District attorney opening attracts only seven candidates

There were more than 1,000 webpage hits for the online application since Nov. 14, and at least 169 of those viewers actually downloaded the form.

County Manager Don Burnette said his office notified attorneys of the opening through various bar associations and media reports.

He called the numbers “a bit of a surprise.”

“I was expecting more,” Burnette said.

A judicial ethics ruling earlier this week that said a full-time Nevada jurist would have to resign after becoming a candidate for a nonjudicial elective office might have narrowed the field. The question was raised by an unnamed sitting judge and a justice of the peace. The state’s Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics ruled that the district attorney’s office is considered an elected post and that a judge would have to step down to be considered for it.

The seven candidates are the following:

■ Don Chairez, a former District Court judge who lost the 2010 election to current District Attorney David Roger. Chairez is tossing his hat back into the ring and said he was “stunned” by Roger’s decision to retire Jan. 3. Chairez received about 48 percent in that election and said the results prove “a vote of confidence by the public at large.”

“If the County Commission is really looking for change, I campaigned on a record for change,” Chairez said. “I believe there needs to be some kind of change to the coroner’s inquest. … I’m prepared to go through the screening process, and I’m looking forward to comparing my record to others. This is probably one of the biggest decisions the County Commission will make.”

■ Teresa Lowry, an assistant district attorney in charge of the family support division. She would be the first woman to serve as district attorney if chosen. She oversees the family support, juvenile delinquency and child welfare divisions of the district attorney’s office and manages 300 people on a $33 million budget.

“I’m not sure there is anybody who has the breadth of experience within our office or outside of our office that has worked in so many different roles and places in the office,” Lowry told the Review-Journal last month.

■ Steve Wolfson, a Las Vegas city councilman and a defense lawyer. He began his legal career as a prosecutor.

“If anything, it gives me an advantage having served on both sides,” Wolfson said in a previous interview.

■ Drew Christensen, the county’s director of appointed counsel. He could not be reached for comment.

■ Robert Langford, a defense attorney and former deputy district attorney for nearly eight years. He could not be reached for comment.

■ John Hunt, former Clark County Democratic Party chairman and a one-time candidate for attorney general. He deferred to his application when asked for comment.

■ Patrick Ferguson, a senior deputy attorney general. He could not be reached for comment.

NARROWING THE FIELD

A seven-member screening committee will review each application and conduct candidate interviews before recommending a set of finalists to the County Commission.

Burnette chose the members based on their extensive law backgrounds. The committee will focus on the qualifications of each candidate, including verifying their residency and license to practice law. Political affiliation will not be part of the discussion, Burnette said.

Former District Attorney Stewart Bell will serve as special counsel to the screening committee but will not review applications, Burnette said. Instead, Bell will discuss the functions of the office, what a district attorney does, what qualities are important and what committee members should be looking for in a candidate.

Committee members will sort through candidate information, interview the applicants and select no more than five to refer to the commission. There is no specific timetable at this point, Burnette said.

“This is an incredibly important position,” Burnette said. “You can argue that he’s the top law enforcement official in Southern Nevada. You can’t have a conversation about public safety without talking about what the DA does.”

The screening committee members are the following:

■ Richard Boulware, president of the National Bar Association’s Las Vegas chapter and first vice president of the NAACP Las Vegas chapter. Since 2007, Boulware has served as a trial attorney in the office of the federal public defender in Clark County.

■ Ron Bloxham, retired prosecutor from the Clark County district attorney’s office. Bloxham recently retired from the DA’s office with 34 years of service. He served as a training chief for new deputies, law clerks and interns and most recently as chief of case assessment. Bloxham has long been acknowledged as one of the most widely regarded experts on Nevada criminal law.

■ Barbara Buckley, executive director for Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. During her tenure as executive director, the organization has created many new programs including the Children’s Attorney Project, which provides legal representation to children in the foster care system. Buckley also served in the state Assembly from 1994 to 2010, including two terms as speaker.

■ William T. Koot, retired prosecutor from the Clark County district attorney’s office. Koot, a 30-year prosecutor, spent 16 years heading the criminal division and served as an adviser to the civil division. He also has served as a police academy instructor for more than 20 years. Koot was recognized as Nevada Prosecutor of the Year in 2001 and Distinguished Public Lawyer by the State Bar of Nevada in 1998.

■ John Lambrose, assistant federal public defender. Lambrose has more than 30 years of experience practicing criminal law. He is admitted to practice law before the Federal District Court of Nevada, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Lambrose is an affiliate member of the Idaho State Bar Association and a member of the State Bar of Nevada. He is currently an assistant federal public defender acting as chief of the non-capital habeas unit in the federal public defender’s office.

■ Luke Puschnig, legal counsel for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Puschnig has served as staff legal counsel to the LVCVA since 1998, which involves managing the operations of legal staff and the legal aspects of board meetings. Before joining the LVCVA, Puschnig was a trial attorney handling a variety of litigation and administrative law work including zoning and land use.

“The DA is an incredibly important part of the judicial system,” Puschnig said.

“I’m very honored to be part of this committee, and I look forward to looking through the applications and resumes and to help narrow down the selection so the County Commission can select the most qualified individual for the job. … This isn’t just hiring an associate. This person runs one of the largest law firms in the state.”

■ David T. Wall, retired District Court judge and a partner at Mainor Eglet trying civil cases. Wall served on the District Court bench from 2003 to 2010 and presided over criminal cases. Before joining the bench, Wall was a chief deputy district attorney prosecuting primarily homicide and capital cases.

“It’s important to get somebody in there who can have some continuity,” Wall said. “To have that kind of commitment that David Roger, Stu Bell, Rex Bell and Bob Miller had. It’s an honor to be a part of the task force to screen the applicants who could follow in those gentlemen’s footsteps.”

Whoever is selected as the county’s next district attorney would serve the remaining unexpired term, which is
3½ years. Roger, the current district attorney, will retire Jan. 3.

Contact reporter Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.