NACJ News

Changes to the contract attorney system have been put on hold while a statewide commission reviews the issue. The full article is available here.

After fifteen years and much hard work by the Federal Public Defender's Office, Robert Hays was released from custody and cleared of numerous charges of sexual assault and lewdness on a minor. After two days of hearing, Judge Hunt found Hays was actually innocent of the sexual assault charges that had kept him in prison for fifteen years. Hays was serving three consecutive life sentences plus more time until he went home last Friday a free man. Hays's daughter, who was eight at the time, recanted prior to trial to the DA. The DA
didn't tell defense counsel. The daughter testified out of fear of her
mother and the DA, but she has been recanting ever since. Defense counsel
learned of the recantation after trial, but the court denied a motion for new trial. Also, the SAINT nurse testified that it was the worst case of sexual abuse she'd ever seen - both the defense and state experts who examined the slides this year found the exam to be completely normal. The court's order can be read online at http://www.harmfulerror.com/files/Haysorder.pdf. Also, a victory party will be held at the Triple Seven Pub inside the Main Street Station on Friday, March 30, 2007, at 5:00PM.

Announced at the NACJ board meeting earlier today, there will be two useful CLEs sponsored by NACJ in the coming months. The first, Making A Record, will be hosted by Linda Bell and Nancy Lemcke on March 30, 2007, from 1:30pm - 3:30pm at the Clark County Public Defender's Office at 309 South Third Street. This CLE will be worth two valuable ethics credits.

On May 11, 2007, there will be another CLE featuring important case law updates from state and federal courts. This CLE will also take place at the Clark County Public Defender's Office, from 1:30pm - 3:30pm.

District Judge Stewart Bell will oversee a committee studying possible improvements of the contract attorney system. The full Review-Journal article is here.

The Division of Parole and Probation is relocating four North Las Vegas transitional homes for sex offenders after receiving complaints from outraged citizens. The citizens weren't outraged that the offenders had actually done anything, but they were still alive, and man, the community is upset about it. Read the Review Journal article here.

Private attorney Jonathan MacArthur convinced Judge Elizabeth Halverson that probation was appropriate for 19-year-old Daryle Williams, after the victim and his father accepted Williams' apology and recommended probation. Read the full story here.

When the U.S. Supreme Court agrees on something, chances are it isn't good for the defense. In Whorton v. Bockting, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Crawford v. Washington does not apply retroactively. Read the full opinion here.

There is also an article in the Review Journal.

Clark County Public Defenders Jeff Banks and Scott Coffee represented the Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a church administrator on February 27, 2007. Read the full Review-Journal article here.