Longtime jurist a powerful witness

Nevada Supreme Court Justice Ron Parraguirre has been in courtrooms for more than 30 years as a lawyer and judge.

On Wednesday, he became a witness for the first time.

Parraguirre gave testimony in the $2 billion Actos civil trial in District Judge Jerry Wiese II's courtroom at the Regional Justice Center.

As a District Judge, for several years Parraguirre employed Maurice Iorio as a bailiff. Iorio was diagnosed with bladder cancer after being prescribed Actos, a diabetes drug developed by Japanese medical giant Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Iorio died in 2013. His widow, Mary Iorio, is one of two plaintiffs in the case.

In a rare light moment in the trial, plaintiffs attorney Theodore Parker couldn't help smiling and admitted he felt "tickled" to have the respected justice on the witness stand.

The subject matter swiftly turned to the serious issue of the health and habits of Maurice Iorio. Defense attorneys in the case have argued that Iorio's health was put a substantial risk because of a chronic smoking habit.

But that's not the picture Parraguirre painted for jurors. He was emphatic in recalling Iorio's activity on the job from 1999 until 2005: No smoking — ever. No cigarettes. No smoking breaks. Nothing of the kind.

"And really, when he wasn't working directly for me, he would actually volunteer to go out at the gate and work at the gate," Parraguirre recalled.

The judge and bailiff parted company in 2005 after Parraguirre was elected to the Supreme Court. Iorio retired in 2006.

However brief his testimony, Parraguirre made for a powerful witness for the plaintiff.

MCDONALD MESS: Not only is Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald in the middle of a civil case involving the bilking of $2.2 million from a local children's charity, but now it's been reported that he's quietly been on the payroll of fellow party loyalist and state Treasurer Dan Schwartz as a "senior deputy" in charge of "community outreach" with a salary and benefits of approximately $95,000 per year.

In a press statement Schwartz defended the hiring of his friend and party boss and said my recent Review-Journal columns on McDonald's ties to sketchy Med Lien Management's default on a $2.2 million loan it received from the Miracle Flights for Kids children's charity "appear false and reflect more the assumptions of their authors rather than any actual basis."

WALKER VISIT: Monday's town hall meeting in Las Vegas by Republican presidential hopeful Scott Walker was the second such event held at Don Ahern's XTreme manufacturing plant on Bonanza road in recent years. Back in 2012, then-candidate Newt Gingrich accepted Ahern's hospitality.

JERRY'S LIBRARY: Jerry Lewis, one of my favorite entertainers on this or any planet, is sending his personal archive of memorabilia and movie madness to the Library of Congress.

And, yes, they're expecting it.

The Nutty Professor's more than 70-year career ranges from nightclubs and showrooms to stage and screen, from acting and producing to writing and directing. The enormous trove even includes movies Lewis directed at home.

Lewis, 89, continues to perform and is planning an Oct. 9 show at the State Theater in Culpepper, Va., near the library's audio-visual center to celebrate the archive's arrival, The New York Times reports.

ON THE BOULEVARD: It's hard to say enough good things about the improvement shown at Roundy Elementary, which has made a dramatic comeback in quality thanks to dynamic leadership from principal John Haynal and a team effort from some dedicated teachers and staff. ... Pawn Stars boss Rick Harrison continues to stump for GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio, this week in Michigan.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to jsmith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith