Tag: Oscar Goodman

My favorite mayor, Oscar Goodman of Las Vegas, is leaving the Mayor's office in good hands. On Tuesday, voters elected his wife, Carolyn Goodman, to succeed him.

Ms. Goodman became mayor with 61 percent of the vote in the nonpartisan contest Tuesday, defeating Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani of Clark County, who could not overcome the popularity of the self-proclaimed Happiest Couple in the Universe. Mr. Goodman, a former mob lawyer who gleefully presided over the city with a force of charisma and a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin, could not run again because of term limits.

I can hardly believe it's been 12 years since Oscar was elected Mayor. How time flies. He must be one of the most popular Mayors ever -- he was re-elected in 2007 with 84% of the vote. I'm sure he's sad to be leaving the job, he's always said it was the most fun he's ever had.

Congratulations, Carolyn! I hope you have as much fun in the job as Oscar, that Las Vegans appreciate you as much as they did him, and that we criminal defense lawyers get to see a bit more of Oscar now.

Here's what's caught my eye this morning:

• Behind Bars, Sort Of....Can a prison have glass walls, balconies, communal cooking spaces and private bathrooms — and still be a prison? (NY Times Magazine) The answer: Yes, but not in the U.S. Europe is so much more enlightened. In addition to Austria, as I wrote last week, there's France.

• Unlikely heroin confession: Researcher reveals past as an addict to encourage new tactics in war on drugs (Chicago Tribune)

• Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman may run for Governor of Nevada, as an Independent. Oscar is a long-time hero of mine. As I've been saying since 2002, Run, Oscar, Run!

I have always thought that Las Vegas got a huge gift when it elected Oscar Goodman, one of my heroes and a great criminal defense attorney, as its Mayor a few years ago.

Today's LA Times captures Oscar perfectly in Las Vegas Mayor Gins Up Support:

"He is the mayor, after all, who invites residents to meet him for a drink at a local bar to discuss civic issues. "Martinis With the Mayor," the sessions are called. And they've become so popular, bars clamor to host the next one. And gin martinis have been Oscar Goodman's companion for 38 years, which has helped endear him with constituents as a regular fellow who lives life with gusto."

"All this is to say that, in Vegas, the mayor and martinis go together like Siegfried and Roy. So when Goodman agreed to switch from his favorite gin to a brand sold by the state's largest liquor distributor in exchange for $100,000 (donated to charity, of course), there was barely a stir (which is not how he prefers his drink)."

"Goodman, who encourages only responsible drinking and designated-driver programs, has never let convention stand in the way of promotion."