- law dawg
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We didn’t mention it in June on the actual day, but did you know this blog is 14 years old? It was started to foster the sense of community and connectivity that comes from people coming together to talk about the news and legal issues that affect their profession in this unique geographical location most of us call home. It started out slow, but we’ve worked hard to keep it going all these years and recently learned that, at least according to one website, we’re now #43 on the 45 Best Las Vegas Law Blogs and Websites in 2025. We could not have done it without you! Sure, we gather the links, make the posts, and moderate, but you wonderful people add the value that brings it to life. We appreciate your incredible legal analysis, insight, thoughts, and opinions offered as comments on this blog over the years. We kindly ask that you remember to keep your comments professional and focused on the issues, while avoiding rhetoric, libel, and ad hominem attacks. There’s enough of that stuff elsewhere in the world; please be good to each other.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming:
- Congrats to the Summerlin South little league team on advancing to the title game! [8NewsNow]
- Trump admin asks Nevada for voter’s driver’s licenses, partial Social Security numbers. [TNI]
- Ethics panel takes issues with lieutenant governor over task force on trans athletes. [TNI]
- Clark County probation officer accused of posing in court as licensed attorney. [8NewsNow]
- Two tourists claim they were falsely imprisoned by security at Strip hotel. [RJ]
- $300K bail for father of NBA star arrested following Las Vegas stabbing. [RJ]
- Second sports prediction lawsuit filed against Nevada gaming regulators. [RJ]
- Vegas driver hits student getting off bus, police say. [8NewsNow]
- Confronted with AI hallucinations in filings, one court shows “justifiable kindness,” while another gets tough. [ABA Journal]
Alina Habba. That’s the post. Give it up for this stunning graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
If you don’t want to be controversial, don’t do anything.
the fact this blog is ranked 43rd just makes me laugh in so many ways lol
If you look at it, clearly it is a list and not a ranking.
Who was the attorney that the Probation Officer was posing as?
Jerrell Berrios from Greenberg Taurig
Both named Jerrell, a relatively uncommon name. Not random or an accident.
How embarrassing Judge Bailey. Shameful.
“In the report, District Judge Sunny Bailey told a detective that she administered the oath of attorney for Roberts’ admission to the bar in 2024, but ‘did not confirm whether Roberts passed the bar exam or not before the swearing-in ceremony.’ The judge noted that Roberts had submitted the necessary paperwork and that family, friends, and coworkers from the juvenile probation department had attended the proceeding.”
Reminder that “the necessary paperwork” is just the Oath of Attorney, available online at the State Bar’s website. Could have just as easily done it before a UPS notary.
You wouldn’t have acted any differently. No reason for Judge Bailey to feel shame here.
I agree — this guy showed up to her department with family, friends, and coworkers. There was no reason to suspect that he was playing some con; he could’ve impersonated an attorney without having a fake swearing in ceremony.
Could not disagree more. Think about judges just randomly swearing people in as attorneys who show up in their department and giving them a document bearing a judge’s signature attesting that they are an attorney without checking any of their credentials.
The document bearing the judge’s signature just shows the judge administered an oath. That’s it. If the person wants to lie under oath, that’s on them. If someone took the signed Oath as proof that the person was an attorney, and not, say a never-issued bar card or the actual license, that’s on them and the fake attorney. Not the judge.
For you old farts who have forgotten the process, you send the signed Oath to the Bar, who then assign you a number.
Think about the ironic double standards in your statements:
1. Judge gets a pass for just taking the guy’s word for it (without any evidence) that he is eligible for being sworn in the practice of law in the State of Nevada without any due diligence and giving out her judicial signature.
2, If someone relies on the signed Oath with a judge’s signature as proof that the person was an attorney, and not, say a never-issued bar card or the actual license, that’s on the person who wrongfully relied on the document with the judge’s signature.
The judge’s signature means an oath was administered. That’s it. Again, a fucking notary can administer the attorney’s oath. It does not mean the judge is endorsing the oath-taker, or saying the oath-taker is someone who can pass the C&F. Just that an oath was administered and sworn to. Public officials who administer oaths, including judges, have exactly zero obligation to verify that the statement made in the oath are true.
It has as much bearing on someone’s right to practice as a business card that reads “Law-speaking guy.”
Under your logic, a judge can and should administer the Oath of Attorney and add her judicial signature to any random person who shows up in her courtroom. The Oath form contains a line for the title of the officer administering the oath which is this case was Judge. If this was just some random notary, the standard would be lower; however the endorsement of a judge (using their title) comes with greater authority and responsibility.
Why would the standard be lower? Because judges always verify the truth of the statements made by someone under oath? That would be news to me, the criminal defense bar, and the plaintiff’s bar.
Do you feel that marriage vows administered by judges or justices carry the judge’s personal endorsement? Should we condemn Elvis for overseeing a ceremony in which a bigamist pretends to marry someone else?
I expect a judge administering marriage vows to know whether the persons in front of her are qualified to be married. Under your logic judges overseeing marriages of 14 year old girls get a pass because they have no responsibility in their role.
Why would (or should) a judge inquire any further past an apparently valid marriage license? It’s not for the judge to second guess the marriage license when conducting a marriage. If the license turns out to be fraudulent, let litigants sort it out in unwinding the marriage or let law enforcement and prosecutors sort it out in prosecuting any crimes that occurred in obtaining and using a false marriage license.
I understand not having any realistic expectations that the current crop of judges would care about whether the law was being followed. But we really should.
That’s a non sequitur. Judges care about following the law. I’m just trying to tease out why it’s on the judge to inquire past presented credentials or an affiant’s proffer of qualifications to suss out lies in the moment? That’s beyond the role of a judge when administering an oath. You’re asking for a system where judges are inquisitors, as opposed to passive jurists.
bUt it’S aN oAtH Of aTTornEy
When I get up in court and give my name and bar number, how does anyone really know that I’m not some imposter? 20+ years ago I knew most everyone and lots of people knew me. We are so big now that this is no longer the case. Sure there is a chance that someone else on Zoom or in the gallery might realize that something is amiss, but also a very good chance that you could get away with it for a period of time, as this guy did
AZG Limited Partnership v. Dickinson Wright Advanced Opinion– What in the world was Steve Loizzi doing?
https://caseinfo.nvsupremecourt.us/public/caseView.do?csIID=67105
I represented hotel security in probably 15-20 cases over the years, and have arbitrated about half that many. If they are going to hold someone in their pretend jail for anything other than waiting on Metro or GCB, or *quickly* reviewing footage to make a trespass decision, then that will be a problem.
It’s BS that they were imprisoned for 4 hours, but realistically, what are their damages?
That’s the issue. It is all general/non-economic. The video will be important. Sometimes these security guys are a bunch of numbskulls/cop wannabes who make a bad situation worse with their behavior and comments. If in fact they put an abusive drunk in the cell with them, that will be bad. When they would hold a card-counter for longer than necessary, those would settle pretty cheap as the plaintiff typically was not all that sympathetic. Based only on the allegations that I read, this could be a far different scenario.
Congratulations on the long history of this blog. I don’t always agree, but I appreciate the work that it takes to maintain the blog. Thank you.
I appreciate that this Blog has cleaned up a lot. There was a long period of time when this Blog was rife with exactly the rhetoric, libel, and ad hominem attacks that are now quickly weeded out. Lets not forget that this blog seemingly rose from the ashes of WWL which was often on the wrong side of those lines. I imagine Admin have matured along with the Blog, and that is an improvement for the better.
Nevada Supreme Court website – e-filing has not been working as of Friday and is still not working Sat. a.m. Any ideas as to when this snafu is going to get fixed?
Not just e-filing. The case search system isn’t working either. The search page says “Error verifying reCAPTCHA, please try again.” No CAPTCHA was ever requested, and when I search for something, it just gives the same issue. So well protected, it’s inaccessible.
It seems to be a state wide problem. The DMV website isn’t working either. I’ve been trying to make an appointment for days.
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/nevada-state-offices-closed-for-in-person-services-due-to-network-security-incident/
Beautifully put: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMgFMkZOp-N/?igsh=MXRyMjZ2cWl5bGltZg%3D%3D
I guess The last 10 years’ efforts to eliminate cash bail were giant waste of time and resources.
Not in DC!! Its happening.