Tuesday, Feb. 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Former Justice of the Peace Alfred "Al" Becker is remembered as a colorful courthouse character whose tenacity in running for office finally paid off on his sixth try.
Becker, a 35-year Las Vegas resident, was buried Monday. He died last Tuesday of an apparent heart attack after lunch at a local fast-food restaurant. He was 67.
"He was a man from a different era, a different time, a different Las Vegas," said attorney Tom Pitaro. "I liked Al -- he was a decent man."
"He was a good friend to the courts and always had a fresh outlook on cases," said Justice of the Peace Doug Smith.
Attorney Michael Schaefer noted: "Al was a man of the people and always enjoyed assisting those of modest means and modest problems. (He was) one of our town's unforgettable characters."
"Al always had great stories," added attorney John Fadgen.
Becker unsuccessfully ran for the JP job five times before finally winning in 1978.
During each campaign, he would attack what he termed the "revolving door" bail system that released habitual criminals and made the bail-bond industry wealthy.
Less than two years after his election, Becker resigned from the bench amid a bribery probe. He pleaded no contest to a gross misdemeanor charge of taking excessive fees and was fined $1,000.
During the bribery investigation, Becker was videotaped twice accepting more than $100 in return for judicial favoritism.
The Nevada Supreme Court later suspended him, although he was eventually reinstated and again worked as a private attorney.
In 1982 Becker again tried to run for JP but a district judge ruled that his prior conviction made him ineligible.
Despite the scandal, Becker remained a courthouse regular who spent much of his time chatting and sharing stories with fellow attorneys.
Born July 30, 1929, in Manhattan, N.Y., Becker came to Las Vegas in 1961 and began his local law practice.
He was a member of both the Nevada and New York Bar Associations.
Becker is survived by first cousins, David Borack of La Jolla, Calif., and Herbert Jacobs of Tamarac, Fla. He was preceded in death by his mother, Clara Becker, and his sister, Goldie Becker.
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