Moapa Valley JP Candidate Waite Holds Campaign Event

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Sugar’s Restaurant in Overton, usually closed on Mondays, was bustling with activity on the evening of Monday, April 9. More than 200 people gathered at the restaurant between the hours of 4-7 pm to meet Moapa Valley Justice of the Peace candidate Kyle Waite and hear his views on important issues of the campaign.

Waite is running for the seat being vacated by his father, Judge Lanny Waite, who is retiring after more than 30 years on the bench. Waite is up against local attorney Gregor Mills in the election.

Last week’s event was hosted by Sugar and Judy Metz, owners of the popular restaurant.
“I thought it would be nice to have a meet and greet so that people could meet Kyle and ask him questions,” said Judy Metz. “Personally I like him for the position. I met him at the James Oscarson function a couple of months ago. He said some things that made a lot of sense to me and I agreed with all of it. I feel really good about him.”

The Metzes stayed busy throughout the evening serving up a meal of the restaurant’s signature home-style food.

Waite spent the three hours of the event mingling with attendees in the restaurant’s dining area and answering questions one-on-one with people. But he did take a few minutes to address the crowd in general.

During his comments, Waite emphasized that he would not simply be a carbon copy of his father when he serves on the bench.
“There are differences between my dad and me on several points,” Waite said. “I am not going to be the same person sitting on the bench as Lanny. We disagree on a lot of things. But we agree on others.”

One area where the two do agree is on the “Fresh Start Program,” Waite said. This referred to a long-standing practice employed by Judge Lanny Waite of allowing repeat offenders a choice between serving six months in jail or leaving the jurisdiction for three years. Judge Waite has called it the “Fresh Start Program” because, he says, it allows offenders an opportunity to get away from the bad influences in the community and to get a fresh start elsewhere.

Waite’s opponent, Gregor Mills has pledged to discontinue the controversial program if elected.
Kyle Waite explained that the program is often mischaracterized as a ‘banishment’ from the community. Rather it is actually a last hope option that offenders are allowed to voluntarily choose when all other avenues have been exhausted by the judge, he said.

“I don’t think that the program is perfect and there are a few adjustments that I would make to it,” Waite said. “But as I have talked to people in the valley, in the neighborhoods going door to door, I have found that it has a lot of support out there with people.”

The adjustments that Waite said he would make to the program would involve more follow up with the subjects. One of the criticisms of the program has been that it sends the people away to another community without any requirements, follow up or accountability.

“I would be looking at having more follow up and instituting some more status checks, so that it is not just perceived as kicking people out of the community,” Waite said. “Because that is not what it is intended to be.”

Waite said that the program is supported by the Las Vegas Police Protective Association (LVPPA), the union representing active and retired police officers in southern Nevada. The LVPPA has endorsed Waite in the election.

“I think that the Police Association has endorsed me largely because of my continued support of the Fresh Start Program,” Waite said. “My opponent does not plan to continue the program and that may be one of the factors of why he lost that endorsement.”

In his remarks, Waite also addressed concerns about the future of the juvenile court being administered locally. Waite has made a strong campaign issue out of the stance that, if Mills is elected, the local juvenile court, as it has existed since the early 1990s, may be in jeopardy.

Waite claims that, according to rules of judicial ethics, if Mills plans to continue practicing family law in Clark County, he would be ineligible to be appointed as the local juvenile master since it is also under the family court. That would mean that the role of juvenile hearing master may have to be transferred to Las Vegas if Mills is elected, Waite said.

“The fact is, you cannot practice law in family court and be a juvenile master in Moapa Valley,” Waite said. “I spoke to the ethics department again just this morning and they confirmed that fact. If Gregor Mills is elected he will not be able to do juvenile court here and practice family law.”
“I don’t have any of those conflicts,” Waite added. “I am not practicing family law and can be the juvenile master without problems or questions.”

Waite also said that he intended to set up a scholarship program with a portion of the money he would receive as pay in serving the juvenile master. This program would reward local high school seniors who had volunteered to assist at-risk youth in the community.

In his remarks, Waite also addressed the key topic of experience in the race. He referenced the fact that Mills had made a major issue out of having many years experience in the courtroom as a defense attorney.

“I agree with that, he does,” Waite said. “But so do I. I have been out of law school for five years now. I handle litigation for a large health care company. That kind of work is similar to the process of justice court and I’ve been doing that for several years now.”

Furthermore, Waite pointed out that he has direct experience in sitting on the bench and acting as a justice court judge. Waite conceded that he did not have as many years of trial experience as Mills in the role of a defense attorney. But he said that less than one percent of the time as a judge is spent in trial.

“I’d just remind him that we are running for a judicial position, not for an attorney position,” Waite said. “There is a lot more to consider here than just trial experience. I am the only candidate who has served on the bench as a pro-tem judge. That is real experience on the bench and there is really no comparison to it.”

Many attendees at the event expressed support and confidence in Waite as the best candidate for the position. Others said that they came with an open mind and appreciated the opportunity to be able to speak with Waite and hear his views.

“It was nice of him to invite the community to this event and treat us all to dinner,” said Logandale resident Greg Winzenreid. “Since Sugar’s is usually closed on Mondays, it feels kind of like a special occasion to be able to be here.”

Winzenreid said that he was concerned about the rising drug crisis in the country that had even reached into the local community. “I think we need someone (on the bench) that will be tough and see that people get the help that they need,” he said.

Logandale resident Suzie Fly expressed strong support for Waite. She felt that his experience as a pro-tem judge made Waite a stand-out candidate of choice for the position.
Fly said that her uncertainty about the future of juvenile court was also a major factor in her support for Waite.

“I can remember back when the kids and parents had to travel in to Las Vegas to have cases heard,” Fly said. “It is a whole different standard of judgment in Las Vegas than it is here. We just aren’t the same out here as in the city. And I think it should stay that way.”

Overton resident Edith Ann Bunnell Luce also felt that Waite’s experience as a pro-tem judge gave him the edge in her mind. “I think that he has seen both sides; both from the side of the judge and from the side of the defense attorney,” Bunnell Luce said. “So I think that he can better support both sides as a judge, not just be biased one way or the other.”

Logandale resident Ron Dalley admitted that it was a difficult choice being placed before the voters in this race. “This will be a hard decision because I know and love both of these people and their families,” Dalley said. “But it is good to have a tough choice between two good people.”

“I will tell you what, though, Kyle is putting on a great campaign,” Dalley added. “He is out there working, knocking on doors, talking to people and putting events together like this. He seems to be listening to people.”

After the event Waite said he was pleased with the eveing and the turnout.
“It was nice to be able to sit down and converse for quite a long time with people who have concerns and questions,” Waite said.

Waite also expressed gratitude to the Metzes for their support and efforts in hosting the event.