amador, was not effective."
FAIL.
"Brannigan, Deutz and Frediana, who were in the parking lot, tackled Amador to the ground and secured the gun, police said. They held Amador until police arrived."
FAIL.
There is a whole lot of FAIL going on here.
Yet I suspect this will be a misdemeanor before it is all said and done...
goingbust, I understand your points.... I would not comment if I have not seen with my own eyes, the great attorney he can be. I did not know him during Rudin....I can only go by what I know from professional experiences.
I wonder why it took so long for this story to break ?
Four days seems a little long for a story like this to finally boil over on the back burner.
Somebodies holding out which leads me to believe this will turn into some sort of a whitewash.
Ds_Gentle_Master, your points are well taken too....sad.....
Isn't alcohol wonderful !! It can make an ugly woman beautiful, It cam turn your p.o.s. into a NASCAR !!
It can turn a former deputy DA into a pool hustlin supercop, superhero !!!
{oor guy, I am sure he is a good atty. I am sure he is a "great guy".
I know he isn't running for office or going around trying to convince someone something he's not;
but huy ya ya yuy !! what is he trying to prove hanging out in a bar with pool hustlers on thanksgiving day ?
He has every right to be out just like the rest of us
Isn't this the very thing his clients do to get themselves into trouble in the first place ?
Sidebar your honor?
All this over two hundred bucks? I've lost that in as much as 3 minutes on the crap table...
There is still way to many unanswered questions' But it does sound like it could have been avoided by just calling the police.
no wonder he was ineffictive counsel,out until 5 in the a/m playing pool the night before
Were I a betting woman, here's what I think this case will resolve as:
Submittal to Misdo Destruction of Pvt Property; Amador makes full restitution to guy whose windshield was shattered; Amador surrenders gun (this is a fetish of the DA gun crimes unit whether it makes sense or not); if Amador stays out of trouble for six months and meets reqts, case dismissed :) We'll see if I'm right.
The guy's a defense attorney. Regardless of his guilt/innocence in this case, that makes him a skunk in my book.
Michael needs to call Glenn Lerner the heavy hitter or 1 call that's all!!
femdet, yes, i'm sure that this is one great guy. he walks around with a gun in his pants like a gangster and then takes a pot-shot (read: attempted murder) at some guy over 200 bucks.
By LasVegasLawyerGal
I think your right about his sentence, and given he's not a harden criminal and taking into account his public service this is a strong probability. We do not know all the facts of this case either. too many unanswered questions though.
However I would like to say one more thing on your comment LasVegasLawyerGal
There are a heck of a lot of "good" people in prison right now for making just 1 mistake in their life. A life changing incident that affects not only theirs and their families but the victims. This could have easily turned ugly if his gun went off and killed someone.
You could be an alter boy your whole life never make a mistake, and then BAM !! one day something happens to change your destiny !! If he was drinking he shouldn't be driving either. A lot of people are slamming him for being out at 5 am but this was a holiday, its not like he had to go to work that day. This could have been the only day of the year he gets out, ( highly doubt it) but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt, until proven otherwise.
DT0702: I don't disagree with any of your comments. As a number of folks have pointed out, none of us were there and so we don't have anything close to all of the facts. The resolution I mentioned is what the case would probably end with if it didn't involve a celebrity--and while I'd hate to see Mr. Amador get a better deal as a result of his local status, I don't think he should get a worse deal because of it either. (I realize there's a counterargument that lawyers, judges, police officers and other public servants should be held to a higher standard, but as that's more honored in the breach locally than the observance, it's not a strong argument in this case which involves strictly property damage).
"a lot of people" didn't take the time to become a lawyer and make connections. That's why they don't get slack.
This guy was a deputy DA before being a Defense Atty. Thats where the money is at, but he should still be given some credit for his public service, as well as a fair ruling ... At least nobody was hurt except a black eye !!! ouch !
Alcohol/drugs and playing pool in a tavern do not mix. Tempers and money on the pool table also do not mix. I bet there was at least one Illegal alien/Illegal Mexican involved in the fracas.
The man was carrying a gun he had a license for and a concealed weapons permit, and he was apparently drawn to drunken brawls.
No one should be carrying guns anywhere, except the Police.
The fact is that handguns need to be banned, plain and simple, nothing good ever comes of owning a handgun.
These are not the days of the wild wild west, gun ownership is a dinosaur and needs to be put firmly in the past.
The best citizens in Las Vegas play pool at 5 am on holidays you know. Especially at 2nd rate pubs. It's true.
and you never have done anything like that right..
This is not the Mike Amador I have known over the past seven years.
I AGREE 100%
No one should be carrying guns anywhere, except the Police.
THATS WHAT YOU SAY NOW WAIT TILL YOUR LIFE IS ON THE LINE AND THERES NO POLICE AROUND.
And now we have dodgerchucks remark.
no wonder he was ineffictive counsel,out until 5 in the a/m playing pool the night before.
What does that have to do with this.who ever said he was playing pool during that time.
Some of you ppl are so unbelievable, with your remark..,most have nothing to do with this blog at all..
Here is how it looks to me..
Maybe he was out having some fun on a holiday.. and went to a bar got into a game of pool with some jerks that lost and thought they werent gonna pay..+ and took his money also..robed him and he got upset like all of you would have,and the men maybe tried to back up over him and he pulled out his regestered weapon and hit the back window with it.
i know mike and he is a great lawer and a very nice man, and if he did what they are saying here,in the way they are saying it.he was done dirty some how.
What a bum ...... I wonder if he still lives in back of St.Anne's Church .......... I wanna go over there and laugh !
no danny he doesent and hasnt been there for 15yrs or more.
All this over two hundred bucks? I've lost that in as much as 3 minutes on the crap table.
But were you robed ID THINK NOT...
he has plenty of money so there was more than that,im not saying he didnt make a mistake on how he handled it..but its something any of us could have done also..
femdet, yes, i'm sure that this is one great guy. he walks around with a gun in his pants like a gangster and then takes a pot-shot (read: attempted murder) at some guy over 200 bucks.
I read that he broke out the back window..where do you see anything of him firing a weapon or taking potshots.
And carring a gun in his pants it was prob in a holster more like a cop.
You are prob on of those ppl that a story starts off as a lizard and when your done its godzilla lol.
lvbadboy123 = lvbadmikeamador
wrong again my name is greg not mike and im 45 and not a lawer.
Reading this story and seeing his picture makes two words pop into my head... ROCK BOTTOM
Hey LORDGLENMORE: What really needs to be put firmly in the past is a tyrannical and corrupt government and a liberal judicial system that always takes a native approach to crime' That spends all of it's time protecting the f##k up people in society instead of the taxpayer. SOCIALISM IS FOR LOSERS!
badboy: you got me!
Lord Glenmore,
It must come as a surprise to see that the biggest crime rates are in cities with the strictest gun laws.
Criminals will get guns whether or not you outlaw them. You only disarm law abiding citizens.
Charles Huggins and Nick Brannigan might take this as a wake-up call to be more honest in their dealings. Were they potentially hustling people for games of pool for money? It appears the pool hustling duo encountered an apponent who does not accept injustice, does not yield to threats, and defends the integrity of the game they didn't know how to react.
Did Huggins and/or Brannigan thank Mr. Amador for the game... and the pool lesson before making threats against their apponent, his career and perhaps his family? No matter how little honor Huggins and Brannigan possess; nothing is OK about stealing and making threats to a middle aged man alone in a tavern (which, by the way, happens to have a great steak).
The victim, Mr. Amador, was a middle aged man alone in a tavern who was robbed by Huggins and Brannigan. Everyone keeps talking about the small amount of money involved...$200.00. It was obviously enough to entice two individuals to commit a crime to make it their own. Did they need drug money? Did they owe people? Sure it was a small the transgression is in their minds, but to a person who dedicates his life to fighting injustice, he responded! When stealing money and making a getaway out the door didn't work in their favor, they still didn't return Mr. Amador's money. Instead, one of the assailants went after Mr. Amador. In fear for his life at this point, and out of options, did Mr. Amador remove his properly licensed weapon from its holster, and with much restraint and while praying the assult would end NOT PULL THE TRIGGER?
Just out of currosity, why would strangers in a parking lot run to subdue a man who was older and out numbered with a handsome and potentially loaded weapon in his hands. Did they know the assailants? How long did they wait before getting involved? Were they involved from the start from a distance? Were they spotters or something else?
There are so many people involved that no two stories will probably ever be the exact same. It's too bad that any of this came about, but since it did people should take pause and let justice be served... to the true assailants!
Well put vegasgoodguy.i agree 100%
well people this is charles huggins...one of the victims !! myself and nick had nothing to do with the pool game..we wasnt playing with amador ...he was at another table .!! we had left pts ...and so had the other people that was at his table he followed them outside ..to the back of pts where we was both parked..we were jsut innocent bystanders that got involved ! and he is lucky that he didnt get beat more before the police did arrive ...he could had shot and killed either myself while i was sitting in my car !! and or someone else for that matter!! people who have a c.w.p still should not have their weapon on them if they are gonna be drinking !! as well took all i could not to put my hands around his throat afta the incident ..he is so lucky that anyone of us didnt take out more anger on him...specialy the other person that got the gun intially pulled on !!! because i have kids and all i thought was this a**hole could had shot and kiiled me and i had nothing to do with his issues at hand and my kids would had been father less ! but just so everyone knows i will be taking as much action agianst him and as well take this as far as i can personaly !!
charles huggins
you still didnt say what happened,your just crying and getting your case together,so what your saying you just was there minding your own business and mr 50 something yr old small lawyer took on all of you in parking lot for fun right!!!!.what ever even if it was 2 of you i dont see him bothering with you innocent bystanders!!!!! right!!!!!.he is a lawyer for many years and im sure knows the law even drunk.
what your lucky of is that i wasnt there. cause mike doesnt fight i do.and i know your lieing even if you were midgets he wouldnt have fought you if you werent threatning him of something.
Good for you David, I sincerely hope you take "as much action against him", and teach this dirt bag, worthless Amador a lesson he does not forget. People like Amador should be disbarred from practicing. He is probably drunk while conducting his legal business too going by the lousy defense in the Rudin trial and probably needs to be admitted to a hospital for detox
who is david lol
myself and nick had nothing to do with the pool game.. quote from w8tranr.
oh i see nick=nick1.one of the men involved and david must be charles huggins the other man.man you guys must really be nervious posting here as much as you are and saying what you are saying!!!..better be getting your storys straight before you go in a court room with mike lol..not here tryimg to rally up support..this wont mean poop in court..
I am not the "Nick" mentioned in the article and was not within 20 miles of you thankfully, but perhaps for your drunken mind, that is the only Nick you can think of. Wonder what your clients think of you when they read that you have been arrested for drunken brawl ? That should be a sure magnet for attracting clients or retaining them for that matter. Most lawyers in the community think you are a "clown" Amador, and a disgrace to your profession, and considering this is Las Vegas, that is saying something. This incident hardly adds to your "stellar" reputation.
wow so guess some people cant read and or understand when it is written that myself and nick was not playing pool with mr amador !! and that we wasnt even around his table we were at another table playing pool..!! we left pts within a couple minutes before the other people and mr amador had taken the crap outside where we were parked.!! he had pulled the gun on another person that was playing pool with him ...it just so happened that my self and nick was outside ..and that i was parked where the incident happened !! so yes i am inoccent bystander when im inside my car with my girlfriend and someone breaks out my rear window with a weapon!! so agian to all the idiots that cant read and wasnt there !! we had nothing to do with his pool game and or money missing !! and yes we will be in court and we do have our stories straight!! dont need to rally support when there is 6 witnesses ! still doenst give a drunken lawyer the right to be out drinking with a weapon !! and he will get whats coming to him.....there was 6 witnesses !! what person would allow somoeone to threaten them as well pull a gun on them and them let them leave the scene.....dont think so !! and just so you know we are not nervious in the least beacuse we were the vitims !!! so unless you was there ...then you dont know what happened !! but myself and the ones that was do know and well agian there is 6 of us witnesses and umm we all do have the same story and that will all come to light in court !! so i do hope that all you people show up to court ... so see you in court !!!!
I hope this Amador like OJ Simpson ends up in the slammer for a very long time. Certainly no one is safe around this loose cannon drunk and it would be best for the society to incarcerate him for a very long time
Wow! Great comments everyone. I am amazed at two things here:
1. I can't believe people are still posting on this article. You should all move this dialog to a social networking site. And I am amazed that anyone involved would make any comments here at all!
2. I am amazed many of you graduated from high school. I have never seen so many mispelled words and such terrible grammar. Frankly, I am impressed those who have posted such colorful comments could spell sun.com to find this article. I would love to read your witness & victim statements. I might need a fifth grader to translate.
And for the record, I am a past client of Mr. Amador. Frankly, I can't think of anyone else I would call if I were in a situation involving the government. It is easy to throw mispelled darts at someone facing a computer cloaked in anonymity. If you really want to explain to Mr. Amador how you feel, perhaps you should make an appointment to meet him in the privacy of HIS office. Ha Ha Ha ... I dare you!
A search in the right corner above "Amador" will reveal the article above and then next below:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2001/apr...
Just evidence of Amador's incompetence and that he "overslept" - possibly another drunken night in PT's or similar pub playing pool and waking up in the nearby gutter when the trial was on. Looks like he is the only one who would call himself in - "if I were in a situation involving the government". I can't imagine anyone in the right senses to ever hire this loose cannon attorney.
Amador's effort above deflect criticism of his own lewd behavior and incompetence by trying to point out some spelling mistakes is just what someone of his caliber would do. After all, for him some grammatical error is more of a problem than him committing a felony. It is amazing that Amador is allowed to practice in this town when he should be disbarred and behind bars.
What would be worse than being charged with a crime ? That would be having a counsel like Amador as Rudin found out.
Another Sun article on Amador below, now on top of search of his name, upper right corner:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2001/may...
I guess everyone should "pray" for such counsel if he/she gets in trouble. Most likely they would end up like Rudin looking at the 4 walls of a cell for a long, long time.
I would be grateful if anything new about this item would be posted so I can keep abreast of what is happening. It will help me process my grief related to the increasingly destructive choices made by a brilliant but twisted mind. Once a respected deputy district attorney, the move to private money and obsessivly consumed vices continues to hurt and break those around him. I fear this won't end well for someone.
Was he arraigned yet? How come his arraignment isn't showing up on the clark county website? Were the charges dropped? You can't be a felon and member of the Nevada State bar. No Felons allowed to be attorney's in Nevada. So why is Nevada allowing him to practice law? Are they giving him special treatment?