Justice of the peace races come down to wire

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace William Jansen, a former FBI agent who has held the Department 5 seat for 27 years, was narrowly losing late Tuesday to a lawyer who had never run for office before.

Jansen, 77, was trailing Cynthia Dustin-Cruz, 44, by 655 votes at midnight with nearly complete results. She received her law license in 2003.

Six of eight contests for justice of the peace in Clark County had incumbents, and the five other incumbents were prevailing Tuesday night.

In North Las Vegas and Mesquite, voters had to fill seats that had no incumbent.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis, a 20-year incumbent in Department 1, faced opposition from Vincent Ginn, an attorney who was admitted to the Bar in 2005. Lippis is 63, and Ginn is 41.

"I'm so privileged," said Lippis, who watched election returns at home with her husband. "It's just not something you ever take for granted, and when the community puts its trust in you, you just work to keep it. And I love what I do."

Ann Zimmerman, Las Vegas justice of the peace in Department 8 for the past 12 years, was opposed by Amy Chelini, an attorney who was licensed in 2000. Zimmerman is 48, and Chelini is 40.

In North Las Vegas, voters had to replace Justice of the Peace Stephen Dahl in Department 1 because he did not seek re-election.

Two attorneys with backgrounds in criminal law, Kalani Hoo and Jonathan MacArthur, advanced to the general election in that race. Incomplete results showed Hoo leading Tuesday night.

In late June, the State Bar of Nevada issued a letter of reprimand to Mac­Arthur. The reprimand stemmed from a complaint by the Clark County district attorney's office that accused him of trying to bribe a witness to change his testimony in a criminal case.

The letter said a screening panel of lawyers found that MacArthur's conduct in the 2010 case violated several rules of professional conduct.

MacArthur, 40, did not appeal the reprimand, which he later called "unjust." The attorney also has been at the center of other controversies in recent years.

Hoo, also 40, joined the Nevada Bar in 1998. This was the first time he has run for office.

MacArthur made a failed bid for the Department 3 seat in 2008. He has been licensed to practice law in Nevada since 2000.

In Laughlin, Justice of the Peace Tim Atkins, 61, faced police Sgt. Jack Weaver, 55, in his bid for a second term.

Atkins was elected in 2006 after the incumbent, Billy Moma, stepped down.

Justices of the peace in Clark County townships with fewer than 100,000 people, such as Laughlin, need not be licensed attorneys.

Atkins previously worked in the telephone industry for more than 30 years. Weaver has worked for the Metropolitan Police Department since 1980.

In Mesquite, a deputy city attorney and a retired lawyer squared off in the race to replace Ron Dodd, who stepped down after 14 years as justice of the peace.

Ryan Toone, 36, prosecutes mis­demeanor cases for the city of Mesquite. He previously worked in private practice.

Karen Beausoleil, 70, practiced law for about seven years in Wyoming and Utah before retiring. She was Dodd's only challenger in the 2006 election.

Toone was headed to victory Tuesday night.

A private attorney tried to unseat Moapa Valley Justice of the Peace Lanny Waite, who has held the position for 25 years. Waite, 59, was defeating challenger Tony Terry, 71.

In Searchlight, Justice of the Peace Richard Hill, 67, and police officer David Thompson, 50, faced each other for the second time. Hill won by 13 votes.

Two years ago, the same two candidates were separated by 26 votes.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.