Tuesday, July 19, 2016 | 4 p.m.
People caught illegally selling goods on the Las Vegas Strip may avoid criminal prosecution and jail time if they qualify for a recently established civil diversion program.
The program, meant to unclog courts and jails while still deterring peddlers, kicked off Memorial Day weekend after approval from the Clark County Commission in the spring.
Initially, the program only pertained to people accused of illegally keeping materials on public sidewalks or selling goods and merchandise there.
The commission today expanded the scope of the program, adding the following code violations: selling liquor without a license, obstructing public sidewalks and operating a business without a license.
Anyone accused of those five code violations may enter the diversion program by admitting civil liability for the offense. At that point, a hearing officer can issue a penalty. A first offense, for instance, could warrant a fine of $250 to $1,000.
Upon payment of the civil penalty, the criminal liability will be waived — freeing low-level offenders from having the offenses appearing on their criminal records.
It’s the latest push to clean up the Strip and rid it of peddlers illegally selling water, booze and other goods. The program is a joint effort among the county, Metro Police and Las Vegas Justice Court.
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