Opinion ID: 1188955
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: removal of the attorney general, the assistant attorney general and special deputy attorney general campbell as counsel for the commission

Text: Petitioner Whitehead urges three grounds for requiring the Attorney General's removal as legal counsel and prosecutor for the Commission. The first ground is that the Attorney General, as an elected, Constitutional officer of the Executive Department of Nevada's government, is not permitted by the separation of powers clause of our State Constitution to represent the Commission in the exercise of its disciplinary functions or to exercise powers relating to judicial discipline proceedings that are constitutionally vested in the Discipline Commission. The second ground is that, generally, and under the specific facts of this case, the Attorney General has a number of disqualifying conflicts in representing the Commission. These conflicts include the conflicts relating to giving the Attorney General access to confidential documents and proceedings of the Commission, the conflict arising out of the fact that the Attorney General is official counsel for the judges and justices of the state, and, most importantly, the conflict arising out of the Attorney General's acting as legal advisor to the Commission (which is Petitioner Whitehead's judge and jury) and at the same time prosecuting Whitehead before the tribunal to which the Attorney General has been giving legal advice and counsel. Of equal concern and importance is the problem and potential problem of the Attorney General, and district attorneys over whom the Attorney General has the power of supervision, [3] prosecuting criminal and civil cases before judges who are under investigation and prosecution by the Attorney General in Commission proceedings, and the potential for holding such judges actual or imagined hostages without any awareness by opposing counsel. As to the third ground which Petitioner Whitehead asserts for seeking the removal of the Attorney General as the Commission's lawyer and prosecutor, we conclude that the Attorney General must be removed as counsel and prosecutor for the Commission in this case. Our conclusion is based on the stated constitutional grounds and on the mentioned conflict of interest created by the Attorney General's office, particularly, the Attorney General's acting as both legal advisor to the Commission and as the prosecutor who has been prosecuting Petitioner Whitehead before the Commission. It is unnecessary to reach the claim relating to the Attorney General's misconduct in arriving at our decision on this motion.