Wednesday, May 21, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Kathryn Landreth, Nevada's first female U.S. attorney, is in line for a federal judgeship.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., plans to submit Landreth's name to the White House to succeed U.S. District Judge Lloyd George, who is going on senior status as early as next week, sources said.
If Landreth wins confirmation from the U.S. Senate, she'll be the first female federal judge in Nevada.
Reid, who pushed Landreth's nomination for U.S. attorney in 1993, would not comment.
But sources said the senator was to release a letter from George today detailing the judge's plans.
George, 67, on the federal bench since 1984, was in Russia on assignment and could not be reached for comment. Prior to his 1984 appointment by President Ronald Reagan, George was a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge.
During his tenure, George, who has served as chief judge of the district, saw a massive increase in Nevada's federal caseload and has been pushing hard for more federal judges here.
The 47-year-old Landreth, who is on leave out of state, also could not be reached today.
Reid is said to be considering a long list of successors to Landreth, including Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Bill Curran, Assistant Attorney General Brooke Nielsen, Clark County District Judge Lee Gates and Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.
When Landreth took over the reins of the U.S. attorney's office nearly four years ago, she came with a wealth of experience in corporate law, but not in criminal law.
Her tenure the past four years, however, has been marked by significant criminal cases.
In a January 1994 SUN interview, Landreth said she was making violent crime her top priority.
Her office prosecuted the three men who kidnapped Kevyn Wynn, the daughter of Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn.
Working hand in hand with the FBI, prosecutors under her direction also put a halt to a rash of violent gang-related casino robberies on the Strip. Key Los Angeles gang members responsible for the robberies were prosecuted and sent to prison.
In December 1995, Landreth coordinated a news conference in Las Vegas with Attorney General Janet Reno, announcing a major nationwide telemarketing crackdown. Her office has been relentless in pursuing telemarketers ever since.
Last month, Landreth announced a new crackdown on traditional organized crime with the racketeering indictments of nine reputed Los Angeles and Buffalo mobsters.
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