Opinion: Renaming Courthouse in Yerington A Big Mistake
In August, 2021, the Lyon County Commissioners approved a proclamation renaming the Lyon County Justice Complex the “Donald J. Trump Justice Complex.” The new name was memorialized with a small plaque placed on the wall of the building lobby.
A much larger sign to that effect has now been added to the building exterior as part of a recently completed remodel.
This new signage is the culmination of an effort led by my opponent in the Nevada Assembly District 39 race during his time as a Lyon County commissioner. It is another example of his preoccupation with idolizing Donald Trump instead of proposing and passing legislation that addresses issues faced by the residents of District 39.
Naming the justice complex — the building includes courtrooms, sheriff’s office, and the county jail — after Donald Trump is an astonishing insult to both the people of Lyon County and the very concept of justice and the rule of law. Donald Trump is a convicted felon. He has been found guilty by a jury of his peers of felony falsification of business records to hide an extra-marital affair prior to the 2016 election. Another jury found him liable for sexual abuse and the subsequent defaming of his victim.
When Judges, attorneys, and even witnesses and jurors, walk through the doors of the Trump Justice Complex they are compromised. They must somehow reconcile the fact that they are pursuing justice in a structure which honors a criminal. Or worse, they don’t see the contradiction.
More to the point, how could a woman bringing a case of sexual harassment or discrimination, or as a victim of a sex crime, expect fairness or even respect in a courtroom bearing the name of a man who both bragged about sexually assaulting women and was in fact found liable for doing just that?
The sign is brand new but its days are obviously numbered. At some point, the combination of public outrage and the embarrassment and humiliation it is bringing down on Lyon County will prompt the current Board of County Commissioners to act. I would respectfully suggest they act sooner rather than later, and give the County back the “Lyon County Justice Complex.”
Erich Obermayr
Candidate, Nevada Assembly District 39