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Court rejects inmate's damages bid

CARSON CITY -- A government entity's decision made in an illegal closed-door meeting can be erased under Nevada law, but the violation doesn't mean someone can sue for damages, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The high court, in ruling against a convicted sex offender who wanted to sue for damages on grounds a prison panel violated the law in evaluating him in private, decided there's no provision in state law for such damages.

The ruling against Robert Stockmeier, an inmate at the Lovelock State Prison, supports a decision by District Court Judge Richard Wagner of Lovelock.

Stockmeier went before a prison "psych panel" in 2002 trying to be certified that he wasn't a high risk to commit more sex crimes.


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  • After he was denied, Stockmeier alleged an open meeting law violation by the panel.



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    Free Nevada wrote on May 16, 2008 07:19 PM: "urnuts", are you really the cop that shot her?


    urnuts wrote on May 16, 2008 01:36 PM: Hey "Jeff" get over the Henderson killing of that lady. She is worm food. The cops should have shot the husband, too. The cops don't shot enough of these low lifes to begin with. So one gets shot and dies; big deal. One less mouth to feed in prison, and save the taxpayers time and grief.


    robert wrote on May 16, 2008 01:28 PM: Jeff and Patrick:

    Right idea, wrong case. There is no evidence that his "rights were violated." The Open Meeting Law is meant to promote sunshine. The question was whether there is any grounds to a claim of monetary compensation because his hearing was not held in public. The answer is and should have been "no." Exactly what damages did he suffer because of this meeting being held in private? None.

    To Gretta: I have no idea what you are talking about when you state "driminals wast time and money with silly lawsuits, and get life sentences instead of capital punishment. . . . And the proof is in the people who are currently making decisions like this one. . ." Which one? The Supreme Court decision that states that "driminals" cannot sue? The decision appears to support your position that criminals cannot sue. As to your point that this article indicates corruption in the government, do you truly believe that Judge Wagner in Lovelock is beholden to the casino interests?

    I sometimes wonder in reading these comments whether the posters actually took the time to read the article or just wanted to put an Anti-government rant up, saw the word "Court" in teh headline and decided whether this was as good of a place as any.


    gretta wrote on May 16, 2008 11:03 AM: Ahh the terrific US garbage dump know as Nevada...Only place in America where driminals wast time and money with silly lawsuits, and get life sentences instead of capital punishment. This state is so out of touch with reality it is sickening...But just look who runs it and that says it all. A man who is more concerned with a nasty divorce than government, and a US Senator (Reid) who must surely be in the early stages of allzheimers. No one could put his foot in his mouth so much, and get paid to do it, and be laughed at by the rest of congress all the time but him. I don't vote in local elections as the same garbage constantly surfaces to the top of the ticket anyway. And the proof is in the people who are currently making decisions like this one, and wasting more time and money than this state has. Nothing has changed here in 15 years. and it probably never will unless there is a complete ousting of all officials, and the lobbyists known as the casinos......


    Chris wrote on May 16, 2008 10:25 AM: For a conviction like that life terms should not have been given. He needs a needle.


    Auslander wrote on May 16, 2008 08:34 AM: C'mon now. This guy is doing two consecutive life terms for sexual assault on a minor. Parole is not a "right."


    Patrick wrote on May 16, 2008 06:39 AM: I agree with Jeff, something is seriously wrong here in Nevada.


    Jeff wrote on May 16, 2008 06:06 AM: Of course the Nevada courts would reject the claims, after all, it was the courts that in-prisoned him in the first place.

    This is another example of a broken and corrupt legal system designed to oppress Constitutional Rights of every American citizen. Look it up and read your history.

    Oh thats right. The dumb people in Nevada allows their rights to be violated. Just look at how they justified the Henderson killing of a mother in front of her children by a young out of control cop. Do you really believe the cops are their to protect and help you? How stupid are you?
    Nevada citizens should be worried. Its judges and cops that are violating your rights, not the bad guys..