Rick,
I thought it might help to give some insights to the legal scene of Reno,
Nevada, specifically re Kriseya's attorney & her rel'ship to judges.
After hiring Viv, we discovered she was the lead lawyer defending District
Judge Whitehead.  This judge was under scrutiny for unfair decisions toward
women, was accused of collusion in a case, and Nash Holmes (the DA who
prosecuted my daughter) had accused him of prejudice, asking that her case
be moved out of his court.  I never saw it, but was told that Redbook maga-
zine profiled him as a male chauvinist.
Vivian was passionate about defending this judge, and I believe it's the
major reason she gave short shrift to K's case.  His case was consuming--
the headlines were full of it, complete w/in-depth analyses.
The Supreme Court justices were involved too, because 2 of them were fast
friends w/Whitehead.  Some recused themselves from giving opinions because
of the personal rel'ship, and a couple of the judges were against Whitehead.
Involved stuff.
However, for me, the bottom line is how Viv's involvement may have affected
Kriseya.  Viv only saw Kriseya -twice- before defending her on a capital
murder charge, and a death penalty (or does that mean the same thing?).
Viv also rudely would tell me that she didn't want us doing anything for K's
case because we didn't know anything.  Sometimes I didn't call for a month
at a time to make sure she didn't feel we were bothering her.  Later, I did
call because we felt we needed to know if anything was happening.
A couple of episodes regarding Viv. & judges bothered me:
Viv was the 2nd lawyer.  When we first spoke of K's case, Vivian told me that
Judge Stone (K's trial judge) had made up his mind that Kriseya "had to have
known" of the abuse.  That's when I began asking her to get K's case before
a different judge, and was told that it wouldn't happen (later echoed by her
partner--the current "default" atty of record for Kriseya).
After the trial, reading about the justice system, I learned that judges
basically make cases go the way they want...so that makes me yet unhappier
about Viv not trying to change judges.  All of his responses to motions
indicated that his mind was, indeed, made up: he'd listen to the argument,
then say he'd already prepared his response.
Understand: Judge Stone was voted the worst judge in all of the county by
the attorneys.  Judge Lane was voted the best.
The other episode.  Chaplain Bob Schwarz was our spiritual/emotional main-
stay during the dark days of Kriseya's jailing and trial.  He ministered to
her and us, and we are friends to this day.  One day, Chaplain Bob and I had
lunch at a local place where lawyers & judges hang out.  Who should walk in
but Vivian, flanked by Whitehead on one side, and Stone on the other.  I
didn't know what to think.
This was a woman who rarely called us.  That afternoon, she called, and
casually mentioned she'd had lunch with Whitehead and Stone--and that she
was telling Stone that she thought Kriseya would win on appeal, and that
Stone was debating that with her, saying she wouldn't.  Methinks she pro-
tested too much.   The next day, Dave Hamilton, Viv's partner, hastened to
tell me the same thing.  This man is ordinarily one of the most gratuitously
ungracious, abrasive people I've met, yet he was *nice.*
Just thought I'd tell you.  It's 2 a.m. I need _some_ sleep.
... * * Often the impossible is what has not been attempted.
 * Evaluation copy of Silver Xpress. Day # 26
 * Silver Xpress V4.01
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