City's senior civil deputy district attorney files for top post

Michael Suglia filed Friday to run for the office of Carson City district attorney.

Suglia, 55, is the city's senior civil deputy district attorney, and has been a Nevada resident and licensed attorney since 1990.

He is assigned to advise the sheriff's department, community development department, and assessor and treasurer offices. He also advises the planning, regional transportation, and historic resources commissions and, occasionally, the board of supervisors.

The variety of parties Suglia represents allows him to conduct an array of projects, such as handling civil forfeitures in drug cases, hearings before the Board of Equalization, presenting a liquor license case before the supervisors, and conducting civil litigation for the city pertaining to a street abandonment, he said.

Other important functions of the district attorney's civil division include ensuring the city complies with Nevada's Open Meeting Law.

If elected, Suglia said, he wants to continue the city's practice of "preventive law" - daily involvement with city staff, elected officials and residents to "anticipate and prevent legal problems," while allowing them to conduct business and reach their goals.

Suglia also plans to expand his experience in criminal litigation by taking on these types of cases, starting with misdemeanor traffic cases and working up to more complex matters. He said he will work nights and weekends to keep up with his other duties, if necessary.

"We presently have some great young prosecutors who are enthused about their work and who are very successful in court," Suglia said. "My goal is to find ways to retain these experienced prosecutors and to listen to their suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of the office."

He graduated at age 40 from the University of Wyoming Law School in 1990, and came to work for Carson City's district attorney's office in February 1991 as a deputy district attorney before being promoted to chief civil deputy district attorney. Suglia returned to the district attorney's office in April 2005 after living in Las Vegas for several years.

He spent two years as an assistant bar counsel for the State Bar of Nevada, five years as general counsel for Whittlesea-Bell, a bus, limousine and cab company in Las Vegas, and worked in private practice for several years specializing in civil litigation and administrative law.

He obtained his undergraduate degree in archeology from Arizona State University. He also was in the U.S. Marines.

Suglia lives in Carson City with his wife, Denise.

Neil Rombardo, deputy attorney general, is also running.

Current District Attorney Noel Waters won't be seeking re-election.

Primary elections are August 15. The general election is Nov. 7.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

Candidates filing

2006 candidates who filed for elected offices in Carson City as of Friday:

All offices are nonpartisan

• Justice of the Peace District 1

Robey Willis (I)

Mark Krueger

• Justice of the Peace District 2

John Tatro (I)

• Supervisor Ward 1

Robin Williamson (I)

• Supervisor Ward 3

Pete Livermore (I)

• Assessor

Dave Dawley (I)

• Clerk-Recorder

Alan Glover (I)

• District Attorney

Neil A. Rombardo

Michael Suglia

• Sheriff

Kenny Furlong (I)

• Treasurer

Al Kramer (I)

• School trustee, District 1

Norman Scoggin (I)

• School trustee, District 3

James Hukari (I)

• School trustee, District 4

Bob Crowell (I)

Ann Bednarski

• School trustee, District 6

Jeff Fontaine (I)

Roger Kirkland