Lawyer helps young offenders avoid his addiction mistakes

The last time Las Vegas lawyer Steven M. Altig made headlines, it was because he was being arrested on drug and weapons charges.

He has been sober for one year and is trying to stop others from making the mistakes he did.

Altig is back in the courtroom at the Regional Justice Center as a recovering alcoholic and drug addict representing 20 or so defendants in Youth Offender Court, which targets young criminals who also struggle with addiction.

The program is a new concept for the valley's criminal justice system. It confronts young addicts about their habits and enforces community service projects and treatment for recovery as well as jail time.

Most of the defendants have failed other rehabilitation programs. Their families are mandated by the program to attend court and therapy sessions and be in constant contact with Judge Cedric Kerns, who heads Youth Offender Court.

Altig approached Kerns, who had run a habitual offender court for older adults, and asked for help in turning his life around. They had been softball teammates in a local league.

"He came to me and just broke down," Kerns said.

After Kerns determined Altig was dedicated to staying sober, he started making phone calls to help the attorney and made him a part of the youth court program to save his life.

"I owe him my life and my career," said Altig, 42. "I got involved because of my personal battles with addiction, and I came to a decision that I needed to make a difference in other people's lives. One of the ways I could do that was by advocating on behalf of the addicts."

His demeanor in the courtroom is polite and quiet. With a low voice, he respectfully addresses Kerns with a, "Judge, if I may ..." as he attempts to put more eloquently into words what his clients mean while they try to explain themselves.

After all, he has been in their shoes. The handcuffs. The jail cell. Probation. The drug tests. The ongoing recovery process.

As a Las Vegas attorney with an established career, Altig admits his fall from grace was difficult, especially when his arrest was reported in the Review-Journal.

For two months, police staked out his home, acting on a tip. Finally, on June 16, 2009, police searched the home and found half a gram of methamphetamine and a firearm. He was allowed to remain out of custody while authorities investigated. Three months later, police made their case. A bailiff pulled him aside as he walked into the courthouse for an appearance on behalf of a client.

He had just gone through a divorce after cheating on his wife with a younger woman, who had turned him onto the drug. He stopped drinking beer and Jagermeister and began smoking the white crystal powder. Altig had never used drugs before. He was hooked from the first hit.

"When the addiction takes over, you don't think a lot about anything other than the addiction," Altig said. "Did I know I was violating a certain amount of public trust? Yes I did. But in the mind of the addict the only thing that matters is feeding the addiction."

He hit rock bottom. He tried to quit. It didn't work.

"In my mind, I had walked away from my wife and my children, gave it up, for this other person," Altig said. "I felt I needed to make the relationship with this other girl work; otherwise I left my wife and children for nothing. That's the only way I can explain why I chose to start using. It was a really bad choice."

After his arrest, he spent 24 hours in jail and was facing three felony charges on possession of methamphetamine, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, because he was high at the time.

He pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. The other two charges were dismissed as a result.

Altig, who was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1999, was forced to switch his law license to an inactive status or risk having the state Supreme Court suspend his license completely.

Meth gave Altig a euphoric feeling and covered up emotions he didn't want to feel after losing his family and damaging his career.

"We don't really like dealing with feelings of guilt and shame," Altig said. "Meth increases your dopamine levels to such an extent you don't have feelings anymore. It's a really powerful drug."

At the time, he lost most of his friends and family.

"I was on a fast downward spiral," Altig said. "I was going to end up dead or lose everything I had worked so hard for in my life."

He has completed the out­patient treatment program at the Las Vegas Recovery Center and continues to participate in several recovery related activities. He said he has since recovered almost all of those relationships.

"I thank God every night and ask that he blesses all parties involved in my arrest and prosecution," Altig said. "They have enabled me to get my life back on track."

Contact Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.