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Former Henderson city attorney will pay fine, attend DUI classes
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Elizabeth Quillin
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The drunken driving case that cost former Henderson City Attorney Elizabeth Quillin her job has concluded with a guilty plea, according to court records.
Quillin on Tuesday pleaded guilty to DUI-first offense. She was ordered to pay a $585 fine and to attend a DUI class and a victim impact panel.
As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an accident and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
Earlier this month, Quillin left her job in exchange for almost $100,000 in severance pay.
Quillin, 51, was arrested in the middle of the workday on May 23 after she crashed her Lexus SUV and then nearly ran over a woman who stopped to help her near Green Valley Ranch Resort.
According to court records, her blood-alcohol level was 0.281 percent, 3½ times the legal limit.
Police said she admitted to having "bottles" of wine before the accident. When asked whether she was feeling the effects of the alcohol, she reportedly told officers, "Yes, I am (expletive) up."
Police found a full-size bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay, open and nearly empty, in the back seat of her car and a large puddle of wine on the floorboards in front of the driver's seat.
As part of her resignation deal with the city, Quillin received $20,000 for her accrued vacation time and 10 months of health insurance coverage, on top of the $99,500 severance check.
The Henderson City Council appointed Senior Assistant City Attorney Christine Guerci-Nyhus as interim city attorney.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.
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Recall Mayor Hafen and the entire City Council, as they are the ones who appointed her, could have fired her, and gave her a settlement package.
While the possibility of an expensive, protracted lawsuit from her was real, this was a fight worth fighting. No jury would have given her a penny, and she would have been exposed for the disingenuous fraud she's always been. I am speaking from first hand experience, so don't get your tidy whities in a knot from my opinion. She was a disgraceful City Attorney who used her office to bully people into plea deals.
@DesertHawk: A first time misdemeanor does not require jail time. The statute says 2 days in the jail or some amount of community service, I think 48 hours but I don't do criminal law. I agree with the precedent by most posters that this sentence is criminally light; but it is the minimum and it is what everybody receives unless they kill someone or have a prior. I had a friend roll his car. He was alone, did not hurt anybody (dumb luck) and he got exactly the same punishment as Ms. Quillin. He did not even have a lawyer, I referred to him to a few and he just went in and plead guilty by himself. If we want real change, it has to come through the Legislature. Those posters here that are upset should contact STOP DUI or MADD and ask that they lobby for a law that say "if you are convicted of DUI, you SHALL spend two days and two nights in the jail." We live in a democracy for which a lot of blood was spilled on four continents--it's all worthless if we sit here and comment on LVRJ stories and do not take full advantage of our freedoms and write to state legislatures, assembly members, even the governor.
this is so disgusting and at this time of hardship it make's our city leaders just as disgusting for allowing this.no doubt she got away with next to murder.and i'm willing to bet she doesn't feel a bit ashamed.white and rich trash.
Is Henderson possibly just as corrupt as Las Vegas? No, they are equally corrupt.
Why didn't this drunken, woman get jail time like everyone else????
I'm with TINA B on this one. The D.A, has just set a "precedent" for irresponsible derelicts like Quillin, to drive drunk, destroy property, and almost run over and kill, an innocent person who tried to help her. I am disgusted with the consequences of this drunken woman's murderous behavior! DISGUSTED!
Unbelievable! She practically gets rewarded for her DUI!
After she does her time, I think she should get the job of dope pellet inspector at the airport.
Barefoot ain't bad but Snippy prefers Yellow Tail. What about the community service? I wanna see this hag working at the Salvation Army.
This only happens with those at the public trough. Pull this stunt in private business and you get zippo.
I am so glad that they set this precident by giving this loser drunk a very light sentence. Next time I'm driving around with a blood alcohol twice my limit and slam into a fire hydrant and then try to run away, atleast I know I wont face jail time, or any other real punishment! Whew! What a relief. Wine anyone??