Former Henderson city attorney will pay fine, attend DUI classes

The drunken driving case that cost former Henderson City Attorney Elizabeth Quillin her job has concluded with a guilty plea, according to court records.

Quillin on Tuesday pleaded guilty to DUI-first offense. She was ordered to pay a $585 fine and to attend a DUI class and a victim impact panel.

As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an accident and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

Earlier this month, Quillin left her job in exchange for almost $100,000 in severance pay.

Quillin, 51, was arrested in the middle of the workday on May 23 after she crashed her Lexus SUV and then nearly ran over a woman who stopped to help her near Green Valley Ranch Resort.

According to court records, her blood-alcohol level was 0.281 percent, 3½ times the legal limit.

Police said she admitted to having "bottles" of wine before the accident. When asked whether she was feeling the effects of the alcohol, she reportedly told officers, "Yes, I am (expletive) up."

Police found a full-size bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay, open and nearly empty, in the back seat of her car and a large puddle of wine on the floorboards in front of the driver's seat.

As part of her resignation deal with the city, Quillin received $20,000 for her accrued vacation time and 10 months of health insurance coverage, on top of the $99,500 severance check.

The Henderson City Council appointed Senior Assistant City Attorney Christine Guerci-Nyhus as interim city attorney.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.