Spanish-Speaking Law Office Sues Nevada Over Raid

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A law firm that serves Spanish speakers claims Nevada officials raided its offices with guns drawn and seized its files, for reasons the state will not explain.

Jonathan B. Goldsmith Ltd. dba Abogados Hispanos (Hispanic Attorneys) sued Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and her employee Rene Lightford in a bare-bones complaint in Clark County Court.

Goldsmith claims that a search warrant was executed upon his business in Las Vegas on Feb. 23.

"Defendants, by use of police force, entered the premises with their guns drawn, and grouped all employees to the front of the office space using unnecessary force," the complaint states.

"Defendants provided plaintiff with a copy of a signed 'Search and Seizure Warrant' which did not attach or include any basis for probable cause.

"Defendants seized all of client files, financial records, electronic records, bank accounts and other documents over the course of a 12-hour search.

"As a result of defendants' seizures, plaintiff is unable to continue to conduct business and service its several hundred clients who are being assisted by plaintiff in attempts to obtain loan modifications on their real property."

Goldsmith wants his files back, and a protective injunction.

"No monetary award could possibly account for the value of its lost files, in which several hundred client's homes and real estate are in jeopardy without plaintiff's efforts," the complaint states.

Goldsmith represents himself.

The reference to homes and real estate may indicate that the raid could be related to the national mortgage meltdown, from which fast-growing Nevada was one of the states most affected. But Courthouse News' efforts to elucidate just what is going on in this case proved unavailing.

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