Bid to rig race nets no prison

Former Assembly candidate Gary Horrocks and his wife received probation Wednesday for trying to rig his unsuccessful bid for office in 2002.

District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez took into consideration that Horrocks and his wife, Pamela, had never before been in legal trouble when she fined them a total of $7,000.

Horrocks was given three years' probation and ordered to perform 20 hours of community service. Pamela Horrocks received two years' probation.

The Horrocks pleaded guilty to influencing voters to file absentee ballots in Assembly District 37, when the residents did not actually live in that district. Their goal, according to the district attorney's office, was to give Gary Horrocks a leg up in the election.

The strategy failed. Horrocks, 54, secured a third-place finish in the Republican primary election but landed himself in the criminal justice system.

Horrocks was charged after he bragged about his scheme, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Scott Mitchell.

"The defendant basically bragged about the way he had skewed election results," Mitchell said. "It is troubling the attitude he had about the election system."

Horrocks hit up patrons at The Clubhouse, a bar he operated at 4001 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

His wife helped by signing documents that were required to be signed by the voter's family member.

Attorney Paola Armeni told Gonzalez that 55-year-old Pamela Horrocks was unaware she was doing anything illegal.

"It's not the crime of the century; she admits to being wrong," Armeni said. "Not knowing the law is not a defense, and I understand that."

Defense attorney Dominic Gentile noted that the source of the information related to Horrocks' bragging -- former Clark County Recorder Frances Deane -- has since been indicted on unrelated charges. Her "credibility is suspect," Gentile said.

Since the Horrocks were indicted, they have moved to Michigan.

Gentile said that because the 62-count indictment included felonies, Gary Horrocks cannot vote, had to forfeit his concealed weapons permit even though he is an avid hunter, and lost his liquor license to operate the bar.

"I'm not trying to whine about this. ... As a result of this behavior, he has had a lot of things happen to him," Gentile said.

After years of negotiations between the defense and the government, the indictment was boiled down to a single felony and a gross misdemeanor conviction against Horrocks and a single gross misdemeanor conviction against his wife for conspiring to break election laws.

If Horrocks successfully completes his probationary period, the felony will be dropped.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker @reviewjournal.com or (702) 384-8710.