Nevada

9th Circuit OKs civil rights case over death of 2 dogs shot during execution of search warrant

A divided federal appeals court panel has reversed a summary judgment in favor of police in a civil rights case over two pet dogs shot to death during the execution of a search warrant at the plaintiff’s home in a Las Vegas suburb. Reviewing the facts alleged by Louisa Thurston…

Jan 13, 2014 11:45 PM CST

Judge violated ethics rules in relationship with prosecutor, commission rules

A suspended Nevada family court judge violated multiple legal ethics rules by having a “close social and personal relationship” with a prosecutor in his courtroom while he was still on the bench. But counts claiming that Judge Steven Jones retaliated against two deputy district attorneys who helped expose his relationship…

Dec 30, 2013 6:15 PM CST

Lawyer takes plea in case over fictitious certificates of completion for court-ordered counseling

A criminal defense lawyer has taken a plea and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution in a Las Vegas case over ficititious certificates of completion for court-ordered counseling and community service between 2008 and 2010. Brian Bloomfield, 38, pleaded guilty to felony charges of forgery and offering a false instrument…

Dec 11, 2013 5:50 PM CST

Artist sues US over Statue of Liberty stamp, says it depicts his Vegas sculpture, not the original

An artist who sculpted a replica of the Statue of Liberty that appears outside a Las Vegas casino-hotel has sued the U.S. Postal Service for copyright infringement. The USPS used a photograph of the Sin City statue’s head, not the original lady in New York Harbor, on a “forever” stamp,…

Dec 3, 2013 8:31 PM CST

Ethics trial begins for judge accused of hearing cases while romantically involved with prosecutor

A legal ethics trial began Monday in Las Vegas for a suspended Nevada judge accused of continuing to hear family court cases while in a romantic relationship with a prosecutor who was appearing before him. Judge Steven Jones faces a 12-count complaint by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline. Both…

Dec 2, 2013 7:15 PM CST

Given a chance to choose courtroom art, at least one judge opted for basset hounds

When Judge Kathleen Delaney isn’t on the bench, helping to find new homes for unwanted hounds as president of the the Las Vegas Basset Rescue is one of her interests. So when Delaney, like her colleagues on the bench in the Clark County Regional Justice Center, was given a chance…

Dec 2, 2013 5:30 PM CST

Judge calls evidence against OJ Simpson ‘overwhelming,’ denies bid for new trial in robbery case

Calling the evidence against O.J. Simpson in a Las Vegas casino hotel robbery case “overwhelming,” a Nevada judge on Tuesday denied the former football star’s bid for a new trial. Rejecting Simpson’s arguments that his trial and appellate counsel were ineffective and prejudiced his case, Clark County District Judge Linda…

Nov 27, 2013 3:30 PM CST

‘Butterball’ operation pits cops dressed as turkeys against drivers who violate crosswalk laws

Seemingly, it shouldn’t be all that difficult for a motorist to spot a man in a crosswalk wearing a turkey suit. But for drivers who don’t stop, the annual “Butterball One” operation in Las Vegas offers a tangible reminder of the city’s crosswalk laws—a $191 ticket. Motorcycle officers are standing…

Nov 26, 2013 11:30 PM CST

Judge dons fairy godmother costume to finalize adoptions on Halloween

For the second year in a row, a Nevada judge wielded a pink magic wand instead of a gavel on Thursday as she finalized adoptions. A silver tiara, a sparkly white gown and glitter completed the Halloween costume for Clark County Family Court Judge Cynthia Giuliani, who says dressing up…

Nov 1, 2013 4:41 PM CDT

Doctor gets life in hepatitis murder case, could win parole after 18 years

A 63-year-old Nevada physician was sentenced to a life prison term Thursday for his role in operating an endoscopy clinic at which unsanitary procedures caused a deadly hepatitis C outbreak in 2007. Dr. Dipak Desai, who was found guilty of 27 counts, including second-degree murder, could be paroled after 18…

Oct 25, 2013 7:45 PM CDT

Federal lawsuit adds to allegations of excessive force by family court marshals

A federal lawsuit alleging that Nevada family court marshals threw a man headfirst onto the concrete floor of the Las Vegas courthouse for no good reason is the latest development in an ongoing saga of allegations of excessive force and improper conduct at the court. A poor-quality video of the…

Oct 24, 2013 5:40 PM CDT

Law grad gets 6 months in prison ‘boot camp’ for beheading Vegas casino’s exotic bird

A law graduate of the University of California at Berkeley has been sentenced to spend 190 days in a Nevada state prison “boot camp” for beheading an exotic bird at a Las Vegas Strip casino last October, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Justin Teixeira, 25, pleaded guilty in June to…

Oct 17, 2013 4:10 PM CDT

Boy, 9, who took flight to Las Vegas without ticket is removed from family home

Updated: A juvenile court judge Wednesday ordered an unspecified “out-of-home placement” for a 9-year-old Minnesota boy who recently made it through security at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and boarded a flight to Las Vegas without a ticket. Granting a child-protection petition filed by Hennepin County, Minn., which the boy’s parents…

Oct 16, 2013 9:20 PM CDT

Boy, 9, stole truck, hit cop car two days before flight to Las Vegas without ticket, police say

The distraught father of a 9-year-old boy who reportedly got on an airline flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Las Vegas without a ticket last week said at news conference that the family tried to deal with the boy and sought help, to no avail. Just days earlier, on Oct. 1,…

Oct 9, 2013 10:55 PM CDT

‘Puffed up and angry’ park ranger tickets tourists for hiking on federal land during budget shutdown

Two tourists from California say they didn’t think they were violating any major rule by taking a hike in a national park in Nevada on Saturday, despite the federal budget shutdown. But they wound up with tickets that could cost them up to $275 apiece, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.…

Oct 9, 2013 6:09 PM CDT