Wife of a Nevada Supreme Court justice pleads no contest to DUI charge

The wife of Nevada Supreme Court Justice Ron Parraguirre pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge rather than go to trial, records show.

Leslie Parraguirre, 57, entered the plea March 30 before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron and was adjudged guilty. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue a related battery charge.

Records show that she was sentenced to two days in jail with two days of “credit for time served.” She also paid a $685 fine and attended DUI school and a “victim impact panel,” with victims of DUI crashes who speak about the affect the crash has had on their lives.

The case was closed the day of the plea with a notation that the requirements had been completed. A related speeding charge was dismissed.

“It was handled exactly like every other misdemeanor DUI case that comes through that courtroom,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Rutledge said.

Parraguirre’s attorney, Richard Wright, declined to comment.

Records show Las Vegas police responded to a traffic collision shortly after 9 p.m. on Oct 30 at Charleston Boulevard and Indigo Drive. Parraguirre’s SUV had rear-ended a vehicle stopped behind another vehicle at a red light.

According to a crime report, Oliver Gomez-Baez, 25, was driving the other vehicle. He approached Parraguirre’s vehicle after the crash and opened the door to make contact with her.

“Gomez-Baez stated that Parraguirre was immediately verbally aggressive and argumentative,” the report states. “While yelling at him, Parraguirre was said to be using racial slurs. Gomez-Baez stated that he was afraid Parraguirre would try to leave the scene so he stayed at her door. Parraguirre continued to yell and get out of the vehicle. Parraguirre then used a closed, right fist to punch Gomez-Baez on the left side of his mouth. Parraguirre then kicked Gomez-Baez in the left shin.”

According to a separate “impaired driving report,” Parraguirre was sitting in an ambulance when police arrived. She “admitted to being at a dinner party and states that she only had one alcoholic beverage,” according to the report.

During field sobriety tests she “became argumentative, uncooperative and verbally abusive toward officers.”

She was handcuffed and taken to the Clark County Detention Center. Records show she was released the following day on her own recognizance.

Last month, District Attorney Steve Wolfson said his office had insufficient evidence to prosecute the misdemeanor battery charge, which was dismissed in February.

Gomez-Baez provided the Las Vegas Review-Journal with photos from the night of the incident that show a minor cut around his lip.

“She got me with her ring,” he said in Spanish.

He said he believes the battery charge was dropped because of Ron Parraguirre’s influence.

Gomez-Baez said Leslie Parraguirre was shouting to everyone after the crash, “Call my husband.”

Leslie Parraguirre operates an interior design company in Las Vegas. Ron Parraguirre, a former Las Vegas municipal judge and Clark County district judge, joined the state’s high court in 2004.

Contact Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Find @CarriGeer on Twitter. Reporter Alex Corey contributed to this report.