Matt Pordum

Story Archive

Mental health clinic is sued: Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005; A 28-year-old schizophrenic charged in a 2003 shooting rampage in which one man was killed and two Metro Police officers were wounded has sued a mental health clinic, claiming its employees were negligent for not refilling his medication two days before the deadly incident.
Judicial immunity appeal to be heard: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005; Should District Judge Donald Mosley be held liable for sentencing a woman twice for the same crime, or was he acting within his powers at the time and immune to such action?
Hold on: Improved Traffic Court phone system on the way: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005; Busy signals greet the majority of people trying to use the telephone to resolve traffic tickets issued in Clark County -- but that should change soon.
What a fix we're in: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005; Maybe size does matter.
County fails to track key data for court: Monday, Nov. 7, 2005; Two years ago state lawmakers passed legislation requiring district attorneys to report to the Nevada Supreme Court the number of murder and voluntary manslaughter cases filed, along with the race and gender of the defendants, victims and jurors.
The jury's still out: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005; Clark County court officials say that at least 85 percent of the county's adult population is represented in local jury pools. They say that's how they guarantee every defendant's constitutional right to a jury of their peers.
Demonstrators to protest Family Court judges: Friday, Oct. 21, 2005; Juli T. Star-Alexander, executive director of the nonprofit corporation Redress Inc., said the need to hold judges accountable for their decisions will be the focus of the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. demonstration at the Family Court House at Bonanza and Pecos roads.
Review tough on Justice Court: Friday, Oct. 14, 2005; Las Vegas Justice Court is in a state of chaos, evidence which is the court's failure to collect $61 million in traffic fines -- about half of the fines it imposes, according to a review of the courts obtained by the Sun.
Fake nurse sentenced: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2005; A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to 12 to 34 months in prison Thursday for disguising herself as a nurse and stealing wallets and credit cards from Sunrise Hospital and a surgical clinic.
Dismissal sought in case of starvation: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005; Jack Richardson, 25, and Charlene Snyder, 28, have pleaded not guilty to the charges related to Adacelli Snyder's death and the alleged neglect of her three siblings.
Iranian charged in bus threat 'always wanted to be' in U.S.: Friday, Sept. 30, 2005; The transcripts of grand jury proceedings obtained by the Sun reveal additional details about the 23-year-old Iranian man who is charged with making threats or conveying false information regarding an act of terrorism.
Man accused in maid's killing declared competent: Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005; Doctors at a state mental hospital have determined a man accused of killing a Boulder City hotel maid, dismembering her body and disposing of it in a local fishing pond June 2003 is competent to stand trial.
Couple will do time in prison: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005; Although the mother of two girls who were stabbed in Mesquite in 2003 didn't wield the knife that killed one of the children and crippled the other, "she caused this to happen," Deputy District Attorney Lisa Luzaich Rego said Tuesday.
Man may be charged with father's killing: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005; Doctors at the state's mental facility in Sparks have deemed a 48-year-old man competent to stand trial in the slashing death of his elderly father.
Man who shot at Horn's home to be medicated: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005; A judge has ordered doctors at the state's mental facility to forcibly medicate a former NFL kicker accused of shooting at the home of longtime Strip headliners Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn.
Alleged serial rapist's lawyer says sex with hookers consensual: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005; A 28-year-old man accused of being a serial rapist is guilty of nothing more than refusing to pay prostitutes for consensual sex, according to his defense lawyer.
Prison time sought for couple: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005; The Department of Parole and Probation this morning recommended that the mother of two girls who were stabbed in Mesquite in 2003 and her husband should be sentenced to 32 months to 12 years in prison.
Prison time sought for mother: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005; Prosecutors were expected to ask a judge today to give prison time to the mother of two children who were stabbed in Mesquite.
Judge rejects request in cell phone case: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005; A District Court judge Monday rejected a request to cut short the probation of a motorist who caused a fatal traffic crash while she allegedly was talking on a cell phone.
Charges dropped against war vet: Friday, Sept. 23, 2005; Prosecutors this morning dropped the murder and attempted murder charges that a 20-year-old Iraq war veteran had been facing and will dismiss all remaining charges against him if he completes two therapeutic programs and stays out of trouble.
Father charged in son's suicide describes conversation on guns: Friday, Sept. 23, 2005; The day before a 12-year-old boy killed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun his father left unattended in their Henderson home, the boy asked his father if the ammunition he was holding was meant for the gun.
311 Boyz depositions withheld: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005; The alleged members of the 311 Boyz gang, who enjoyed national publicity largely thanks to the videotapes of their violence that they and members of their entourage filmed, now don't want a new set of videotapes to be seen.
Henderson man faces charge in son's suicide: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005; District Attorney David Roger said his office today will file a felony child neglect charge against a Henderson man whose 12-year-old son killed himself using a loaded gun that the father allegedly left unattended at his home.
Ex-wife sentenced for hiring hitman: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005; Just prior to sentencing the ex-wife of a Henderson Police sergeant to to 3 to 7 1/2 years in prison Tuesday, District Judge Jackie Glass told the woman that her plan to hire a hitman to kill the officer "really blew up in your face."
Schizophrenic may testify without benefit of drugs: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005; A 28-year-old schizophrenic charged in a shooting rampage in 2003 that killed one man and wounded two Metro Police officers will stand trial in October, but he may be going without his medication during the trial.
Horrific condition at trailer described: Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005; The transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the indictment of the couple who allegedly so severely neglected a 2-year-old girl that she starved to death in filthy living conditions indicate that the situation at the family's trailer home was even more horrific than has been previously reported.
Judge leaves permit issue up to DMV: Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005; A judge ruled Tuesday it will be up to the Department of Motor Vehicles to determine if a man convicted of drunken driving in the death of another motorist in 1995 should keep his learner's permit.
Sun seeks records of 2-year-old who died of malnutrition: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005; The Las Vegas Sun filed suit Monday against the Clark County Department of Family Services and Child Protective Services in order to gain access to social services records of a 2-year-old girl who the coroner determined died of malnutrition and neglect.
Slayings defendant claims tape tampering: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005; A 25-year-old man who will defend himself at his retrial in the execution-style slaying of four young men in August 1998 said prosecutors are "up to their dirty tricks again."
Man accused in beating death wants new lawyer: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005; A man accused of beating to death a retired Air Force major in a Wal-Mart parking lot asked for a new attorney Monday, claiming his current lawyer is "in cahoots with the district attorney's office."
Man who had inert grenade on bus pleads not guilty: Friday, Sept. 9, 2005; The 23-year-old Iranian man who on Aug. 1 allegedly claimed to be Osama bin Laden's cousin before displaying an inert grenade on a bus pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from the incident.
Man gets 10 years for killing ex-girlfriend: Friday, Sept. 9, 2005; A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison Thursday for killing his 24-year-old former girlfriend in 2003.
Lawyer wants transcripts closed in neglect-death case: Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005; A lawyer for one of the two people charged with killing a 2-year-old by starving her to death wants to keep the public from having acccess to the grand jury transcripts related to the case.
Prosecutor's slip gets convicted man new trial: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005; A prosecutor's slip of the tongue and a judge's interpretation of a recent Nevada Supreme Court ruling have prompted a new trial for a man convicted of charges from a high-speed chase during which his girlfriend fired an assault rifle at police officers.
Boy, 14, gets 'sweet deal' to testify in murder trial: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005; A 14-year-old boy originally charged with murder received what a deputy special public defender called a "sweet deal" on Wednesday by agreeing to testify against his 16-year-old co-defendant.
Two men will stand trial for slaying outside topless club: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005; Two men will stand trial for killing another man outside the Sapphire topless club, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure ruled Wednesday, despite ballistic evidence showing that the gun owned by one of the men was not used in the killing.
Boy, 10, says he tried to stop older brother from shooting himself: Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005; The mother of a 12-year-old boy who shot himself on Friday says her 10-year-old son tried to stop him from committing suicide, but the older brother went through with it saying, "The reason I'm doing this is so you can be safe and you don't ever have to see Dad again."
Lawyer: Court action could have prevented boy's fatal shooting: Monday, Aug. 29, 2005; The death of a 12-year-old boy on Friday morning might have been prevented if a Family Court judge had taken more seriously evidence that the boy's father left loaded guns around his home, a family lawyer says.
Victim's mom files wrongful death lawsuit: Friday, Aug. 26, 2005; The mother of the man killed by Michael Kane says she doesn't want money or revenge -- she wants justice.
Withdrawal of guilty plea sought in tourist slaying: Friday, Aug. 26, 2005; One of the two men who pleaded guilty to avoid a potential death sentence for robbing two McDonald's restaurants and killing a tourist said Thursday he would like to withdraw his plea and go to trial.
Woman gets 14 to 40 years for shootout with police: Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005; A judge said although he believed a 21-year-old woman who shot at police while her fugitive boyfriend led the officers on a high-speed chase was "naive and gullible" the seriousness nature of her crimes required him to sentence her to 14 to 40 years in prison on Wednesday.
Jury to decide case of medical marijuana grower: Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005; A judge ruled Wednesday it would be up to a jury to decide whether a 34-year-old licensed medical marijuana user was acting within his rights when he grew and sold the drug to about 50 other licensed users.
Ex-teacher aide gets probation for seducing teen neighbor: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005; A 32-year-old former teacher's aide who seduced her 14-year-old neighbor was sentenced to three years' probation by District Judge Stewart Bell on Tuesday.
Doorman testifies in nightclub slaying: Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005; The doorman of the Sand Dollar Blues nightclub testified Monday that the Aug. 1 fatal shooting in the club's parking lot was the result of drunken horseplay between two men who had earlier been hugging and professing their love for one another.
Man to avoid prison in molestation case: Friday, Aug. 19, 2005; Prosecutors have agreed to a plea bargain that will allow a 21-year-old former Mormon missionary charged with molesting an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old girl at a Mormon chapel to avoid prison and avoid having to register as a sex offender.
Iranian man to undergo mental testing: Friday, Aug. 19, 2005; The 23-year-old Iranian man who on Aug. 1 allegedly claimed to be Osama Bin Laden's cousin before displaying an inert grenade on a bus will undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial and whether he poses a threat to the community.
Truck driver to stand trial in death of officer: Friday, Aug. 19, 2005; A 27-year-old truck driver will stand trial in the hit-and-run death of an off-duty Metro Police officer, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle ruled Thursday.
Last defendant in killing of teen at mall sentenced: Friday, Aug. 19, 2005; The last of four teenagers charged in last year's fatal beating of a 17-year-old at the Boulevard mall was sentenced Thursday to three to 10 years in prison.
Internationally known accused jewelry thief pleads not guilty: Friday, Aug. 19, 2005; Doris Payne, a 74-year-old internationally known, accused jewelry thief, pleaded not guilty to one count each of burglary and grand larceny in District Court on Thursday, but had another case concerning shoplifting put on hold so she could hire a lawyer.
Woman gets 5 to 15 years in girl's death: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005; A 30-year-old woman was sentenced Wednesday to 5 to 15 years in prison for driving under the influence of drugs, causing a collision that killed an 8-year-old girl on a bicycle.