Ex-commissioner’s son enters not guilty plea

The son and daughter-in-law of former Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates were warned Wednesday that neither they nor any of their family members should be contacting witnesses connected to the couple's criminal case.

Brian Atkinson Turner, 24, and his wife, Kathryn O'Gara, 25, pleaded not guilty to marijuana and child neglect charges in District Court on Wednesday, and Hearing Master Kevin Williams told them not to contact witnesses.

"It could be construed as witness tampering," Williams said.

Williams said the order also applies to the couple's family members. In addition to having a former county commissioner as his mother, Atkinson Turner has a district judge as a stepfather, Lee Gates.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Rutledge told Williams that some of the witnesses had received calls, which their telephone caller IDs showed were from Atkinson Gates.

Rutledge said the witnesses did not answer the calls, so they were unsure whether it was the former commissioner or Atkinson Turner on a cell phone his mother gave him.

"They felt they were being intimidated," Rutledge said.

It is a felony to intimidate a witness to influence testimony. The crime is punishable by a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of up to $50,000 per violation.

It is also against the law to attempt to dissuade a person from testifying or producing evidence. If physical force or a threat of physical force is used, the crime is a felony punishable by a prison sentence of one to four years and a fine of up to $5,000 per violation, otherwise it is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 per violation.

Las Vegas police arrested Atkinson Turner and O'Gara on child endangerment and drug charges in August, alleging that they found feces on the walls, a stash of marijuana, a marijuana growing setup and a refrigerator containing no edible food except yogurt at the couple's home just east of the Southern Highlands Golf Club.

A trial date was tentatively slated for January.

The couple declined to comment after the hearing, but O'Gara's attorney, Andrew Leavitt, has denied the charges and disputed the police's account of conditions at the couple's house.

Contact reporter K.C. Howard at khoward@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-1039.