Las Vegas lawyer who defends DUI cases charged with DUI
A Las Vegas attorney who commonly defends drunken driving suspects was arrested recently on suspicion of driving under the influence, records show.
John Leo Duffy, 56, was arrested March 3 at the intersection of Red Fir Street and Mope Mills Drive, near West Desert Inn Road and South Town Center Drive, according to his criminal complaint. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and later charged with DUI and failure to maintain a lane.
Because Duffy works closely with the vehicular crimes unit of the Clark County district attorney’s office, the state attorney general’s office has been asked to handle the prosecution of the case. The Clark County Commission is scheduled to vote Tuesday on handing the case to the AG’s office.
“When all the facts are brought out in court, we’re confident that we will have a positive resolution of this matter,” Duffy’s attorney, Jay “Chip” Siegel, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday. “As with all cases, people should not prejudge things based on allegations but to wait for evidence. And that doesn’t happen until we get into court.”
Duffy “had a concentration of alcohol of .08 or more in his breath” when he was pulled over, the criminal complaint alleges.
He has been licensed to practice law in Nevada since 1991, according to the State Bar of Nevada website, which indicates he has had no disciplinary actions.
Court records show that Duffy was released on his own recognizance, and a bench trial is scheduled for July 9.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Rio Lacanlale contributed to this report.