November 16 Meeting

Alexander Hamilton once stated that the judicial branch is the “least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution.”  Ric Casper, presenter at the Minden Rotary Club meeting on November 16th, stated that quote is not as accurate of a statement any more.   

Ric is the newest member of the Douglas County District Attorney’s office coming most recently from the Nevada US Attorney’s office in Reno where he served as a federal prosecutor for the past 4 years.  A native Nevadan, Ric graduated from Yale Law School in the early 2000’s and has worked for the US DOJ largely handling counterterrorism cases and prosecuting domestic violence cases. From 2013-2019, he served as a Deputy DA in the criminal division in Douglas County.

According to Ric, in 2022, more than 98% of criminal cases in Nevada were handled in the State Courts although they could be prosecuted in either state or Federal court.  Historically those prosecuted in Federal Court received stiffer sentences.  Federal law provides what should be strict sentencing guidelines, but over the last several years the Federal judges in Northern Nevada have been sentencing far less than the guidelines.  With one of the Judges, this is often only 10% of the Federal guideline sentencing.  Ric also believes that current federal district court judges are too hostile to law enforcement.  When asked how to change this practice Ric pointed out that the Federal Courts don’t have a Kurt Hildebrand sitting through sentencings and reporting to the public the light sentences that are being handed down.  Most people do not know what is happening in the Federal Court, and that is a shame.