OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
The evolving, often hilarious, situation comedy starring Las Vegas biker
rights lawyer Stephen “Bowtie” Stubbs and Boulder City, Nevada Police Chief
Thomas Finn is starting to look like a hit. Why Hollywood production company
Bischoff Hervey Entertainment decided to do a “reality” series about an alleged
San Diego motorcycle club called the Laffing Devils instead of just following
Stubbs around for a few weeks remains a mystery.
Stubbs is the esteemed council suing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department, the North Las Vegas Police Department and numerous individual cops
in federal court on behalf of the Southern Nevada Confederation of Clubs. He
also represented the legal interests of the Mongols Motorcycle Club during their
national run in Boulder City last June. In case you missed earlier episodes of
this farce you can catch up here , here and here.
Zero Tolerance
Stubbs has apparently caught Chief Finn red-handed in several crimes and
misdemeanors including destroying government records to cover the steps he took
to harass bikers. Before the Mongols arrived last summer Finn was arrogant
enough to write Municipal Court Judge Victor Miller and City Attorney Dave Olsen
that, “There will be several dozen law enforcement agencies working in BC this
weekend for the Mongols event. We are taking a zero tolerance approach with them
and all the agencies will be citing them into our municipal court of ordinance
violations, traffic violations and other misdemeanors. Is there a specific date
you want us to use for a court appearance?
“Also, as part of our zero tolerance approach, all the law enforcement
agencies have asked if our court and prosecutor would consider ‘no deals’ when
the misdemeanors are adjudicated. Doing so would make it clear to the ‘Mongol
Miscreants’ that Boulder City does not tolerate bad behavior.”
Stubbs has taken a zero tolerance approach with Finn. Some residents of
Boulder City have noticed. A group called Veterans In Politics International
called for “an independent investigation into possible felony crimes committed
by Boulder City Police Chief Thomas Finn.” At a meeting tonight the Boulder City
Council will discuss whether to ask the Nevada Attorney General to investigate
Finn.
Destroyed My Career
On November 8, according to Stubbs, “Sean Flanagan, Chief Finn’s attorney,
called me…and told me to shut up or face a defamation lawsuit. I told him where
he could put his empty threats. Can you say SLAPP?” SLAPP is an acronym for
“strategic lawsuit against public participation.” SLAPPs are lawsuits that are
filed to intimidate or censor critics of public officials by forcing those
critics to defend themselves against the lawsuit until they abandon their
criticism. Nevada has an anti-SLAPP law and its effectiveness is a matter of
debate among Silver State lawyers. Apparently Finn and his attorney think the
Nevada law is toothless.
Because on November 21, Flanagan did sue Bowtie Stubbs on behalf of Finn. The
suit alleges that Stubbs defamed the Chief and asks for “in excess of $10,000”
in general damages, more than ten grand in special damages, punitive damages,
attorneys fees and costs.
That same day Chief Finn sounded less than confidant when he talked Jack
Johnson of the Boulder City Review. “It (Stubbs criticism) has really just
destroyed my career,” Finn complained. “I was planning on staying here another
three to five years, but it’s quite obvious I’ll be gone.”
It’s possible Finn might be gone sooner and longer than he expects. In three
paragraphs of his lawsuit (paragraphs 41, 42 and 43), Finn describes how he
listened in on a phone call from Stubbs to City Attorney Dave Olsen and tape
recorded it.
Stubbs describes the incident like this: “Chief Finn secretly taped a
conversation between (himself) and Dave Olsen. During the taped conversation,
Stephen Stubbs called Dave Olsen on Dave Olsen’s cell phone and Dave allowed
Chief Finn to listen in on the conversation where I implored Mr. Olsen to
investigate Chief Finn’s other felonies. Our telephone conversation was recorded
without my knowledge or consent. In Nevada, it is a Category D Felony to record
a telephone conversation without all parties consenting. Not only did Chief Finn
commit another felony, he admitted to it in a court document under penalty of
perjury.”
In hindsight, Finn probably should have just let the Mongols enjoy their
summer vacation.
video
http://youtu.be/gXQhBPi_MM4
