Jeff German

Story Archive

Disclosure of professors’ outside income opposed: Tuesday, April 7, 2009; University system officials and professors voiced opposition Monday to a bill that would make public all disclosure forms filed by faculty members earning outside income.
Six questions for Ed Friedland, Clark County Court executive officer: Monday, April 6, 2009; At 35, Ed Friedland is one of the youngest administrators on the county payroll.
Haze hangs over state’s smoking ban: Bill, lawsuit complicate enforcement plan — just as the air began to clear; Thursday, April 2, 2009; After months of collaboration with local justice courts, the Southern Nevada Health District has finally devised a plan to issue civil citations to violators of the smoking ban in taverns and restaurants. But just as all that work, finally came together, a bill popped up in the Legislature that would take enforcement of the ban away from local authorities.
Attorneys hope to lift malpractice damages cap: They think hepatitis C outbreak has shifted public sympathy toward plaintiffs; Tuesday, March 31, 2009; Personal injury lawyers still cringe when they recall 2004’s eye-catching television ads of doctors walking out of town along the highway, fleeing from high malpractice insurance costs. Doctors overall weren’t actually leaving Nevada at a high rate.
How much privacy is due public figures in divorce?: Judge declares law sealing cases on request unconstitutional; Friday, March 27, 2009; In some states, when judges are asked to seal a divorce case involving a high-profile couple, they have a difficult time balancing the couple’s right to privacy over the public’s right to know about the case.
Ruling lets Mazzeo collect evidence in civil rights lawsuit: Governor's lawyer wanted evidence gathering delayed; Tuesday, March 24, 2009; A federal magistrate this morning refused to stop Chrissy Mazzeo's lawyer from collecting evidence in her civil rights lawsuit alleging Gov. Jim Gibbons assaulted her during a latenight encounter outside a Las Vegas restaurant in October 2006.
Canadian high roller’s debts are multiplying: Monday, March 23, 2009; Nebraska philanthropist Terrance K. Watanabe may hold the record for being the biggest deadbeat high roller ever prosecuted by the district attorney’s office. He owes $14.7 million.
Developer, its ex-attorney battling over $1 million: Sunday, March 22, 2009; One of the more bizarre stories unfolding at the Regional Justice Center is a legal fight between Triple Five Nevada Development Corp. and its former general counsel, Andrew Rankin.
Wynns' breakup won’t break up company: Their divorce is expected to be amicable, businesslike; Wednesday, March 18, 2009; Steve and Elaine Wynn are ending their marriage, but the business partnership that built Wynn Resorts into a Strip powerhouse is not breaking up. She wants to continue to play a prominent role in the company, and Steve Wynn wants her to remain active in Wynn Resorts, a source said.
Living in U.S., rejecting its laws, targeted as terrorists: Sunday, March 15, 2009; For the past couple of years, the back room of Sami V’s Signs has been home to the “Sovereign People’s Court for the United States,” the main local gathering place for the sovereign citizens movement.
Metro beats one seizure complaint; another rises: Monday, March 9, 2009; Metro Police avoided being held in contempt of court a couple of weeks ago even though it took them more than 17 months to comply with a judge’s order to return all cash and property illegally seized from three Las Vegas area gamblers.
DA thinks big on scrap metal case: Roger pursues organized crime charges against recycler, likely others in future; Thursday, March 5, 2009; The district attorney’s office has filed a rare criminal complaint against the owner of a scrap metal recycling company and several associates, charging them with racketeering for allegedly running a criminal organization that dealt in stolen property.
County chips away at overtime costs: Cost will drop $1.3 million from prior fiscal year, but still will top $20 million; Tuesday, March 3, 2009; Clark County officials have talked about the need to reduce overtime costs for at least two years, and when the budget crisis was building last year, the county manager made that area a priority.
State charges ex-custodian of $100 million with crime: Monday, March 2, 2009; The Nevada attorney general’s office has filed a criminal complaint against the man behind the collapse of Southwest Exchange Inc. in 2007.
Deadline spurs endoscopy lawsuits: By the bunch, thousands of patients file against clinics for stress they endured waiting for hepatitis test results; Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009; As many as 5,000 former patients caught up in last year’s hepatitis scare are suing the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and its related clinics in what is regarded as the largest class of medical malpractice cases ever to hit Nevada courts.
Why DA’s 'Suge' Knight deal wasn’t rich-guy treatment: With Suge Knight’s victim MIA, trial win would have been iffy; Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009; There’s a reason hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight keeps David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and other well-paid criminal lawyers nearby.
Judge charged with domestic battery to plead guilty today: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009; Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Tony Abbatangelo is slated to plead guilty to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge today.
A spark away from catastrophe: Thousands were silently endangered, and lawyers want consequences; Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009; The heavily traveled stretch of Eastern Avenue near Tropicana was busy as usual on the morning of Jan. 8. But on that particular Thursday, the hundreds of people driving to work and taking their children to school were lucky that half-mile-long stretch of roadway didn’t explode — and Clark County would have been to blame if it had, according to state authorities. For several hours until the smell was reported to authorities at about 7 a.m. that day, the storm drain under the street had been filling with natural gas.
Subpoena of Rizzolo sparks buzz of speculation: The former Crazy Horse Too owner is ordered to appear before a federal grand jury; Monday, Feb. 23, 2009; Prosecutors have subpoenaed former Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo to testify before a federal grand jury this week.
High roller posts $1.5 million bail to avoid jail stay: Man faces charges stemming from $14.7 million in gambling debts; Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; Nebraska philanthropist Terrance K. Watanabe made his initial appearance this morning in Las Vegas Justice Court on felony charges of theft and passing bad checks stemming from $14.7 million in gambling debts. His Las Vegas attorney submitted a $1.5 million check in court to pay for Watanabe's bail.
'Suge' Knight pleads down to battery in deal: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; Hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court as part of a deal with the district attorney’s office.
Lawyers: Gibbons has no time for Mazzeo right now: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; Lawyers for Gov. Jim Gibbons have filed court papers seeking to put off depositions and other evidence gathering in Chrissy Mazzeo’s federal civil rights lawsuit until motions to dismiss the complaint are resolved.
Regional Justice Center cuts down files, not trees: Paperless system will help court workers ‘work smarter, not harder’; Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009; When Chief District Judge Art Ritchie first saw the overflowing case file room at the Regional Justice Center, it reminded him of the massive government warehouse at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
Courthouse security stops man with concealed gun: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009; Vigilance paid off for a courthouse marshal manning a metal detector two weeks ago at the Regional Justice Center.
Robin Leach, others sue Cosmopolitan: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009; Entertainment columnist Robin Leach and Las Vegas show producers Norbert Aleman and Jeff Gitlin filed a class action lawsuit Thursday in District Court, alleging the operators of the Cosmopolitan fraudulently induced them into buying condominium units at the unfinished Strip resort.
Casinos sue over dead man’s debts: His estate hasn’t paid the $715,000, Caesars and Hard Rock allege; Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009; Death is no excuse for not paying your gambling debts, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in District Court.
Vegas to host trial in case about drugs, guns, terror: Defendants allegedly funneled money to Latin America, tried to buy arms; Friday, Feb. 6, 2009; The Justice Department has sent some of its big guns to Las Vegas to prosecute an international drug trafficking case tied to an alleged terrorist group in Colombia.
Philanthropist allegedly owes $14.7 million to Rio, Caesars: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009; In its largest criminal case ever, the district attorney’s bad check unit is seeking a felony arrest warrant for a high-rolling philanthropist who owes $14.7 million in Las Vegas gambling debts.
Media shield law enforced in Adelson defamation case: Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009; A federal magistrate has rejected an attempt by Sheldon Adelson to force a Las Vegas Sun reporter to give a deposition in a defamation suit the casino mogul filed in Las Vegas against a former employee.
Feds press probe of ex-Fry’s executive: Agents seek source of money used to pay gambling debts; Monday, Feb. 2, 2009; Law enforcement authorities last week turned up the heat on a high-rolling former Fry’s Electronics vice president accused of defrauding the national retailer out of more than $65 million to pay off his Las Vegas gambling debts.
Governor's lawyers seek dismissal of Mazzeo lawsuit: Friday, Jan. 30, 2009; Lawyers for Gov. Jim Gibbons today filed a motion to dismiss Chrissy Mazzeo's federal civil rights lawsuit against the governor.
Judge sets stage for Gilbert showdown: CSN official will argue that photos taken at his estate without a warrant tainted grand jury proceedings; Friday, Jan. 30, 2009; A judge’s refusal Thursday to toss out theft charges against a College of Southern Nevada construction manager set the stage for a broader courtroom showdown between the prosecution and the chief defendant in the theft case, the college’s associate vice president of management and facilities, William “Bob” Gilbert.
Corruption trial postponed, again: Former county recorder accused of abusing her office will be tried in fall, with public picking up defense tab; Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; Fran Deane was booted from her job as Clark County recorder in 2006 and now lives 1,820 miles away from Las Vegas, but she’s still riling up people at the courthouse.
Southwest Exchange settlement: $91.7 million: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009; Legal settlements have been reached with more than 130 clients to recover $91.7 million of $97.5 million lost over the 2007 collapse of Southwest Exchange Inc.
Collecting fines has a whole new urgency: Amnesty almost over, but enforcement’s not; Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009; At Las Vegas Justice Court, unpaid traffic fines owed to the county have piled up over the past 15 years.
Judges can leave the bench, keep judging: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; One of the perks of winning a seat on the District Court bench in Nevada is that you never really have to give up your judicial robes, even if you decide to leave in the middle of your term.
Second Crazy Horse Too operator in IRS hot water?: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; When Rick Rizzolo struck his deal with the government in June 2006, he pleaded guilty to evading federal employee taxes at the Crazy Horse Too.
Cacophony of S.O.S. calls: Bankruptcy filings jumped in 2008, and experts see no letup this year; Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009; Another staggering statistic arrived this week, another measure of just how hard the recession hit the Las Vegas Valley in 2008. And this figure also serves as a warning of even worse times in 2009.
Las Vegas bankruptcy filings jumped 73 percent last year — 15,790 in 2008 compared with 9,114 in 2007, according to U.S. Bankruptcy Court officials.
Deal will let Boggs avoid trial, probably jail: Ex-commissioner will not face felony charges, prosecutor says; Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009; Former Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs has agreed to a plea deal that will allow her to avoid being tried on felony charges.
Metro returns property, but might be cited: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; Metro Police detectives took steps this week to comply with a more than 15-month-old court order, but it may not have been enough to prevent District Judge Michelle Leavitt from holding them in contempt of court at the end of the month.
Madoff clients have kindred spirits here: Nevada scandal also involves alleged deception, paining investors further; Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009; The $50 billion investment scandal involving longtime Wall Street stalwart Bernard Madoff is getting plenty of play in the national media.
Still serving sentence, but at home: Former Clark County commissioner is released from halfway house for last two months of term; Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009; John Casale, director of the Las Vegas Community Corrections Center, says Former Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey is not getting any special treatment.
Six questions for Conrad Hafen, Chief Deputy Attorney General: Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008; Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen has kept a higher profile lately prosecuting public officials.
Some see tipping point for crime in parolee overload: Friday, Dec. 19, 2008; To protect the public, the justice system is supposed to clamp down on parolees and probationers as soon as they stray from the straight and narrow. But the odds of success get worse as the tally of cases assigned to each parole and probation officer goes up.
Liver transplant sought for gang leader: Lawyers say prison conditions caused illness; Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008; As Federal prosecutors consider the death penalty for jailed Aryan Warriors leader Ronald “Joey” Sellers, attorneys for the white supremacist say he will die if he doesn't get a liver transplant soon.
Gibbons gets powder scare letter in Vegas; Carson City package suspicious: Officials also investigated anonymous threat at courthouse; Friday, Dec. 12, 2008; The Las Vegas office of Gov. Jim Gibbons received a letter from Texas Friday morning with a white powdery substance similar to letters sent to governors in more than a dozen states, a top state official confirmed. This afternoon, Carson City also received a suspicious envelope.
Lawyer challenges appointed judge’s term limit: Friday, Dec. 12, 2008; A constitutional debate has erupted over whether recently appointed Family Court Judge Robert Teuton must step down on Jan. 5.
U.S. government angling to join skin industry — briefly, reluctantly: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008; The U.S. Marshals Service has hired one of the valley’s most politically connected law firms — Kummer, Kaempfer, Bonner, Renshaw & Ferrario — to help it get liquor and exotic dance permits from the city to run the Crazy Horse Too.
Retiree hopes to salvage Pahrump investment: Man who trusted developer with $1.54 million is creditor in bankruptcy court case; Monday, Dec. 8, 2008; Like hundreds of others, Dennis London thought he was set for life when he invested his life savings with Pahrump developer Hans Seibt.
Why Krolicki case isn’t open and shut: Experts say jurors may be reluctant to convict unless evidence points to criminal motive, personal gain; Friday, Dec. 5, 2008; Winning a conviction in the criminal case against Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki apparently isn’t as simple as it seems -- or at least, as simple as prosecutors portray it.