Steven Jones (Nevada)

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Steven Jones

Prior offices:

Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court

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Education

Law

California Western School of Law, 1984

Steven Jones was the judge of Department C of the Family Court division of the Eighth Judicial District Court in Nevada. He was elected to the court on November 3, 1992, and resigned from the bench in September 2014 as part of a plea agreement on federal fraud charges. Jones was officially disbarred by the Nevada Supreme Court on December 5, 2014. In February 2015, he was found guilty and sentenced to federal prison for investment fraud. See "In the news" section below.

Education

Jones earned his J.D. from California Western School of Law in 1984 and was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 1984.

Career

• 1992-2014: Judge, Department C of Clark County Family Court
• 1991-1992: Domestic relations referee, Eighth Judicial District Court
• 1984-1985: Law clerk, Nevada Supreme Court, Justice Thomas L. Steffen

Elections

2010

Jones was elected to the Eighth Judicial District Court. He won 42.94% of the vote in the primary, advancing him to the general election. There he defeated Maria Maskall, winning 53.28% of the vote.

Main article: Nevada judicial elections, 2010

Judicial performance evaluations

2013

In 2013, the Las Vegas Review-Journal sponsored a survey of 902 lawyers who rated Nevada Supreme Court justices and judges located in Clark County. 30% of respondents voted in favor of keeping Jones on the bench. The average vote in favor of retention for all 88 judges evaluated was 71%.

Noteworthy events

Jones disbarred by Nevada Supreme Court (2014)

On December 5, 2014, Jones was formally disbarred by the Nevada Supreme Court, as agreed to in his plea deal regarding the federal fraud charges against him.

In October 2012, Jones was indicted on federal fraud charges, which alleged that Jones and five other co-defendants persuaded individuals into a quick repayment scheme with high interest rates to secure property and water rights along the Las Vegas Strip. All defendants later pleaded guilty to the charges.

Jones, pleaded guilty to "one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a $2.6 million investment scheme." In September 2014, as part of his plea agreement with the government, Jones resigned from the bench and agreed to give up his law license.

New misconduct case filed against Jones related to federal fraud charges (2012-2014)

In 2013, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline investigated a misconduct complaint filed against Jones regarding the federal charges that had been pending against him since 2012.(See details below.) A formal complaint against Jones was filed by the commission, and Jones had 30 days to file a response.

The misconduct complaint also includes allegations regarding the following:

• Jones allegedly pressured his former bailiff, Robin Whisman, to make an $18,000 loan to Victor Hancock, in 2004 and 2005.

• Accusations that in 2002 Jones engaged in an "intimate relationship" a law student who worked for him, Michelle Taylor. After Taylor's marriage their relationship ended. However, when Taylor became a lawyer, she appeared before Jones on cases, and he never disclosed their relationship.

• In 2007, an attorney representing a client in a child custody matter, being heard by Jones, submitted marijuana evidence by an attorney in a January 2007 child custody case before Jones. The misconduct complaint alleges took the marijuana home and smoked it with his girlfriend at the time, Amy McNair.

Willardson death ruled an accident (2014)

After Christmas in 2013, Jones reportedly returned home from celebrating the holidays with family to find his girlfriend, Lisa Willardson dead in her Las Vegas, Nevada home. An alleged affair between Willardson and Jones was the subject of a 2012 misconduct investigation and resulted in Jones' receiving a three-month suspension from the bench in February 2014.

The Clark County coroner ruled Willardson's death an accident, caused by a lethal combination of anti-anxiety and sleep medications. Willardson lost her job as a prosecutor at the Clark County District Attorney's Office as a result of the incident but was reportedly planning to run for judge.

Judicial misconduct case (2012)

Judge charged with misusing office

A formal complaint filed by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline on December 21, 2012, charged Jones with misusing his position as a judge to help his girlfriend, former deputy district attorney Lisa Willardson. The complaint alleged that Jones failed to disqualify himself from cases Willardson tried in his court, even after he was requested to do so by other parties. According to the commission's complaint, Jones also interfered when the Clark County District Attorney, David Roger, tried to reassign Willardson to other courts and that Jones banned two deputy district attorneys who were involved in a prank which caused Willardson to lose her job.

The prank involved a cell phone photo, which was provided by Willardson's attorney in June 2013, to a local Las Vegas television station. The photo allegedly showed Jones with his hand, underneath a table, near Willardson's leg and was taken and distributed by deputy district attorneys Michelle Edwards and Janne Hanrahan and Willardson. According to Willardson, the photo caused her to lose her job. She noted that she was cleared of any wrongdoing by the State Bar of Nevada, and claimed she wasn't involved with Jones when she was still trying cases in his court. The two said they did not become involved in a romantic relationship until November 2011. In June 2013, Willardson filed a lawsuit against the Clark County District Attorney's Office for wrongful termination.

In its formal complaint, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline also alleged that Jones had his law clerk and executive assistant prepare documents during work hours for Willardson to submit to the state bar in response to the misconduct charges filed against her. According to the complaint, Jones violated several rules for judges, including a rule that requires judge to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Jones was suspended with pay on November 29, 2012. If found guilty of the charges, he faced reprimand, a fine or removal from the bench.

Trial on misconduct charges delayed by Supreme Court

The trial on misconduct charges against Jones was temporarily delayed after he filed a motion with the Nevada Supreme Court. According to the motion, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline had not ruled on a motion to dismiss the case against him. Jones' lawyer, Jim Jimmerson, said the commission did not comply with the law when it filed formal charges against him. He also said the commission failed to gives Jones the names of the witnesses who were interviewed during the investigation and did not provide other information Jones needed to defend himself against the charges. The court ordered the commission to provide a response to Jones' accusations. Jones had the opportunity to respond and was also required to explain why he waited until the day before the hearing to file his motion.

The commission responded to the Supreme Court several days later. According to Brian Hutchins, acting secretary for the commission, the motion filed by Jones wasted the court's and the commission's time. He asked that Jones be sanctioned by the court. He also noted the commission previously turned over 2,000 pages of documents to Jones.

Misconduct trial set

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline set the hearing on misconduct charges pending against Jones for December 2, 2013. In August 2013, the Supreme Court rejected Jones' motion to dismiss the misconduct charges and ruled the misconduct trial could go forward.

Misconduct hearing lasts for one week

Jones' misconduct hearing, in front of the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, lasted for approximately one week in early December 2013. During the hearing, special prosecutors argued Jones and Willardson were involved with each other while he presided over cases she handled, and that he retaliated against lawyers in the district attorney's office and others after Willardson was fired from her job. After the hearing, the commission began considering the case and was expected to have a decision by December 16.

Written decision issued after misconduct hearing

Following the hearing, held in early December, on formal charges of misconduct before the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, the commission issued a decision on December 24, 2013. During the week-long hearing held in Las Vegas, commissioners heard testimony from more than ten witnesses for both sides. The commission found eight charges (out of a total of 12) were proven by special prosecutors. The charges were related to Jones' romantic involvement with former Clark County Deputy District Attorney, Lisa Willardson.

Two counts of misconduct against Jones alleged he was romantically involved with Willardson, between October 2011 and December 2011, and never disqualified himself from serving as the judge on her cases. Another count charged that Jones interfered with attempts by former Clark County District Attorney David Roger to move Willardson to another unit in the office so she would not have to appear on cases before Jones.

Jones was also found guilty of misconduct on three counts which alleged that he used his judicial office to assist Willardson in preparing a response to charges brought against her by the State Bar of Nevada. In addition to assisting Willardson himself, Jones also had his law clerk and judicial assistant help Willardson prepare her response during work hours at the court. Following an investigation, the state bar issued a letter of caution to Willardson regarding her behavior.

According to Jones, he and Willardson were still involved romantically. During the hearing, Special Prosecutor Kathleen Paustian offered cellphone records as evidence in the hearing. The records showed Jones and Willardson sent 34 text messages to each other on October 20, 2011, the day after their first lunch date. In total, through December 15, 2011, Paustian provided evidence that Willardson and Jones exchanged approximately 2,500 text messages.

A public hearing was held on January 27, 2014, to determine sanctions in the case. These could include a further suspension or Jones could be removed from the bench permanently.

Judge's girlfriend, former Deputy District Attorney Lisa Willardson, found dead

According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, James J. Jimmerson, an attorney for Jones, announced that the suspended family court judge had discovered Willardson's body after he returned to Las Vegas from Utah, where he celebrated the holidays with family. Willardson and Jones did not spend the holidays together.

Upon discovering Willardson's body, at her rental home in a gated community near Lake Las Vegas, Jones called 911. Jimmerson indicated Jones found Willardson slumped over the toilet. She appeared to have been vomiting. Willardson was 44 years old. According to the Clark County Coroner, Mike Murphy, an autopsy was performed on December 27, 2013. No signs of foul play were discovered and the results of toxicology tests are pending.

Prior to her death, Willardson had already announced her plans to run for family court judge in 2014, against Jennifer Elliott. According to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Willardson sent two tweets on Christmas Day.

“

. . .[S]he wished her followers a 'Merry Christmas' and said she was 'so looking forward' to 2014. 'It's going to be the best year. . .#happiness #can't wait,' she wrote.

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Jimmerson said,

“

'With everything else that this excellent jurist is facing, this is just an unbelievable shock, and it is devastating to him.

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Jones suspended three months without pay for ethics violations

After a hearing in December 2013, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline found Jones guilty of several ethics violations. The commission found Jones' failure to recuse himself from cases involving his love interest, a former county prosecutor, and his interference when the district attorney attempted to reassign her to other courtrooms was improper and violated ethics rules for judges in the state.

Although special prosecutors initially sought to have Jones removed from his position, they acknowledged his 20 prior years of service without any discipline problems. Instead, Jones received a public censure for his behavior and was suspended from the bench, without pay, for three months.

His trial on federal fraud charges was set to be heard in March 2014. Jones said that he would not run for re-election, and that he planned to retire from the bench when his term expired at the end of 2014. Neither Jones nor his attorney had any comment on the decision.

Federal indictment (2012)

Investment fraud scheme

On October 31, 2012, a criminal indictment was unsealed, charging Jones with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of engaging in money transactions in criminally derived property and nine counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleged that Jones and five others defrauded victims for over $3 million from September 2002 until October 2012. Allegations claimed Jones and co-defendants solicited loans from victims, promising high interest rates in return. The loans, however, were never repaid.

Government said Jones actively involved in criminal enterprise which stole $75 million

According to an April 24, 2013 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, nine more defendants were charged and a new indictment has been filed, replacing the previous indictment.

Twenty-six people considered to be members of an organization the government refers to as the "Enterprise" were charged. The Enterprise allegedly operated between 2005 and 2012, and was allegedly involved in racketeering activities such as investment fraud, mortgage fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and the distribution of illegal drugs. Some Enterprise members were also accused of bribing bank officials. In total, the government said the Enterprise stole over $75 million from investors and lenders.

Jones, who had previously been charged with securities fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and conspiracy to launder money, was also charged with racketeering conspiracy. His role in the Enterprise also allegedly changed. According the government, Jones was considered to be a promoter of the activities of the Enterprise.

According to the press release, the charge of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activities had a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine or two times the gross profits or other proceeds. A charge for securities fraud includes a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A charge of bank fraud carried a maximum term of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Wire fraud charges included a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A charge for conspiracy to launder money included a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and a $500,000 fine or two times the total of criminally derived proceeds.

Jones wanted federal charges dismissed for statute of limitation violations

Two lawyers representing Jones in the federal case against him filed a motion in August requesting that the charges against him be dismissed. His lawyers argued that the charges against Jones were too vague and old to allow them to create a defense for their client.

Jones and his former brother-in-law, Thomas A. Cecrle, Jr., were both among a group of defendants in a case involving a criminal enterprise which federal prosecutors alleged stole over $75 million dollars from banks and investors. A trial on the matter was set for March 3, 2014.

New trial date set

The trial date for Jones, and co-defendant Thomas Cecrle, was reset for June 3, 2014. However, lawyers for other defendants in the case were seeking to continue the trial again. According to court records, the attorneys told U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. they needed more time to review evidence turned over to them by the government in the case. The judge ordered the attorneys to file a motion to continue the trial by May 5. However, Jones' defense lawyer, Robert Draskovich, said he was opposed to another continuance in the case.

Jones found guilty, sentenced (2015)

In February 2015, Jones was found guilty of investment fraud and U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Jones to 26 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay approximately $2.9 million in restitution.

See also

• Nevada District Courts
• Clark Nevada
• Judicial selection in Nevada

External links

• Clark County Courts, "Family Courts"
• Las Vegas Review-Journal, "District Court Family Judge Department C," October 17, 2010

Footnotes

Nevada courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada

State courts:

Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada

State resources:

Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada