School District Enrollment ‘Historic’ drop in federal Record number of homeless Projected Up for This Year, But inmates comes as left and children enrolled in America’s Below Attendance During 2008 right find a common ground public schools PAGE 2 PAGE 4 PAGE 7 Volume 16, Issue 29 September 24-30, 2014 lasvegastribune.net Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member Mother protests with hunger strike in front of the Regional Justice Center By Rolando Larraz not approve the deal. Las Vegas Tribune The Public Defender appointed The mother of a young man with to the case tried to explain to the several mental illnesses spent all judge that the young man had sev- last week in front of the Regional eral head injuries and illnesses due Justice Center on a hunger strike to being run down under a car in protesting against a court decision front of his school, but Judge Smith by Judge Douglas Smith after her did not allow her to finish the ex- son finalized a plea deal where he planation and shut her down. would plead guilty to lesser charges The Deputy District Attorney, in return for a much lower sentence. who always hides under the name Dagmar Diaz was arrested and of the elected District Attorney, was charged with kidnapping and intent shocked with the judge’s decision of sexual assault; his public de- and tried to explain to the judge the fender attorney negotiated a lower plea agreement, but the judge told sentence if he admits guilt to a both attorneys that he didn’t care lesser charge. and the ultimate decision was up to Up to now, everything seemed him and... NEXT CASE. routine and business as usual with Judge Smith is known for being the prosecutors and defense attor- rude and arrogant on the bench and neys playing at law with the lives has the tendency to be extremely of the defendants. rude to people who speak with an However, everyone agreed to the accent. plea bargain deal and they were Judge Smith most recently was ready to be in Department 8 in front in the spotlight when he locked up of Judge Douglas Smith to seal the a Hispanic man because he thought negotiations, but no one counted on the defendant displayed an attitude the judge’s racial antagonism while in court, and then raised the against Latino defendants; he did man’s bail from $3,000 to $1 mil- lion. Later the Nevada Supreme Court disagreed with Smith’s order My Point and ordered the defendant’s bail back down to the original $3,000 and the case transferred to another of View courtroom. By Rolando Larraz The issue with that Hispanic de- fendant is not the only case on For a long time I have been try- which the Supreme Court had dis- ing to open the eyes of the voters in agreed with the decision of Judge Clark County in regard to candi- Blanca Diaz, the mother of a young man with several mental illnesses, spent all last week in front of the Smith; Las Vegas Tribune found dates that are controlled by politi- Regional Justice Center on a hunger strike protesting against a court decision by Judge Douglas Smith. (See Hunger Strike, Page 6) cal bully Dave Thomas and how they are not serving the community as well as they should because they are controlled by their alleged Killer Police Officer Yant promoted to “campaign manager,” AKA their “master.” But there is another reason why shooting counselor of the Police Union the voters of Clark County should be aware of the candidates or in- By Alexandra Cohen he was waiting for orders. cumbent judges that are under the Las Vegas Tribune A lieutenant, a sergeant, and two spell of Dave Thomas. Two members of the Las Vegas additional police officers — all When they don’t have a chal- Metropolitan Police Department monitored by someone located a lenger it’s not because they are too were involved in two different high distance away from the place of good or because they are doing a profile shootings; one was fired and action — were all witnesses to Of- great job serving the people of Ne- the other one was presumably pun- ficer Arevalo’s actions. vada. ished by being put behind a desk to “Although there were multiple The reason that they do not have calm the so-called outrage of the issues cited by the board regarding a challenger is because Dave Tho- community before he was promoted tactics and decision-making, ulti- mas uses “muscle,” so to speak, to for his “mishap” by being named mately Officer Jesus Arevalo was keep candidates away from “his director of a department of the Las the only officer who used deadly people” so they do not have to run Vegas Police Protective Associa- force,” Sheriff Doug Gillespie said a campaign — but they still do have tion, the police union that represents during a press conference that, as to pay Thomas’ “juice” fee regard- the rank and file of the police de- always, excluded the Las Vegas less. partment. Tribune. Look at Judge Diana Sullivan in Officer Jesus Arevalo shot a dis- Officer Jesus Arevalo, as with Justice Court. When I invited her abled Gulf War veteran, Stanley the family-owned Las Vegas Tri- to be on the Face The Tribune ra- Gibson, whose car was sandwiched bune, is a Latino that became the dio show, I asked her who her cam- in between two patrol cars, while Bryan Yant during his 2002 coroner’s inquest. (See Hunger Strike, Page 8) paign manager was; when she told me that her campaign was being run by Dave Thomas, I told her that he Metro rank and file support Burns would not allow her to be on my By Natsha Minsky because he chooses to not meet with tan Police Department into the fu- show. Las Vegas Tribune the public, to not be part of public ture — and to best secure the safety Like everyone else running for On Election Day, when arriving debates, to not answer questions, of this community and all of Clark office, Judge Diana Sullivan liked at their respective voting polls, vot- and even to not agree to appear on County — they would want to take to talk “tough” and sound indepen- ers will no doubt remember that one RadioTribune to discuss what he a look at the background of each dent, and she said to me, “I am the of the two candidates for sheriff, could do for this community if candidate. boss; I run my campaign and David Larry Burns, has been seen all over elected, is and has been “unavail- Looking at Lombardo’s back- works for me. I’ll have my JEA look town, speaking with the people able” as a sheriff candidate. One can ground (not as “revealed” on his at the schedule and she will call you wherever he went, answering ques- only imagine how available he website, but from his absence at with the day that I am available.” tions and being part of every debate would be as a sheriff. events and from his reluctance to This all took place while a in order to make his leadership Logically, if someone wanted to answer questions or even “show friend, who is also a judge, and I plans clear — while the other can- check on which candidate is most up” in public places), we discover were walking out of the election didate, Joseph “Joe” Lombardo, qualified to lead the men and a man who is hiding behind closed department. My friend was witness also known as “the ghost candidate” LARRY BURNS women of the Las Vegas Metropoli- (See Larry Burns, Page 7) to the entire conversation. Do I think that she is a good FROM THE DESK OF GORDON MARTINES judge and that she deserves to be retained? I think so; she is a good “Coincidence” is never a good word to use around a judge but she could be better if she was not under the spell of Dave Thomas. real cop when a crime has occurred or is still occurring I personally supported Judge By Gordon Martines cidental” connection is. Nevada), back in the year 2000. Workers Comp System (S.I.I.S.) Sullivan in her first race and I be- When the word “coincidence” is Let’s take for example the al- This occurred with the blessings of somehow became insolvent. It is lieve the Las Vegas Tribune en- uttered in any fashion around a po- leged Billion Dollar theft — or then Governor Kenney Guinn, widely suspected that Dirty Harry dorsed her in that race as well. I lice incident, it usually means and rather, transfer — from the Nevada along with then Nevada State At- had his hand in supporting and pro- even attended her victory campaign denotes that there is a connection Taxpayers State Treasury, which torney General, Brian Sandoval, moting the political rise of Brian party, which — as those who know somehow or somewhere to some- went into the private bank accounts and now Governor, Brian Sandoval. me would know — I wouldn’t nor- one, and it is now up to the instincts — instead of a Trust — of a private Sandoval, and soon to possibly be One of the assistant attorney mally do since I do not attend any and experience of the investigating company called “EICON” or (Em- U. S. Presidential Candidate Brian generals at the time, David Otto, (See My Point of View, Page 2) officer to find out what the “coin- ployees Insurance Company of Sandoval, because at the time the (See From the Desk, Page 4) Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / September 24-30, 2014 School District Enrollment Projected Up for This Year, But Below Attendance During 2008 By Ken Small Trustee Carolyn Edwards (D — molished and CCSD built four new Special to the Las Vegas Tribune District F).