Familiar face in awkward place in court

Man charged with sex crime involving minor owns company that counsels defendants

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Steven Brox

United States Justice Associates

Las Vegas Justice Court

Steven Brox is a familiar face at the county courthouse, where his counseling company helps people charged with crimes get through the justice system.

Now it turns out that Brox himself could use some of that counseling.

Brox, 44, has been charged in a six-count criminal complaint stemming from an alleged sexual assault in December of one of his relatives, a 15-year-old girl.

The case has shaken up Las Vegas Justice Court, which has been doing most of the courthouse business with his company, United States Justice Associates.

“We are all shocked,” Chief Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman said. “Nobody would have imagined that he could be charged with this kind of crime.”

District Judge Doug Smith, who preceded Zimmerman as chief justice of the peace, added: “It took me by surprise because of his involvement in the system helping people.”

Smith said that he has been friendly with Brox over the years, but hasn’t talked to him in “a long time.” Smith still uses the services of United States Justice Associates in District Court when he sentences defendants, however.

United States Justice Associates is one of several companies that offer counseling programs in alcohol and drug abuse, anger management, AIDS awareness and petty larceny. Judges often order defendants to attend such programs as part of an effort to steer them out of the justice system and keep them from returning.

Brox says in a letter on the United States Justice Associates Web site that those who enroll in his company’s programs gain a “better understanding of themselves and the court system, along with a better understanding of how to stay out of the court system.”

Zimmerman said she polled eight of the 12 justices of the peace attending a judges meeting late last week and found that several of them had used Brox’s company in the past, but only one justice of the peace, Joseph Sciscento, is currently dealing with the company.

Sciscento had been assigned Brox’s criminal case, and Zimmerman said Sciscento agreed it would be best if he got off it because of the potential conflict of interest.

Zimmerman, who said she has not had any dealings with Brox, noted that because Brox is so well-known at the courthouse, she is looking to have a judge from outside Las Vegas Justice Court hear the case.

Brox initially was booked on three gross misdemeanor lewdness charges at the beginning of this month. One of the justices of the peace who worked with Brox’s company in the past, Tony Abbatangelo, released Brox on his own recognizance Sept. 2 as part of an agreement between detectives and Brox’s attorney, Robert Draskovich.

That week, Abbatangelo was acting as the court’s signing judge, a rotating assignment in which, among other things, new criminal cases are reviewed for proper probable cause, Zimmerman said.

Abbatangelo did not return phone calls, but Zimmerman said he told her that he thought he could act in the case because he hadn’t used Brox’s company in his court for several years.

On Sept. 9, after taking another look at the evidence, the district attorney’s office filed a criminal complaint against Brox, adding three felony charges, including attempted sexual assault with a minor under 16. Brox is to appear for his arraignment on the six charges in Justice Court on Nov. 2.

District Attorney David Roger said his special victims unit found enough evidence to warrant the additional felony charges.

“We will treat this case the same as we would any other sexually related case,” he said.

Brox declined to comment, but Draskovich said his client is taking a leave of absence from his company pending the outcome of the charges.

“He maintains his innocence and looks forward to being exonerated,” Draskovich said. “We’re dealing with a teenage girl, and the reliability of her accusations is going to be in question.”

The encounter between Brox and the girl allegedly occurred at his home on Dec. 27, but it wasn’t reported to police until last month, after her mother learned about it. The teen told her mother she didn’t disclose the incident earlier because she was afraid of Brox, a police report says.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By neiman1

9/15/09 at 6:13 a.m.

Suggest removal

Most counselors in those programs are graduates of those programs. The call it a relapse. Something they all do. It's just one day at a time and start over. Just this time he will start over behind bars.
By williams

9/15/09 at 8:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

I hope he doesn't get a slap on the wrist. How many times has he assaulted females, and gotten away with it, I'm sure it's not his first time and will not be the last.
By Journey

9/15/09 at 9:16 a.m.

Suggest removal

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?" Remember, teenage girls have recanted their stories in the past (sometimes after the the accused served his time) so let's just wait and see how this plays out. Are there other accusers, how did the polygraph go, and what is the emotional state of the accuser? All these questions will be addressed before we know what really happened -- if we ever do.
By ljsmith56

9/15/09 at 9:55 a.m.

Suggest removal

Teenagers are pretty much children that can and are more frightened to come forward with the TRUTH and are apparently not given the same rights as all other American Citizens, oh wait, it's not JUST teenager in General...., it's only those evil teenage GIRLS. Let me tell you, it happens and I believe if the evidence is there no matter what age, race, sex, nor religious affiliation the person should not be judged like in the Dark Ages. "Remember we are dealing with a teenage girl"...honestly get your heads out of your rear ends.
By ljsmith56

9/15/09 at 9:58 a.m.

Suggest removal

Draskovich, you are judging her reliability based solely on her age & sex? You are a total Ass! What a waste of Law School.
By DTJ

9/15/09 at 11:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

LJSmith,
Read the opening line to the post directly above yours. "Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty?' "
After reading it, re-read it. Think about it's meaning.

As for the defense attorney signaling what the accuser can expect under cross-examination, it's his opening salvo, in an attempt to dissuade the accuser from testifying against the defendant. This is one of the ugliest sides of this kind of ugly situation. It happens all the time though. There are no winners, here. One side in this case is clearly lying. Thus, the other side has been egregiously wronged, no matter which side it turns out to be. If the girl was indeed raped, I cannot think of a more horrible thing to subject her to, than having the defense attorney attack her, attack her integrity, and force her to answer questions about this in front of cold strangers.

If no sexual assault took place, I can barely think of a worse crime to commit against a citizen, than to take his life from him and lock him up away from everybody else.
By GunslingerA10

9/15/09 at 12:04 p.m.

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"We are all shocked," Chief Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman said. "Nobody would have imagined that he could be charged with this kind of crime."

Mistrial coming.

Abbatangelo did not return phone calls, but Zimmerman said he told her that he thought he could act in the case because he hadn't used Brox's company in his court for several years.
By geriatric1943

9/15/09 at 7:28 p.m.

Suggest removal

If the guy is guilty then he should pay the price but until then, he is innocent. Anyone that convicts this guy before a trial, deserves to receive the same treatment.
By sheckyvegas

9/16/09 at 1:53 p.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By carrierpigeon

9/16/09 at 9:06 p.m.

Suggest removal

I'm glad I'm not this guy. I hope and pray he didn't do this for his sake as well as this young lady's. Anyone that condemns him prior to a trial is a disgusting piece of trash. He should be vigorously prosecuted if there is evidence of wrongdoing and justice should prevail. Until a jury of his peers has found the evidence against him to be beyond a reasonable doubt anyone who ASSUMES he is guilty is shameful.
By mrtmtrvlr

9/16/09 at 9:29 p.m.

Suggest removal

Innocent until proven guilty yes, but do you think the DA would just pull these accusations out of the thin air? There's evidence here. I can only hope that he dies in prison if found guilty, but this is an area where the justice system really needs to get into medieval torture.

"On Sept. 9, after taking another look at the evidence, the district attorney's office filed a criminal complaint against Brox, adding three felony charges, including attempted sexual assault with a minor under 16."
By ahpk

10/9/09 at 8:09 a.m.

Suggest removal

Steven Brox is now getting a taste of what his clients have gone through. Some were guilty, but others were innocent and negatively impacted by 'the system.' ALL were innocent until proven guilty, but Brox didn't treat his 'clients' or 'casino detainees' that way. He was arrogant and patronizing. He thought himself above the law and untouchable. He should get his day in court and be presumed innocent---a benefit he didn't extend to all the people he made money from.

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