Jailed ex-Taxation worker convicted

Ty Robben, the fired state Taxation employee who has been waging a campaign against the state and Carson City’s criminal justice system for more than a year, was convicted Friday of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

The conviction results from what the judge ruled was his failure to meet conditions of his plea agreement in a case involving his alleged assault on then-Nevada Department of Transportation Director Susan Martinovich. He originally was charged with assault when he ran alongside her vehicle, banging on it and trying to pull open the door. He said he was trying to lawfully serve her with papers in a case involving another fired state employee.

Under the deal, the charge was reduced to disorderly conduct and will be dismissed after a year if Robben meets conditions including seeking counseling for anger management and other issues.

According to the Carson District Attorney’s office, he failed to meet the conditions he agreed to in the October 2012 deal.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger said Robben was brought before Judge Nancy Oesterle on Dec. 13, convicted on the disorderly conduct charge and sentenced to 60 days in jail.

He was given credit for some 50 days of time served, so that sentence expires in about a week.

But Robben remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail on charges he libeled and attempted to intimidate Justice of the Peace John Tatro, including what Tatro said he sees as threats to his wife and children.

He lost an attempt three weeks ago to reduce his bail and disqualify the District Attorney’s Office from prosecuting the case. He is appealing that ruling to district court.

When he was charged in the case involving Martinovich, he was brought before Tatro. He was incensed by what he saw as unfair treatment by the judge and began a campaign to remove Tatro from office including a website that contains elements the sheriff’s investigators ruled were illegal.

They charged him with felony stalking electronically and attempting to intimidate a public official and intimidating that official’s family -- both felonies. He also was charged with intimidating a public official, a gross misdemeanor, and libel.

He is still in jail awaiting a preliminary hearing in that case.