Hearing master in courthouse affidavit scandal may be on hold

Las Vegas Justice Court officials have the green light to hire a hearing master to sort out the mess created by On Scene Mediations, the unlicensed process serving company accused of filing false affidavits.

But for now, officials seem content to let a class action suit on the subject play out in District Court to see whether it will address their concerns.

The suit was filed against On Scene Mediations owner Maurice Carroll and one of his former clients, Rapid Cash. The lead plaintiffs allege the payday loan company improperly obtained default judgments against them without giving them notice of the litigation.

Carroll and his company are accused of filing false affidavits swearing they served the plaintiffs with copies of the lawsuits, when in fact they did not. Carroll was convicted last month on 35 felony counts in the scheme.

With tight budget constraints, Justice Court officials would prefer not to spend $60,000 on the hearing master if the class action suit can do the hearing master's work for them. Officials want to know whether the rights of potentially thousands of defendants in Rapid Cash default cases were violated.

Rapid Cash and its high-powered lawyers, however, are said to be digging in for en epic legal fight — which could derail the court's strategy.