Las Vegas defense lawyer gets 18 months probation in false records case
A defense lawyer was sentenced to 18 months probation Monday for a gross misdemeanor conviction of unlawfully notarizing a signature of a client.
Stephen Stubbs, 38, was originally charged with submitting fraudulent guilty plea agreements in court for the client, but those charges were dismissed as part of a deal with prosecutors.
An emotional Stubbs apologized several times to District Judge Elissa Cadish for his conduct, but insisted he didn't purposely violate the notary law.
"I made the mistake. I didn't understand the law," he said.
Chief Deputy District Attorney J. P. Raman wanted Cadish to sentence Stubbs to 10 days in jail on top of probation for his "lies," but Cadish declined to do it.
Defense lawyer Damien Sheets said Stubbs already has paid dearly for his mistakes in the eyes of his profession and likely will face disciplinary proceeding before the State Bar of Nevada.
Sheets told Cadish that the notary case was part of an ongoing battle between Stubbs, who represents motorcycle clubs, and law enforcement authorities.
"It's well known there has been tension between law enforcement and my client," Sheets said.
The case stems from two DUI cases involving prescription drugs — one in Las Vegas Justice Court and one in Las Vegas Municipal Court — against Stubbs' client James L. Green.
Stubbs was alleged to have unlawfully notarized the two "written entry of plea" agreements with Green's signature before filing them in 2013. Written guilty pleas are usually filed in court when the defendant is too ill to make an appearance.
The investigation became public after detectives with the intelligence section of the Metropolitan Police Department raided Stubbs' Las Vegas and Boulder City offices in October 2014.
Stubbs attracted media attention in 2012 when he filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging Southern Nevada law enforcement agencies were harassing motorcycle clubs.
He had another run-in with intelligence detectives that resulted in a misdemeanor charge against him, but he was acquitted.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ
