Save the Wranglers

Most people who know me are aware that I am a lifelong hockey fan. I was born and raised in Alaska where I often compare hockey’s popularity to football’s popularity in Texas. I am also a fan, season ticket holder and supporter of the Las Vegas Wranglers semi-pro hockey team (notwithstanding my continued support of my hometown team and Wranglers rival, the Alaska Aces). As many of you also know, the Las Vegas Wranglers are in trouble.

In late December of 2013 Boyd Gaming, owners of the Orleans Arena which has been the Wranglers home for eleven seasons, announced that they had failed to reach an agreement to extend the team’s contract for the 2014-2015 season. Representatives for the Wranglers claim that Boyd never entered into meaningful negotiations and that they simply refused to extend the contract or negotiate a new deal. Regardless, the failure to reach an agreement with the Orleans is a serious problem given the lack of suitable venues in the Las Vegas area.  Quite simply, there aren’t enough ice rinks in the valley capable of supporting a team like the Wranglers and its thousands of home game attendees. 

This dispute is a much bigger problem than simply losing their venue. The East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), in which the Wranglers play, requires that the teams have a contract with a home venue by no later than January 20, 2014. If the Wranglers fail to secure a contract with a local venue that is suitable for a team of their size the team will not be able to play in the ECHL next year, effectively killing the team in Las Vegas. The team will either be forced to move to a new city or fold. Clearly this is a serious problem for the Wranglers, its fans, employees and their families.

Losing the Wranglers will be a significant loss for our community. The Wranglers provide the only opportunity for fans to watch live professional hockey in Las Vegas. Many of these fans have been season ticket holders with the team for years and dozens of local businesses (including my own) have longstanding advertising agreements with the team. Losing the Wranglers will end those relationships and business that they bring in, not to mention the personal relationships between the fans. For me losing the team means losing an opportunity to share a part of my childhood with my children. I grew up watching the University of Alaska Anchorage hockey team and later the Anchorage Aces. Since moving to Vegas I have enjoyed taking my kids to Wranglers games and seeing them get excited about hockey just like I did. Losing the team will mean losing my opportunity to share that part of my childhood with my children and I assume I am certainly not alone in that loss.

Unfortunately, business disputes such as this are all too common. A large portion of my law practice is dedicated to resolving businesses disputes in Nevada including contract negotiations, commercial lease disputes and even complex litigation. I am hopeful that parties in the dispute are able to reach an agreement soon before the fans end up paying the price.

Fortunately all is not lost. Fans and supporters of the team have joined together on social media networks in an effort to save the Wranglers. The only way venues such as the MGM Garden arena, the Thomas & Mack Center (and maybe even the Orleans) are going to consider giving a contract to the Wranglers is if we show them what the team is worth If you would like to voice your support for the Wranglers, you can start by liking the Save the Wranglers Facebook page (7,500+ likes already).

Connor & Connor Pllc is a civil litigation firm and a proud supporter of the Las Vegas Wranglers. If you have questions, please call our office at (702) 750-9139.

Rules to Remember for New Years!

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

-       Alfred, Lord Tennyson

As 2013 draws to a close, Connor & Connor Pllc would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year.  New Years Eve is a time to celebrate and a time to resolve to change. However, please be safe when celebrating and keep a few things in mind:

1.             You have a right to say “NO.”: If you are stopped by a police officer and they ask to search you or your car or your home, you can say “No.” You do not have to consent to a search.  It does not give a presumption of being guilty if you say “no.” Therefore, if you are pulled over or you are stopped, remember your right to say “no.” If you do not consent to the search, the officers have to get a search warrant, unless there are exigent circumstances such as the officer believes and individual’s safety is at risk.

Too often we are contacted by individuals who knew they had something in their trunk, but gave consent for the officers to search their trunk. Do not give consent. Even if you do not have anything illegal in your trunk or your house, you still do not have to give consent. So take a moment and think before you answer the question “May I search your ____.”

2.             You do not have to answer the officer’s questions.: It is your right to refuse to answer a question. If an officer is holding you, you do not have to answer the questions of the officer. Now sometimes, you may want to answer the officer’s question, for instance if he asks if you are a medical marijuana patient and you are, you may want to answer “yes” and show him your valid medical marijuana patient card. However, you do not have to answer the questions.

3.             You can request to speak with your attorney. If an officer is holding you or has arrested you, you can request to speak with your attorney. State very clearly, “I will not answer your questions until my attorney is present. My attorney is Connor & Connor Pllc and can be reached at 702-750-9139.”

Unfortunately, these rules won’t always keep you safe. Sometimes, officers use unjustified force or excessive force. Last New Year’s such an incident occurred.  (Click here to learn more). If you have been the victim of excessive force, please contact Connor & Connor Pllc.

If you feel that the police searched you or your property without probable cause, contact Connor & Connor PLLC today.  The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are ready to defend Nevadans facing criminal charges in either state or federal court. We serve clients from all socioeconomic levels of our community and we will fight the charges with everything in our power to make sure your rights are protected.  Our rates are reasonable and we are willing to negotiate  payment plans if necessary on a case by case basis.  Unlike some law firms, Connor & Connor Pllc is able to accept payment by credit or debit card.  All funds will be placed in our client trust account until earned by the attorney working the case.  If you are facing criminal charges, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a free consultation.  You may contact the firm at info@connorpllc.com, (702) 750-9139 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Squeezing Your Buttocks = Probable Cause?

Recently a New Mexico man filed a lawsuit against a local law enforcement agency for being forced to endure:

1. an abdominals-ray
2. an anal exam performed by doctors using their fingers
3. a second anal exam performed by doctors using their fingers
4. three separate enemas
5. the man was forced to defecate so his stool could be searched multiple times
6. another x-ray was performed
7. then the man was forced to undergo a colonoscopy

The reason this man was forced to undergo such invasive procedures is that officers claim that after he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop, the man "appeared to be clenching his buttocks." The law enforcement officers believed that was probable cause to search his buttocks and they obtain a search warrant from a local judge.

Does clenching one's buttocks give the police probable cause to perform multiple anal searches? What is probable cause? When do police need probable cause to search a person or someone's property?

To learn more about probable cause and to watch a video regarding this particular case, click here.


If you feel that the police searched you or your property without probable cause, contact Connor & Connor PLLC today.  The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are ready to defend Nevadans facing criminal charges in either state or federal court. We serve clients from all socioeconomic levels of our community and we will fight the charges with everything in our power to make sure your rights are protected.  Our rates are reasonable and we are willing to negotiate  payment plans if necessary on a case by case basis.  Unlike some law firms, Connor & Connor Pllc is able to accept payment by credit or debit card.  All funds will be placed in our client trust account until earned by the attorney working the case.  If you are facing criminal charges, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a consultation.  You may contact the firm at info@connorpllc.com, (702) 750-9139 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

Will there be a Green Rush in Nevada?

Nevada Senate Passes SB 374 Legalizing Medical Marijuana Dispensaries.

In a historic vote of 17-4 the Nevada Senate has passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana dispensaries (a Las Vegas Review Journal article on the vote is available here, http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-legislature/marijuana-dispensary-bill-clears-senate-heads-assembly). The bill received wide bipartisan support in the Senate, but it must return to the State Assembly for hearings and a vote before being sent to Governor Brian Sandoval for his signature. Timing is becoming a critical issue as the Nevada Legislature adjourns midnight on Monday June 3, 2013. 

The bill will allow for the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivation facilities and facilities that produce edible products. However, the bill will also take away the ability for medical marijuana patients to grow their own marijuana once a dispensary begins operation within the county in which they reside. This aspect of the bill has been met with stiff resistance from medical marijuana advocates who feel that it robs them of their ability to control the production process of their medicine, forcing them into the marketplace where it will cost them roughly ten times as much to purchase their medicine from the dispensaries. 

Nevertheless, as the bill will allow for what has been termed “the green rush”. Clark County will be allowed 40 licenses for dispensaries, which will create jobs and generate huge amounts of money for the state’s struggling budget. The licensing fees are steep ($20,000.00 for a dispensary plus a $5,000.0 application fee) and patients will be charged a $10.00 excise tax each time they purchase their medicine from a dispensary on top of whatever fees the dispensary charges. All in all it is estimated that the medical marijuana industry could reach over two billion dollars in revenue in less than five years. 

To learn more about this very hot topic click here. 

The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc are ready to assist clients negotiate the complicated nature of Nevada’s medical marijuana laws. If you have a question relating to medical marijuana in the state of Nevada do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. 

Major Changes Possible for Nevada Medical Marijuana Law

There is currently a bill pending in the Nevada State Legislature that would make big changes to the state's medical marijuana laws. Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved a measure to allow for the medicinal use of marijuana in November, 2000. Unfortunately, since that time patients approved for use of marijuana have been stuck in legal limbo with no real legal means with which to acquire their medicine. 

The present state of Medical Marijuana Law in Nevada:

At present medical marijuana laws in Nevada could most politely be described as "ambiguous". At worst the present state of the law could be described as a contradictory mess and a complete failure on the part of our elective representatives to follow the will of the citizenry. Either way, the state's medical marijuana laws are in desperate need for major revision. 

Perhaps the biggest ambiguity in Nevada's medical marijuana law is that patients who suffer from certain chronic and debilitating conditions are allowed to  possess, cultivate and use limited amounts of marijuana. Specifically, patients may possess up to one once of usable marijuana plus three mature plants and four immature plants. Unfortunately, it is illegal to purchase the seeds needed to grow the marijuana plants. It is also illegal to buy, sell, import or distribute marijuana (or its seeds). Clearly, this presents a problem as patients are literally left with no way to legally acquire medicine they are legally allowed to have.

To learn about the proposed changes to the medical marijuana laws, click here. 

Nevada Legislators Head to Arizona for Marijuana Trip

According to the Las Vegas Sun, members of the Nevada State Legislature are heading to Arizona for a tour of that state's medical marijuana dispensaries.  The full article is available here. The trip comes at a time when the Nevada Legislature is considering options for allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Nevada. According to the article, five Nevada Senators and one Assemblymen will head to Phoenix to tour a medical marijuana dispensary and a grow house which were set up under Arizona's new rules. Under Arizona's rules marijuana may be distributed to patients from nonprofit dispensaries. Under the Arizona law marijuana may not be cultivated by any patients authorized to do so who live within 25 miles of a state certified dispensary. 

Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom (D), a Las Vegas attorney, organized the fact finding mission. Senator Segerblom hopes to close the contradiction in Nevada Law which provides for a constitutional right to use marijuana for medical purposes, but prohibits patients from purchasing marijuana. Most people agree that this contradiction in laws is patently absurd and needs to be resolved. Other legislators who will be in attendance include Mark Hutchinson (R-Las Vegas), Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas), David Parks (D-Las Vegas), Ruben Kihuen (D-Las Vegas) and Assemblywoman Michele Fiore (R-Las Vegas). 

Senator Hutchinson, a conservative Republican and highly regarded Las Vegas attorney, was quoted as saying "I will definitely support a procedure for safely, securely and legally dispensing medical marijuana because the constitution requires us to do it". At present, Senator Segerblom has a bill pending in the house judiciary committee which would allow for marijuana dispensaries in Nevada. The bill is widely expected to pass the committee and end up before the senate for a possible vote. 

Under current Nevada law individuals with debilitating medical conditions may qualify for a medical marijuana registry card. Individuals interested in qualifying for a medical marijuana may visit providers such as the Health and Wellness Center to see if their conditions qualify. 

For more information of Nevada Medical Marijuana laws continue reading here. 

Nevada Medical Marijuana Laws

The attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc. defend Nevada residents and companies who are facing charges, or need legal advice relating to medical marijuana. In order to assist our potential clients we have provided the following list of frequently asked questions and a summary of Nevada’s medical marijuana laws.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Nevada?

The answer depends which government you are dealing with. Without getting too deep into a history lesson, our republic is made up of 50 state governments and the Federal Government of the United States of America through the concept of “Federalism”. Historically most governmental power was vested in the states, but in the latter part of the 19th century our nation saw an unprecedented shift in power to the Federal Government. With regard to medical marijuana, is important to understand that the Federal Government of the United States prohibits marijuana possession, transportation, cultivation or use for any purpose. Thus, in the eyes of the Federal Government, marijuana is always illegal. However, many state governments have changed their laws to allow for the use of marijuana for medical purposes.  On November 7, 2000, sixty five percent of voters in Nevada chose to amend the State Constitution to allow for the use of marijuana for medical purposes making Nevada one of the few states that has enshrined a right to use marijuana for medical purposes in its Constitution. Article IV Section 38 of the Constitution of the State of Nevada states: 

    

To find out more, click here.