VanLandschoot gets ’10’ on last day

The manacled defendants in their tan jailhouse jumpsuits were chained together like a string of strange trout Thursday morning in Department 1 of North Las Vegas Municipal Court.

In a world riddled with homicidal violence, the domestic battery and DUI charges they faced were pretty mundane stuff. A couple groused about the pace of justice, but most waited patiently for their moment with the judge, who once again had caught his limit.

Thursday's hearing marked the final morning of no-nonsense Municipal Judge Warren VanLandschoot's remarkable 44-year career in public service.

The retiring VanLandschoot was greeted in court by a "flash mob" of three-dozen friends wielding numbered cardboard signs like Olympic judges. On this morning, the veteran of 14 years on the bench after 30 with the North Las Vegas Police Department scored "10s" across the board.

The assembled defendants, a few of whom were regular customers, might not have agreed with the perfect marks, but they kept their complaints to a minimum. The gravel-voiced judge called them by their first names and dealt with them with straight talk and brooked no attitudes or outbursts in his courtroom. Tough but fair, gruff but understanding -- that was Judge V.

VanLandschoot is the person most responsible for dragging the muni court system out of the shadows of Northtown's good ol' boy network and into the modern era. He's a Rancho High graduate who as a cop chased a lot of his former classmates around the streets. As a judge, he saw some come before him. He knew their names, and often the names of their parents and grandparents. He knew their work status and the level of their sobriety.

VanLandschoot helped create the Life of Crime program to help scare straight North Las Vegas youngsters and steer them away from the abyss. He also helped create the warrant collections system that improved the efficiency and professionalism of the court. The job gave him ulcers and a heart ailment, but also the sense he was making a difference for his community.

He had his share of detractors, but he made plenty of friends.

"He's always been an advocate of the citizen," Sgt. Sherrie Snyder of the NLV marshal's office said. "He's a civic icon in my mind. We're going to miss him."

On his final morning on the bench, VanLandschoot saw a few old friends.

"Warren and I worked together as street cops in 1968 in the North Las Vegas (that) Hunter Thompson described in his book 'Fear and Loathing' as the go-to part of town to buy heroin if you didn't have a reference," former North Las Vegas homicide Detective Pat Dingle recalled. "His sense of commitment and professionalism to his police work and his judgeship never wavered. He's truly made of the right stuff."

Snyder added, "He's made it a safer place for everyone to live."

Back in Department 1, Judge VanLandschoot had just finished explaining to a manacled defendant who already had served 26 days in jail that he still had a ways to go before meeting his 90-day obligation to the City of North Las Vegas. The judge was polite, but the explanation left no doubt. The defendant seemed to appreciate the moment's clarity.

From his place in the stringer of accused men, the defendant called out, "Enjoy your retirement, sir."

Judge VanLandschoot allowed a slight smile that said he planned to do just that.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Call him Mr. Vegas Chips. Carey Burke Sr. was inducted into the Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club Hall of Fame at the group's recent conference at the South Point. Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel continues to polish its image with plans for a reality television series. Rock 'n' soul man Michael McDonald wowed a big crowd at the East Side Cannery recently in a show that saw Donny Osmond join the band for "Takin' It to the Streets." Tonight's First Friday celebration offers tow-free parking with a shuttle service to the Arts District sponsored by the World Market Center and Mundo restaurant.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith