Friday, October 4, 2013

Saudi Airman Faces Life Sentence If Convicted

The rejection of an offer to plead guilty to reduced charges means that a 24-year-old Saudi Arabian airman will face trial in October on felony sex-related charges involving a 13-year-old at a Las Vegas hotel. The Saudi air force sergeant could be sentenced to life in prison if he is convicted of the charges.

The suspect recently appeared in court for a hearing to determine if his confession was voluntarily given to the police. The judge will decide whether police followed rules about advising the suspect of his right to remain silent.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Attorneys Aware of Electronic Monitoring Decrease

Las Vegas attorneys are aware that state budget cuts along with laws making it easier for prison inmates to earn parole have meant a decrease in the number of people eligible for electronic monitoring in Nevada. The number of offenders on electronic monitoring dropped from 325 a month to 153.

The state currently has 11 parole officers assigned to respond to electronic monitoring alerts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The officers responding to alerts do so in addition to their other supervision duties. According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, all alerts receive an in-person or telephoned response.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Locals Support Efforts to Honor Slain Police Explorer

A car wash was held to raise money for the family of a 19-year-old Metro Police Explorers captain who was killed in a motorcycle accident involving a suspected drunken driver. Many residents supported the car wash that raised funds to pay the young man’s funeral expenses.

According to police, the young man was a criminal justice student and had been a member of the Explorer unit for three years. The son of a Metropolitan Police Department officer, the deceased young man had looked forward to someday joining the police department. The driver of the vehicle that hit him was charged with DUI.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Residents Enjoy a Las Vegas Winter Wonderland

The August First Friday art festival and celebration in downtown Las Vegas took on a different look and feel than First Friday events of previous months. Visitors were treated to an art exhibition with an Arctic theme. Along with the usual paintings and sculpture, the festival featured glaciers, whales and a winter wonderland atmosphere that stretched the length of a city block.

The exhibition, entitled “AntARTica,” made art the focal point of the day. Gallery owners who complained that First Friday had become more of a street fair than an art exhibition seemed satisfied by the result.