Man wins reversal of drug conviction

George O'Conner Beard's minimum 62-month sentence for the crime was reversed Monday in a unanimous ruling by a panel of three justices.

The court said methamphetamine was found by a Nye County deputy sheriff and fire investigators after a cause for the mobile home fire already had been determined. Space heaters had caused the fire.

The state's lawful presence in the house had run its course after the cause of the fire had been determined, the court said.

Convictions based on guns found in plain view during the initial search of the house for the cause of the fire were upheld by the court. Beard was an ex-felon who was not allowed to possess guns. A possession of marijuana for sale conviction also was upheld.

In a separate case, a panel of three justices ruled that Leonard Gang, who serves as general counsel to the Commission on Judicial Discipline, can't make retroactive contributions to the Public Employees Retirement System.

Gang wanted to make contributions to the retirement system dating back to the time he served as a district judge in Clark County from 1971 to 1974. At that time, Gang elected to participate in a separate judicial retirement system.

archive