Sunday, March 30, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CORRECTION (4/1/03): The exotic dancers group that endorsed Bill Henderson, candidate for Las Vegas Municipal Court, was misidentified. The group is the Las Vegas Dancers Alliance.

Municipal Court judgeship draws crowded field

Seven seeking open seat in Department 6

LILLIAN DAVIS Age: 55 Occupation: Family law attorney BILL GONZALEZ Age: 41 Occupation: Clark County public defender BILL HENDERSON Age: 44 Occupation: General practice attorney, emphasis on family law STEFANY MILEY Age: 32 Occupation: Corporate counsel for State Farm Insurance GARY PULLIAM Age: 48 Occupation: Attorney for Farmers Insurance ABBI SILVER Age: 38 Occupation: Prosecutor, district attorney's office L. JORDAN WEINSTEEN Age: 35 Occupation: General practice, emphasis on corporate law

Seven attorneys -- six Republicans and one Democrat -- each think they should be the next Municipal judge in Department 6.

Lillian Davis believes it's because she's lived here the longest and is a known commodity with support from seniors.

Bill Gonzalez, a public defender, has numerous endorsements and hopes the ones he received from police will show voters he's fair-minded.

Bill Henderson, making his seventh bid for a judgeship, believes he'll be helped by name recognition and his television ads featuring his dog Benny. He also contends being the lone Democrat might work to his advantage, even in this nonpartisan race.

Stefany Miley is emphasizing her involvement in women's and children's issues, including her draft of a safe haven bill for unwanted babies.

Gary Pulliam is relying on his experience as a trial attorney, prosecutor, defense attorney and administrator, plus his legal work for the U.S. Air Force.

Abbi Silver, generally considered the front-runner, believes her experience as a prosecutor for 13 years, combined with her name identification, could bring her victory.

L. Jordan Weinsteen believes that in a low turnout election, his conservative Republican credentials will serve him well.

The Department 6 seat was held by Jessie Walsh, who won a District Court race in November.

One of the seven could win outright by winning more than half the votes cast, although that's more difficult with a crowded field. Without a primary victory when votes are tallied April 8, the two top vote-getters advance to the June 3 general election.

The term is six years and pays $113,577 annually. Municipal judges deal with misdemeanors and traffic citations.

LILLIAN DAVIS

Davis, who also goes by the name Lillian Sondgeroth, has lived in Las Vegas since 1953. She received her bachelor's degree in 1969 and her master's in psychology in 1971, both from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received her law degree in 1976 from California Western School of Law.

Her two-person law practice concentrates on family law and estate planning. She ran in 1978 for justice of the peace, her only other bid for elective office.

She has no endorsements. Davis said she's spending about $20,000 of her own money because she didn't want to ask people for contributions before the primary.

Davis said being an "old-timer" will help her. "My power lies with seniors as a group because I've done a lot of family law," she said.

BILL GONZALEZ

Gonzalez says his endorsements from police groups are an advantage, considering he's an attorney with the Clark County public defender's office.

His endorsements cover a cross-section, including: the National Organization of Retired and Active Law Enforcement Officers; National Latino Peace Officers Association; Las Vegas Fire Fighters Local 1285; Las Vegas City Employees Association; Southern Nevada Central Labor Council; Fraternal Order of Police Las Vegas Lodge No. 1; the Latin Chamber of Commerce; and the Sheetmetal Workers International Local 88. He is sharing with Pulliam an endorsement from Citizens for Responsible Government, a conservative group. Culinary Local 226 has endorsed both Gonzalez and Miley.

"In our system, it's more important that a criminal be set free than the innocent be convicted," he said at a recent candidates' forum.

Gonzalez moved to Nevada from California in 1997, the same year he passed the bar. He said he's handled more than 1,000 criminal cases since 1999 during his career with the Public Defender's office.

Gonzalez is putting about $12,500 of his own money in the race and expects to report about $35,000 in campaign funds when reports come due Tuesday.

He received his bachelor's degree in business management from Redlands University in 1991, a master's in international management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 1992, and his 1997 law degree from Brigham Young University.

BILL HENDERSON

Henderson's seven races for a judgeship have been primarily self-funded and he said he'll probably spend around $10,000 in this election. His message: "I have essentially spent my career serving working class individuals for very reasonable rates."

As in previous years, Henderson is airing some television ads featuring himself and his Welsh Corgi, Benny. "We've used earlier footage. ... He's put on weight," he laughed.

Henderson has lived in Nevada since 1985 and passed the bar in 1987. He received his bachelor's degree in 1981 from State University of New York in Albany and his law degree in 1984 from Washburn University of Topeka.

His endorsements come from the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, the Paradise Democratic Club, and the Nevada National Organization for Women. Henderson also is endorsed by a group of exotic dancers seeking to unionize, the Nevada Dancers' Alliance.

As the only Democrat in the election, Henderson said "it could help" if his party registration was made widely known to the general public.

He said he opposes the policy of not dropping charges on calls involving domestic violence, even if at the request of the victim, because sometimes that means the batterer loses his or her job. "One size does not fit all," he said at a candidates' forum.

STEFANY MILEY

Miley started her campaign early, dotting the city with signs. She expects to report spending about $65,000 on her campaign, much of it her own money.

Since moving to Nevada in 1995 and passing the bar in 1996, she's become active in community affairs and legal issues involving women and children.

As a member of the Junior League, she drafted the safe haven for babies legislation, which passed the Legislature in 2001. To stop women from discarding unwanted babies and leaving them to die, the Junior League pushed for a law saying parents would not be prosecuted if they dropped off their babies at locations such as hospitals.

"I have a diverse experience in my seven years as a trial attorney, I'm very involved in the community," she said.

Her endorsements include one from Culinary Local 226, shared with Gonzalez. She is also endorsed by the Nevada State Rifle Association and the Education Support Employees Association.

Miley received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1993 from Texas A&M University and her law degree in 1995 from California Western School of Law.

GARY PULLIAM

Pulliam has been an alternate judge for three years and said he would be a "decisive, compassionate, fair and firm" judge.

Though some candidates want to see the court open longer, Pulliam said there are expenses incurred. "It's not just the judge sitting there, it's the marshals and clerks."

A second generation Nevadan, he has raised more than $50,000 for his campaign; only $200 is his own money.

He received his bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1978 and his law degree from California Western School of Law in 1983. After passing the bar in 1986, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 1993 and is a major in the Air Force reserves.

During his six years of active duty, Pulliam was an assistant staff judge advocate, where he prosecuted members of the military. He also was a special assistant U.S. attorney, where he prosecuted civilians who committed misdemeanor crimes on Nellis Air Force Base.

He was the chief civil deputy for Nye County from 1996-98, has been a Las Vegas Municipal judge alternate since 2000, and has been an arbitrator for District Court since 2001.

His endorsements are from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Managers and Supervisors Association and Nevada Concerned Citizens. He also shared with Gonzalez an endorsement from the Citizens for Responsible Government.

ABBI SILVER

Silver tells voters she has been a career prosecutor for 13 years who, unlike her opponents, has never represented a criminal or an insurance company.

Voters are familiar with her because in 2002, she ran for Clark County district attorney in a hard-fought GOP primary against David Roger. He won with 65 percent of the Republican vote and, after winning the general election, is now her boss.

"I have prosecuted tens of thousands of misdemeanors, including DUIs and domestic violence cases, which are the kinds of cases handled in Municipal Court," Silver said.

Silver successfully prosecuted two high-profile defendants for domestic violence: John Wayne Bobbitt and boxer Floyd Mayweather.

Her career includes successful prosecutions of stalkers who pursued entertainer Jerry Lewis, then-Sheriff Jerry Keller, and U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign.

Silver moved to Las Vegas in the early 1970s. She obtained her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1985 and her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1989.

Her endorsements are from the Clark County School District Police Officers Association, the Nevada Highway Patrol Association, the Nevada Black Police Association and the Clark County District Attorney Investigators Association. Her mailer also includes a personal endorsement from Lewis as well as individuals in law enforcement.

Her campaign consultant, Mike Slanker, said she would spend about $100,000 in the primary.

L. JORDAN WEINSTEEN

Weinsteen isn't a big money candidate. He estimates he'll spend less than $1,000 on his effort. "I'm campaigning as a grass-roots candidate. I'm very active in Republican politics."

The fliers he hands out described him as the "law and order" candidate and he frequently tells people he is the most conservative of the seven. He advocates changing the laws so English would be the only legal language permitted at government agencies.

He's been an alternate judge in the Las Vegas Municipal Court since 1999 and a court-appointed arbitrator since 1996. He vowed to hand down tough sentences for repeat offenders and use alternative sentencing only for first-time offenders.

He hasn't solicited any endorsements.

In 2002, he considered running for the state Assembly, but in January 2002, two companies he did legal work for were closed by the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive trade practices. Weinsteen was not named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit against the National Audit Defense Network Inc. and Tax Ready, which were owned by Robert Bennington. But he was Bennington's attorney for two years.

Weinsteen received his bachelor's degree in political science from Rutgers University in 1988 and his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1991. That year, he moved to Nevada and passed the bar.