Las Vegas- Las Vegas attorney Joseph Caramagno was scheduled to appear in court last Thursday on charges that he showed up for a previous court hearing while intoxicated. But for now, his day in court is on hold.
Still, this attorney will be practicing something other than law, at least for awhile. You may remember video we first aired last month when Caramagno showed up late for trial in a kidnapping case and appeared drunk.
After the judge ordered him to take a breathalyzer, it was determined that the defense attorney was intoxicated and his case was declared a mistrial. But as we’ve learned, this wasn’t the first or last case Caramagno botched, and as a result, the Nevada State Bar has stepped in to take action.
A week after the breathalyzer incident, News 3 spoke with Caramagno.
“I didn’t put tequila in my corn flakes if that’s what you’re asking. I did have some drinks the night before. I didn’t wake up and start drinking.”
Even after the judge declared a mistrial in this kidnapping case, Caramagno failed to show up for another case a week later in North Las Vegas. The State Bar of Nevada began investigating Caramagno’s practices both in and out of the courts.
The News 3 Investigators obtained court documents that show both Caramagno’s father and sister say not only does he have problems with alcohol, but he’s also a substance abuser. Caramagno admitted as much to the Bar, and was ordered to move in to a lock-down rehabilitation center in California for at least 30 days. He’s been there now for two weeks.
Once released from rehab, Caramagno is scheduled to appear in Judge Leavitt’s court on September 28, where he’ll most likely be fined for court costs from the mistrial. Joseph Caramagno has at least 26 active criminal and civil cases in the court system. Attorneys Bill Terry and Maria Milano have been appointed by the court to handle those cases.