- law dawg
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With Independence Day on Saturday this year, it is officially observed tomorrow—which makes today our “Friday” and the start of the long weekend. Happy 250th birthday, America! We hope you all have a safe and happy weekend!
- Staffer with 2 decades of experience in Legislative Counsel Bureau chosen as its director. [TNI]
- Suspect arrested with stockpile of weapons at Sunset Station faces judge. [RJ]
- ‘We Win’ lawyer Steve Dimopolous lists Summerlin mansion for $22.5M. [RJ]
- Clark County prosecutors seek death penalty against suspect in deadly Smith’s shooting. [Fox5Vegas]
- Over 10 tons of illegal fireworks confiscated ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. [KTNV]
I would love for someone to share how many times Asher Killian’s advice has been overturned by the courts.
Unclear, because most (all?) of the litigation handled by LCB Legal lately has been under Kevin Powers’s signature only, as general counsel to the legislature, and not under the signature of the legislative counsel. At least that’s been the case for 5 or 6 years now following nastiness from about 6 or 7 years ago when Republican senators sued over asserted conflicts of interest flowing from litigation relating to the two-thirds majority requirement to pass bills that raise any public revenue. (LCB lost the substantive raising revenue case, but won the side show on the conflict of interest, which was taken up on a writ because the Carson City district judge disqualified LCB Legal.)
Before 5 or so years ago, for quite some time litigation was under Kevin’s signature under the legislative counsel’s name. That was Brenda Erdoes for a very long time, and since Brenda retired as legislative counsel in 2019, there has been a new legislative counsel almost ever biennium since then, if memory serves. I think it was Erdoes for decades until 2019, then Bryan Fernley for two biennia in 2021 and 2023, then Asher in 2025, and now there will be yet another new legislative counsel leading into 2027.
Maybe one should also question why there has been so much turnover among legislative counsels in Nevada.
Asher hasn’t been legislative counsel for all that long, and if you view the legal advice the legislature gets from its legal division as a collective effort, it could be really difficult to pin down who was responsible for what advice and when.
But this would be a fun thought exercise.
I think legislative counsel contorts to whatever pressure there is. There is no way anyone in their right mind thinks a vote to stop a sunset provision isn’t a new tax.
Could be, but it’s thought that maintaining the pervasive nonpartisan staff structure in LCB would reduce the likelihood the staff would sway to political winds. Perhaps it’s time to re-examine whether nonpartisan staff (or so much of it at the expense of some partisan staff) truly serves the interests of legislators and the legislature as a whole.
Erdoes and Powers signed onto the 2019 memo which formed the basis of the 2019 legislature’s position on repealing or extending a sunset and repealing or limiting tax exemptions of credits (there were two theories relating two-third requirement from two different bills). It’s to say how much Erdoes and Powers swayed to the powers that be, considering how long-tenured both Erdoes and Powers were at the time.
As to alleged contorting to suit contemporaneous pressure, is that so much different from other long-time or institutional clients and their lawyers?
hopefully they throw the book at the he/she
hopefully you will learn how not to be an absolute toad
I just heard that a someone jumped off the parking garage across the street from the Courthouse downtown. Does anyone have any details?
There’s an RJ article about it.
Oops I mean 8 News:
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/police-activity-closes-roads-in-downtown-las-vegas/
Is this the same garage that someone called in a bomb threat from?
No, Bomb Garage is on 3rd and Lewis. Suicide Garage is on 3rd and Clark. Close though.
Each of these garages have been suicide garages. Over the years, there have been a couple at the Casino Center/Lewis where I park. I can’t help but think about that when I park. What is a normal day at work for us when we attend court is often the nadir and most distressing moment of someone else’s life. I can always find ways to be kinder and more patient, even while being an aggressive advocate.
Every day I’m at the courthouse feels like the most distressing moment of my life too, I get where they’re coming from.
This is why I park on the street- to ameliorate the risks of what some of these judges can do.
Which garage is the “get on the elevator with a juror and talk about what a great guy you are causing a mistrial” garage?
Have a safe and sane 4th of July celebration. Remember the sacrifices that have been made to preserve your freedom and rights for the past 250 years. Go USA !
Safe and sane? Well one out of two isn’t bad.