Nevada

Got a 25-cent gambling dispute? A hearing officer stands ready to resolve it

What happens when a gambler thinks he’s won a jackpot and a Nevada casino sees the situation differently? The state Gaming Control Board is one option for resolving the dispute administratively, reports the Las Vegas Sun on its VegasInc blog. For those who aren’t happy with the result, it’s also…

Jan 18, 2013 8:29 PM CST

Indictment: Now-deceased lawyer helped funnel $8M through secret accounts to win HOA contracts

As two lawyers among the latest 11 defendants federally indicted in a massive Nevada homeowner association corruption case pleaded not guilty in a Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday, a news report described another local attorney, who died last year, as a key figure in the alleged funneling of $8 million…

Jan 17, 2013 8:35 PM CST

Two lawyers among 11 federally indicted re massive alleged HOA corruption scheme

Two Las Vegas lawyers were among 11 defendants federally indicted Tuesday in an alleged massive scheme to take over area homeowner associations. Keith Gregory and Barry Levinson and the other nine defendants were all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Some defendants face additional…

Jan 16, 2013 8:29 PM CST

Lawyer takes plea in $30M federal mortgage fraud case

A Las Vegas lawyer has pleaded guilty to a felony bank fraud conspiracy charge concerning his role in a mortgage scheme that cost lenders $30 million, according to federal prosecutors. Gerry Zobrist was accused of participating in a scheme in which federal authorities said banks were persuaded by misrepresentations to…

Jan 15, 2013 6:40 PM CST

Berkeley Law Student Pleads to Animal Cruelty Misdemeanor in Death of Exotic Vegas Bird

A law student at the University of California-Berkeley pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge Thursday concerning the death of an exotic bird beheaded last year at a Las Vegas casino. Eric Cuellar, 24, was sentenced to 48 hours of community service, required to pay $150 restitution, fined $200…

Jan 11, 2013 12:15 PM CST

Prosecutors Charge 2 Berkeley Law Students in Bird Beheading; One Faces a Felony Case

Prosecutors have filed new criminal charges against two law students at the University of California-Berkeley who are accused of a role in the decapitation of an exotic bird at a Las Vegas casino last year. Late last month, prosecutors there charged Justin Teixeira, 24, with felony killing and felony torturing…

Jan 3, 2013 5:28 PM CST

Longtime Nev. Lawyer Gets 33 Months for Tax Evasion

A longtime Las Vegas practitioner has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after being convicted last year of two counts of tax evasion. Ian Christopherson, 57, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du to pay restitution of over $728,000 in the Nevada case, the Las Vegas…

Dec 18, 2012 6:34 PM CST

Around the Blawgosphere: Actor’s Morality Play; What ‘Lincoln’ Left Out; Profs re ‘Fiscal Cliff’

To Be or Not to Be Immoral Many people have watched Two and a Half Men actor Angus T. Jones’ video testimonial for religious group the Forerunner Chronicles in which he calls Two and a Half Men “filth” that no one should watch. E! Online reported this week that the…

Nov 30, 2012 2:30 PM CST

Does Judge Decide or Do Parents Decide Whether Mentally Disabled Woman, 32, Gets An Abortion?

The Nevada Supreme Court has been asked to determine whether a judge or the adoptive parents of a 32-year-old mentally disabled woman who became pregnant while living in a group home should be the decision-maker concerning whether or not she has an abortion. The woman’s parents and guardians, William and…

Nov 6, 2012 4:15 PM CST

Vegas Judge, 5 Others Federally Indicted re Claimed $3M Fraud Scheme

A Nevada family court judge has been federally indicted, along with five other defendants, in a claimed $3 million fraud scheme that Clark County Judge Steven Jones allegedly used the power of his office to help promote. Jones has not been arrested but is expected to surrender Thursday to authorities,…

Oct 31, 2012 8:14 PM CDT

Nev. Bar Seeks Required CLE for Substance Issues, Says Almost 25 Percent of Applicants Admit History

Saying that nearly 25 percent of would-be Nevada lawyers admit having had issues in the past with substance abuse, the state bar is seeking to require practitioners to take continuing legal education on the subject. Under a proposed new rule, one hour of the 12 required hours of annual CLE…

Oct 9, 2012 10:08 PM CDT

Disbarred Attorney Who Stole Another Lawyer’s ID to Land BigLaw Job Gets 15 Months in Club Fed

Disbarred by consent in 2007, a former Nevada attorney nonetheless found a way to get a job at a prestigious law firm within less than a year. Douglas Allen, simply assumed the identity of a California lawyer with a similar name who is also licensed in Nevada, the Las Vegas…

Sep 18, 2012 10:07 PM CDT

Casino Lawyers Explain to Nevada Judge About Locally Reviewed Email They Said Was In Macau

Last year, attorney Justin Jones and other lawyers for Las Vegas Sands Corp. reviewed some emails from Macau that concerned a fired executive of a subsidiary company. But when the casino subsequently told a judge hearing a breach of contract case brought by Steven Jacobs, the former CEO of Sands…

Sep 13, 2012 5:23 PM CDT

In ‘Reverse Benchslap,’ Judge Responds to Criticism by 9th Circuit’s Reinhardt

Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt didn’t get the last word in a dispute over a lower court’s alleged foot-dragging in a ballot dispute. On Wednesday, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay that allowed Nevada ballots to be printed with language giving voters the option…

Sep 7, 2012 1:26 PM CDT

Top Nevada Court Says Attorney Son Can Represent Dad in Divorce From Mom

Family unity anyone? At a gut level, one might think it is a bad idea for a child who is a lawyer to represent a parent in a divorce case involving the other parent as the respondent, points out the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, it isn’t a clear conflict of…

Aug 13, 2012 8:55 PM CDT