North Las Vegas Judge VanLandschoot retires after illustrious career

Gruff and to the point, Judge Warren VanLandschoot means business. The demeanor has made him a successful detective and judge in North Las Vegas for more than four decades.

But despite what he has been through on the job -- fatally shooting a man who fired a gun at him, investigating countless deaths and dealing with some criminals who have been arrested more than 160 times apiece -- it is what VanLandschoot still manages to have beneath his tough exterior that makes him special.

"He's just a tiger on the outside and a pussycat on the inside," said Joseph Forti, a retired police chief of North Las Vegas who has known the judge for more than 30 years. "He really has a passion for public service. He really cares about people."

After serving North Las Vegas in various positions for 44 years, VanLandschoot started his brand new job today -- retirement.

He said he plans to take his new job description as seriously as the rest, as it's finally time to slow down and take care of himself. The 66-year-old suffered a heart attack while on the bench three weeks ago but recovered and returned to court to finish the last week of his term.

"It's been a good long career, and I've enjoyed every minute of it," VanLandschoot said. "It's been fun."

The Rancho High School graduate started out in the North Las Vegas police reserves in 1967 before becoming a motorcycle cop in 1969. He became a detective in 1978 and was promoted to the homicide division a year later. After working with the North Las Vegas police for 30 years, he was elected Municipal Court judge for the city in 1997.

"I don't think you could even begin to calculate how many lives Warren has impacted," said Forti, whose wife is the judge's secretary. "He just has a love for the city. It means a lot to him."

Charged with leading the busiest court in the state, VanLandschoot developed several judicial programs and spearheaded the construction of the courthouse throughout his three terms, totaling 14 years of service. Last year, the court's two judges handled roughly 60,000 traffic charges and more than 9,000 non-traffic misdemeanor cases, according to the Nevada Supreme Court's records. The North Las Vegas Municipal Court, at 2332 Las Vegas Blvd. North, is equipped with a third courtroom if another judge takes the bench and has space to construct a fourth chamber if further expansion is ever needed.

"Now we have the room to be the busiest courthouse in the state," VanLandschoot said of the building he calls one of his biggest prides.

Most of his colleagues point to the Life of Crime program he developed, which educated more than 25,000 youth in its 13 years. The program hosted talks from inmates to give troubled teens an inside look at the effects of a criminal path.

VanLandschoot also created traffic and DUI schools for the North Las Vegas community.

"He's always been very innovative in solving problems," said court administrator Debbie Miller, who has worked with the judge for 14 years. "He makes the court a better place and more efficient."

She said that despite his infectious work ethic, he had a way of finding time for laughs.

"It's hard dealing with some of the things we deal with in the judicial system. He expected everyone to work hard, but also kept the sense of humor in it as well," Miller said, noting VanLandschoot's love for telling wild stories of his detective days.

VanLandschoot said he investigated more than 2,000 deaths -- including some 250 murders.

He calls the most memorable cases ones that were difficult to solve. He said he particularly enjoyed being able to give families closure after a long period of uncertainty. He said he will never forget a 1987 case, when he discovered a 13-year-old junior high school boy was responsible for murdering David Foote, a 37-year-old amputee on New Year's Day. The victim tried to pretend he was dead while the teenager stabbed the man 18 times before choking him with a dog collar. It took one week for the boy to be arrested. He was later sentenced to life without parole.

VanLandschoot was named North Las Vegas Policeman of the Year three times. He was also the first recipient of the Clark County District Attorney's Meritorious Award for Compassion to the Victims of Crimes.

His wife, Lynn, said he has always been devoted to work.

"When he was a detective, I would see him come home sometimes after three days of solid work and no sleep, and his feet would just scoot down the hall. He couldn't pick them up he was so tired," she said. "He worked on a case until it was finished."

Despite the long hours, VanLandschoot found time to coach Little League for 15 years and to serve as an administrator with the league for another 20.

He also has a passion for woodworking, saying he can "make anything out of any type of wood." He plans to continue that hobby, travel to his cabin in Duck Creek, Utah, and spend time with his wife and their three children and eight grandchildren.

His wife suspects his extra time at home will mean fighting over the remote. She likes to watch home and garden shows, while he prefers the Western, military and history channels.

VanLandschoot is being replaced on the bench by Catherine Ramsey, who will be the city's first female Municipal Court judge. Before her election, Ramsey, 46, had been North Las Vegas deputy city attorney in the criminal division. The city's municipal judges serve six-year terms and earn $148,438 a year.

VanLandschoot will be a senior judge, filling in when needed in courthouses across the state, although he said he plans to do so sparingly.

"It's been a long haul," he said of his career. "But it feels like I started yesterday, and now retirement day is here."

Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0401.