Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Harry Claiborne, at 86

Impeached federal judge Harry Claiborne, who returned to practice as a Nevada defense attorney after being released from prison, died -- an apparent suicide -- at home Monday evening. He was 86.

He had long represented the Binion family -- of Binion's Horseshoe fame -- in private practice.

Mayor Oscar Goodman, who practiced with Claiborne at the defense bar, described him as "a master of the profession. He was unparalleled as far as his ability to marshal the fact of the case and ... present them in a clear and concise way to the jury. ... It was a pleasure to work with him."

Claiborne, who was appointed to the federal bench in 1978 and rose to become chief U.S. district judge for Nevada, was charged 20 years ago with accepting bribes from Northern Nevada brothel owner Joe Conforte, and with filing false tax returns.

Former Las Vegas FBI chief Joseph Yablonsky arranged for Conforte -- who owned the Mustang Ranch brothel east of Reno -- to return from Brazil to testify against the judge, but Claiborne's Reno trial resulted in a hung jury. The government opted to re-try Claiborne only on the tax evasion charge, winning a conviction in 1984.

After his criminal conviction, Claiborne became the 13th federal officer to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The U.S. Senate voted to deny Claiborne the opportunity to present witnesses who he said could establish that his prosecution was the result of a personal vendetta. (Indeed, many did question the decision to rehabilitate Mr. Conforte -- the admitted corrupter of public officials -- in order to bring down a single alleged target of his blandishments.) The Senate then stripped Claiborne of his judgeship, the first federal judge to be so dishonored in 50 years.

He served 18 months in prison. Shortly after his release, the Nevada Supreme Court reinstated him to the bar, establishing a standard probably unique in the nation.

Claiborne was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1990. He had a heart attack in 1991, and was also suffering from Alzheimer's disease, according to this wife, Norma Ries.

Whatever the ups and downs of Claiborne's career, this state has lost a gifted attorney, and a character who helped make Nevada as colorful as it is.