State Supreme Court overturns jury verdict on property case

In a unanimous verdict handed down Friday, the court ruled that former Clark District Judge Don Chairez erred in 1996 when he told jurors they should award owners the "highest price" for the land.

Owners of the property include Briant Buckwalter, John R. Reese, K.W. Hounsell, Ralph Engh and several banks.

Clark County filed a condemnation suit for the property, saying it was needed for expansion of the convention center.

In their decision, justices said a 1993 state law requires fair market value for property taken in condemnation suits to be calculated at the "most probable" price. The county offered $4.8 million before trial.

The case returns to district court and will be assigned to a new judge because Chairez resigned from the bench last year to make an unsuccessful bid for Congress.

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