Jennifer Togliatti takes helm of state Gaming Commission next week

To find however caller Nevada Gaming Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Togliatti’s accomplishment acceptable arsenic a justice volition construe into the gaming world, 1 request lone look to 1 of her mentors.

Togliatti, 54, volition go the archetypal pistillate to seat the five-member, part-time gaming regulatory committee erstwhile it meets Thursday successful Las Vegas.

She and erstwhile authorities Sen. Ben Kieckhefer were appointed to the committee past period by Gov. Steve Sisolak. Kieckhefer attended his archetypal gathering arsenic a commissioner successful October, but Togliatti was delayed a period due to the fact that of a anterior enactment commitment.

Togliatti, a retired Clark County District Court judge, said she acknowledgment erstwhile U.S. District Court Judge Philip Pro, a erstwhile NGC commissioner, for helping her determine to participate the ineligible profession.

Togliatti shadowed Pro successful his courtroom, wherever she learned the intricacies of courtroom procedure. That was capable for Togliatti, past a UNLV student, to use astatine California Western School of Law successful San Diego. (UNLV’s Boyd School of Law had yet to open.) She received a bachelor’s grade from UNLV successful 1989 and her juris doctorate successful 1993.

‘Sealed the deal’

“Sitting successful Judge Pro’s courtroom was a large acquisition that sealed the woody for me,” Togliatti said.

Pro really knew Togliatti erstwhile she was a precocious schoolhouse pupil done her father, George Togliatti, a erstwhile Las Vegas FBI cause and existent caput of Nevada’s Department of Public Safety.

“I knew she was going to person the acumen for the profession, and it was instantly evident to maine that this was a young idiosyncratic who was going to spell to instrumentality school,” Pro said. “And she ascended rather rapidly to the authorities bench, and I deliberation that’s telling arsenic well.”

She went to enactment arsenic a lawman territory lawyer successful Clark County, a presumption she described arsenic “prosecuting everything from sportfishing with 2 poles successful Henderson to superior execution and everything successful between,” peculiarly successful Laughlin, Mesquite and different outlying areas.

She was portion of the Crimes Against Women and Children’s Unit during her clip successful that bureau betwixt 1994 and 1998 and handled prosecutions involving cheating astatine gambling violations.

When the Las Vegas Township Justice Court expanded, Togliatti became a justness of the peace.

Justice Court handles low-level civilian cases, evictions, protective orders and misdemeanor transgression cases but besides preliminary hearings for felonies. One of the preliminary hearings she handled during her 4 years arsenic a JP was the Ted Binion execution case, a notorious probe involving the affluent lad of downtown casino magnate Benny Binion.

Eighth District appointment

In 2002, erstwhile Judge Stephen Huffaker retired, Gov. Kenny Guinn appointed Togliatti to a judicial presumption successful the Eighth Judicial District.

As a District Court justice for astir 20 years, Togliatti took connected respective high-profile trials including cases arising retired of the 2007 hepatitis ungraded that resulted from the reuse of syringes and drugs successful clinics tally by Dr. Depak Desai. She was besides progressive successful settling litigation surrounding the never-finished Harmon Hotel astatine the CityCenter site.

Throughout her vocation she received enactment from the assemblage — including from the Gaming Commission president she yet would succeed, John Moran Jr., besides an attorney.

“I’ve ever supported Jennifer, and she truly was 1 of the amended judges connected the bench,” Moran said. “I’ve known her dada arsenic a person of instrumentality enforcement. I deliberation she’s going to beryllium awesome. I can’t deliberation of a amended prime the politician could make, and I’m looking guardant to watching her arsenic she makes her decisions connected the commission.”

Moran agrees with Pro that the accomplishment acceptable of a bully justice volition construe good into the relation of committee chair.

‘Historical perspective’

“I’m blessed with the assignment of her due to the fact that we already person immoderate humanities position connected judges and gaming connected the commission, and Judge Pro couldn’t beryllium a amended illustration of idiosyncratic who comes from a ineligible background,” Moran said. “I’m hoping Jennifer volition beryllium each spot arsenic qualified and experienced successful law. She has a truly bully foundation.”

Pro expects her acquisition dealing with regulatory and statutory frameworks volition assistance her successful her committee work.

“Legal and procedural issues volition travel up,” Pro said. “As a judge, frankly, you bash this successful your sleep. That is thing that you unrecorded and breathe.

“I deliberation those kinds of skills, that benignant of background, volition beryllium of large assistance to her arsenic she embarks upon chairing the assorted sessions. It won’t instrumentality agelong for her to get her feet wet,” helium said.

During her clip connected the District Court bench, Togliatti served arsenic main judge, an administrative presumption for Clark County’s judicial system. It was during that clip that she got to cognize then-Clark County Commissioner Sisolak.

When Moran near the Gaming Commission arsenic its longest serving member, Togliatti — past retired from the seat and moving successful backstage mediation and arbitration — saw the opening. After consulting colleagues astir whether chairing the committee would beryllium a bully fit, she decided to apply. Sisolak appointed her to the occupation successful October.

“I’m truly honored to person been appointed to this position, and I’m truthful arrogant that I’m the archetypal pistillate chair,” she said. “I can’t convey Gov. Sisolak enough.”

Life-affecting decisions

Togliatti said she believes her years of acquisition making tough, life-affecting decisions from the seat volition assistance her marque likewise pugnacious decisions successful her committee work.

“The mode you slumber astatine nighttime erstwhile you bash that enactment is you get arsenic prepared arsenic possible, you’re superior and thoughtful and you bash your best,” she said. “I consciousness similar I person established a estimation arsenic idiosyncratic who has done that for implicit 25 years.”

She acknowledged that she astir apt won’t beryllium close each time.

“You’re ne'er going to beryllium close each the time, particularly arsenic a judge, but the question is, did you get a just shake? Were you heard? Were you fair? Did you person integrity? Did you debar conflicts astatine each costs? And does the nationalist person spot successful you? My acquisition brings that to the table,” she said.

Togliatti said she believes her champion publication to the regulatory committee — which makes last decisions from recommendations from the three-member Nevada Gaming Control Board — volition beryllium successful regulatory matters and finance, acknowledgment to her concern degree. She notes she whitethorn not person arsenic bully a grasp connected exertion issues that volition beryllium brought to the commission, “but I’m not utilizing a flip telephone either.”

“We’ve got to person sensible, capable regulations portion we admit that we person to evolve, innovate and turn successful bid for america to beryllium successful,” she said. “I’m looking guardant to facing those issues head-on.

“I deliberation that successful bid for Nevada to proceed to beryllium the golden modular and for america to person a robust gaming economy, we person to beryllium mindful of innovation and exertion moving forward. But I person nary preconceived notions.”

Her extremity arsenic committee chair: “I’m going to bash everything I tin to support the manufacture successful this authorities and support Nevada the golden standard.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta astatine rvelotta@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta connected Twitter.