Judge increases Newtons’ bond to $50,000
Wayne and Kathleen Newton were ordered to post a higher bond in the court fight over redevelopment of the Casa de Shenandoah estate into a theme park at a Thursday hearing that also veered into a different direction.
The Newtons had to post a $5,000 bond in June as protection for economic damages that CSD LLC, which bought the property and has directed the work, could suffer during the litigation.
Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez raised the amount to $50,000, but did not specify how she arrived at that number.
CSD attorney Charles McCrea Jr. had requested $500,000, with half of it to cover legal bills and the rest for either past or future care and feeding of Newton's small herd of Arabian horses, at about $1,000 a day, still on the property.
CSD, by court order, must write the checks for the horses' upkeep at least until another hearing scheduled for Jan. 7.
Newton attorney Bryce Kunimoto argued for a maximum $12,500 bond or even erasing it entirely.
Kunimoto characterized the $500,000 figure at "nothing more than an attempt by CSD to squeeze the Newtons out financially and escalate the cost of this lawsuit."
In pushing for the larger bond, McCrea contended that Kathleen Newton had committed perjury during August testimony when she said all of the memorabilia that was supposed to go into a Wayne Newton museum had been turned over to CSD and logged. An inspection of a storage unit and 2,500-square-foot garage that started on Aug. 27 has revealed hundreds of items that were not accounted for, McCrea said.
But Kunimoto said those pieces were designated as personal effects two years ago with the concurrence of Steve Kennedy, CSD's manager and minority owner. Afterward they were boxed up and stored separately from the memorabilia meant for public display.
As a result, Kunimoto said, Kathleen Newton had told the truth from the witness stand.
Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at
toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.
