The forgotten judicial scandal

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Tony Abbatangelo, running for re-election to Department 3, has rightly been criticized for his domestic violence conviction and for making sure courthouse insiders got their traffic tickets fixed through an unethical "friends and family" docket.

But those character issues pale in comparison to a civil lawsuit's allegation that he trampled the rights of a Las Vegas man at the request of his campaign manager. This summer, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Abbatangelo could be deposed as part of that case, and on Wednesday District Judge Michael Villani affirmed that deposition would take place sooner rather than later.

But Abbatangelo succeeded in avoiding and delaying the deposition for five years, until after Election Day 2010, when his campaign against challenger Janiece Marshall will be over, one way or another.

"Mr. Abbatangelo is a material witness in our case for conduct on the bench and off the bench," attorney David Winterton, who represents plaintiff Perry Klein, said last week.

The story has been out of the news since 2006. Klein moved into a Henderson mansion he co-owned when he and his business partner, Alan Rapoport, had a falling out. Rapoport tried to have Klein evicted, but Henderson authorities didn't buy the allegation that Klein was a squatter and a stalker.

Needing a process server and a judge to kick Klein and his wife to the curb, Rapoport connected with process server Scott Sibley, who happened to be a Republican assemblyman. And Sibley's campaign manager, Jason Huffer, also served as an adviser to Abbatangelo at the time.

Calls were made -- about 90 between all the men in three days' time -- and Abbatangelo granted the protective order Rapoport needed to slap down his former partner. Abbatangelo did so without having Rapoport or Klein appear before him. The protective order conveniently bypassed the clerk's normal processing and was handled by Abbatangelo, sailing through Justice Court so quickly that time stamps show it was granted before the application was actually filed.

By improperly inserting himself in a matter outside his jurisdiction -- he used the existence of a Las Vegas office address to justify deciding a property dispute in Henderson -- Abbatangelo set in motion a legal battle that has all but wiped out Klein.

Klein won substantial judgments against Rapoport and Sibley in 2006, but hasn't collected a dime. He's still going after Huffer. Although Abbatangelo isn't a defendant in the case, his deposition is central to Klein's action because other witness testimony conflicts with an affidavit Abbatangelo provided in support of Rapoport.

A judge with any integrity wouldn't have anything to do with this sordid affair. Eventually, finally, the entitled Abbatangelo is going to have to answer for the juiced injustice he brought about. His days of playing dumb about his favors are nearly done.

But if voters are paying attention, they'll make him pay on Tuesday. Abbatangelo is unfit for the bench.

The five best candidates you might not have heard of:

1. Erin Cranor, Clark County School Board, District G -- Understands what needs to be fixed quickly.

2. Michael Davidson, District Court, Department 30 -- Impressive civil and criminal experience.

3. Tyler Andrews (R), Assembly District 10 -- A smart, promising, principled libertarian.

4. Vincent Ochoa, Family Court, Department S -- Strong advocate of joint custody.

5. William Kephart, Las Vegas Justice Court, Department 6 -- Good ideas for court efficiency.

The five worst candidates you might not have heard of:

1. Nancy Price (D), 2nd Congressional District -- Price, a passionate socialist, is so far to the left that even the Las Vegas Sun wouldn't endorse her.

2. Mike "Doc" Javornicky (R), Clark County treasurer -- Says treasurer's job "ought to be done by a man," and "you don't have to be there every minute."

3. John Bonaventura (D), Las Vegas constable -- Completely unqualified.

4. Monica Leija Bean (D), Assembly District 23 -- Defines her positions on state budget issues with comments such as, "I can't talk about that," "I'm not taking a position at this time" and "I need to look at that."

5. Paul Aizley (D), Assembly District 41 -- Incumbent is as hostile to business as any legislative candidate in the state.

The race that will best measure voter anger with incumbents (besides Reid vs. Angle):

Every year, parents and taxpayers gripe about the direction and accountability of the Clark County School District. And every election cycle, they vote for a slate of School Board candidates endorsed by the teachers union.

This year, in District F, incumbent Carolyn Edwards could very well lose to Ken Small, whose broom-themed campaign is a nice fit with the angry electorate. Edwards got only 35 percent of the vote in a four-way primary, indicating 65 percent of voters want her gone. She approved big benefits increases for top administrators, then denied she had anything to do with it.

The School Board's consensus-building, get-along-at-all-costs approach to oversight of public education hasn't served taxpayers well. If voters want to shake things up, they need to put a bomb thrower on the board and see what happens.

Most appropriate campaign ad:

Bob Irwin, the Republican businessman challenging Democrat John Oceguera in Assembly District 16, distinguished himself from the firefighter and speaker-in-waiting by draping a banner over some ads that says, "NOT THE INCUMBENT."

The most important fraction to remember in watching Tuesday's night's returns:

Two-thirds. If Democrats get a two-thirds supermajority in both houses of the Legislature, businesses will start boarding their doors and windows. So long, job creation and political balance. Hello, crushing tax hikes and gerrymandered redistricting.

Remember to vote Tuesday.

Glenn Cook (gcook@reviewjournal.com) is a Review-Journal editorial writer.