The Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Department 3 election is starting to heat up. The incumbent, Tony Abbatangelo, is trying to retain his seat while candidates Janiece Marshall and Lary Lamoreux are vying for the Las Vegas Justice of the Peace position. Both challengers are making a big impact in the hotly contested election that has now seen Tony Abbatangelo’s track record called into question.
Justices of the Peace are in place to prepare procedural aspects of cases before they move onto District Court. For example, they might set bail and handle arraignments. In addition, Justices also preside over small claims civil cases and misdemeanor cases.
The incumbent Justice of the Peace pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor battery domestic violence last year. He was subsequently ordered to complete 6 months of community service and domestic violence counseling. This incident is being used by Tony Abbatangelo opponents in the election.
The incumbent Justice of the Peace has also come under fire for a bail decision. He set bail at $7500 for a defendant charged with attempted murder. This is far less than the usual $100,000 amount that is usually set for an attempted murder defendant. The defendant ultimately skipped while out on bail and the Justice’s decision to set bail so low is now being called into question.
The decision to set bail at $7500 for the attempted murder defendant is further complicated by a personal connection Tony Abbatangelo has with the case. The defense attorney in his domestic violence case, Tom Pitaro, was also the attorney for the bail jumping attempted murder defendant. The connection between the Justice of the Peace and the bail jumper has provided more talking points for Abbatangelo’s foes.
All is not lost for Tony Abbatangelo. He can cite a very good rating in the Judicial Performance Evaluation survey as a strength to his candidacy. In addition to 17 years as a Justice of the Peace, the incumbent also enjoys the advantage of having raised the most campaign funds. Nobody can say for certain how the June 8th Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Department 3 election will turn out, but everyone is sure it will be a hard fought endeavor for all involved.
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