(IntegrityTimes.com) – In a tragic accident on Wednesday May 29 U.S. District Court Judge Larry Hicks was struck by a car in downtown Reno, Nevada. The incident took place in the afternoon just outside the courthouse. Hicks was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately died of his injuries.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and has been cooperating with law enforcement. Reno police have stated that impairment does not seem to have been the cause of the crash.
Hicks had worked in law all his life. In 1968 he began working as a prosecutor for the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office. After that he served as District Attorney from 1974 to 1978. Hicks was then appointed to U.S. District Court for Nevada by then-president George W. Bush in 2001. The State Bar of Nevada awarded him the Presidential Award in 2020. Hicks was serving as a senior district court judge since 2013 when he died. Despite his age, he maintained an active caseload. Hicks’ son Chris Hicks has followed in his father’s footsteps and is now the current Washoe County district attorney.
Over the course of his long legal career Judge Hicks oversaw cases touching on diverse subjects such as political corruption, water rights, and wild mustangs. In 2013 he presided over the case of Nevada lobbyist Harvey Whittemore in connection to illegal contributions he made to Democratic U.S. Senator Harry Reid’s campaign. He oversaw musician Rod Stewart’s case in 2006, ultimately ordering the singer to pay over $3 million to a Las Vegas casino for not returning money when he canceled a concert in 2000. In 2015, he temporarily blocked a federal roundup of hundreds of mustangs much to the elation of advocates for the wild horses.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo praised Hicks for his “unmatched professional integrity” saying that flags would be lowered to half-staff until sunset Friday as the state mourns his death. His son has released a public statement from the office of Washoe County District Attorney’s office as a representative of the Hicks family. Offering his condolences to the family, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam talked about how respected Judge Hicks was in the local community. He went on to praise Hicks for his commitment to his family and his life philosophy of balancing family, work, and self.
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