Ross C. Goodman

Ross C. Goodman
Born Las Vegas, Nevada
Nationality United States | American
Occupation Criminal defense lawyer
Website http://rosscgoodman.com/

Ross C. Goodman is a Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer that is noted for handling high-profile cases. He is the son of Oscar Goodman and Carolyn Goodman, who have each served as mayor of his hometown, Las Vegas.

Background

Ross C. Goodman was born in Las Vegas. His father, Oscar Goodman, also an attorney, served as mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada for 12 years; after term limits prevented him from running for office again he was succeeded by his wife Carolyn Goodman.[1] He earned his B.A. at the University of San Diego in 1992, and then his law degree (J.D.) in 1995 from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

In 1992 Goodman was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant after completing the Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. He completed the Basic Officer Course, and the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in 1996. He was certified as a Judge Advocate General Corps from the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island in 1997 and achieved the rank of Major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) in 2000 before leaving for private practice.[2]

Career and high-profile cases

Ross C. Goodman formed Goodman Law Group, P.C. in 2001, a boutique law firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Goodman represented parties in multiple high-profile cases, appearing on television shows including Nancy Grace, the Best Defense and truTV (formerly Court TV).[3]

Controversies

Ethics investigation

In February 2004, Robert Rose, an ethics watchdog, filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics claiming that during the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Ross's father, former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, handed out to fellow mayors, conference attendees and other political figures invitations to a cocktail party Goodman was hosting. Rose alleged that this was nothing more than the mayor abusing his power of office to help promote a business that is owned by his son, Ross Goodman, and Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack. The Nevada Ethics Commission opened an investigation on April 14, 2004, and on May 13, 2004, the members of the commission found the mayor in ethics violations, although no fine was rendered. Goodman sued the commission and won; the commission's ruling was reversed by the court.

On September 16, 2004, Rose again filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics, this time asking the commission to clarify Goodman's affiliation with his son Ross's law firm. In a statement, the mayor explained his name on the letterhead is a way of informing out of state law firms that Ross Goodman is his son. However, a person serving as an elected public official in Nevada may not have his name listed on a law firm letterhead, and Goodman removed his name under protest after several newspaper articles noted the infraction.[4]

On July 18, 2005, the Nevada Commission on Ethics concluded insufficient cause for a hearing and recommended the allegations be dismissed, clearing the elder Goodman of the ethics complaint regarding his name listed as "Of Counsel" to Goodman Law Group.[5]

On September 11, 2007, the Supreme Court of Nevada ruled that Oscar Goodman did not violate any ethics laws during the 2004 cocktail party that he hosted on behalf of his son Ross C. Goodman.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Carolyn Goodman succeeds husband as Las Vegas Mayor". lasvegasnevada.gov. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  2. ↑ "State Bar of Nevada Honors Members Who've Served in the U.S. Armed Forces" (PDF). Nevada Lawyer Magazine. 2010-11-20. p. 19. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  3. ↑ Ross Goodman (interviewee), Nancy Grace (show personality) (2006). Ex-wife: Plea Deal in Quadriplegic Downing (.mov) (youtube). USA: CNN. Retrieved 2011-03-31. Nancy Grace Show Gloria Guzman Murder Trial
  4. ↑ Richmond, Emily (2006-07-19). "Stories published July 19, 2006Las Vegas Sun". Lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  5. ↑ Ryan, Cy (2005-07-28). "State Ethics Panel Clears Goodman on Complaint published July 28, 2005Las Vegas Sun". Lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  6. ↑ Vogel, Ed (2007-11-12). "Supreme Court sides with Mayor Goodman published Sep. 12, 2007, Las Vegas Review Journal". LVRJ.com. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/26/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.