Clark County public defender’s office turns 50

Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Clark County public defender, and the first man appointed to run the office, Richard Bryan, recently talked past and present with Phil Kohn, the man who leads it now.

For Bryan, the public defender’s office was his stepping stone to a slew of elected offices: assemblyman, state senator, attorney general, governor and U.S. senator.

For Kohn, it was a job he thought he’d hold for two years before returning to private practice. He’s been with the office for 17 years and in charge of it for 12 of them.

Some things never change. Both men put up with indigent defendants who wanted “real lawyers” to represent them in criminal matters, not public defenders who handled their cases on the taxpayers’ dime.

Bryan initiated a meeting with Kohn to compare notes about then and now. I joined them in Kohn’s office at 309 S. Third St., the same building where Bryan worked.

Bryan was appointed public defender on May 19, 1966, and hired people who later became prominent Las Vegas figures. Bob Peccole became a gaming commissioner and Roy Woofter became Las Vegas city councilman and Clark County district attorney.

Bryan, now 78, needed to give the office credibility. When he left two years later, he said the new office had shaken up the criminal justice system, provided effective representation for hundreds of poor people and made more than 5,000 court appearances. Other public defenders who went on to become notable Nevadans included Oscar Goodman, Mike Sloan, Jim Santini, Leonard Gang, Bob Legakes and Earle White.

Kohn, now 65, faced a challenge similar to Bryan’s. He needed to re-establish the credibility of the office. It’s reputation had plummeted because it was failing to bring cases to trial.

One reason Kohn decided to stay with the office: He wanted more training offered to public defenders. He now has 115 deputies, and he’s proud of the system he established so entry-level attorneys receive essential training.

While Bryan opened his office by hiring a few people he knew, Kohn now recruits nationwide, reaching out to the best law schools.

Other differences between the Bryan and Kohn eras evolved.

The 1960s were a more radical time. Polls showed opposition to the death penalty. Prisons were supposed to provide rehabilitation, Bryan said.

Today there is more fear of crime. Watch the evening news and it’s enough to keep you indoors to avoid murders, carjackings, shootings, kidnappings, home invasions and children shooting children.

Elected judges run on tough-on-crime platforms, Kohn said. Judges are reluctant to release people on their own recognizance, fearful one will go awry, despite the exorbitant costs of jails and prisons.

Bryan’s era did not recognize how many indigent cases — 30 to 40 percent, according to Kohn — involve the seriously mentally ill. Today, they’re warehoused in jails and prisons.

Sometimes, just keeping a defendant alive counts as a victory for Bryan, Kohn and countless other defense attorneys.

Yes, they are “real lawyers” if they save lives.

Jane Ann Morrison’s column runs Thursdays. Leave messages for her at 702-383-0275 or email jmorrison@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @janeannmorrison