Alfred Becker

Alfred "Al" Becker was born July 30, 1929, in Manhattan, New York. He came to Las Vegas in 1961 and began his local law practice, becoming a member of both the Nevada and New York Bar Associations. For more than three decades he was a fixture of the Las Vegas legal community, a 35-year resident of the city who devoted much of his career to serving clients of modest means and everyday problems.

Becker sought a seat on the bench with notable persistence, running unsuccessfully for justice of the peace five times before winning election in 1978 and taking office in Department 1 of the Las Vegas Justice Court. On the campaign trail he was known for challenging what he called the "revolving door" bail system that, in his view, released habitual offenders and enriched the bail-bond industry. He resigned from the bench in 1980, pleading no contest to a gross misdemeanor charge of taking excessive fees; he was later suspended by the Nevada Supreme Court but eventually reinstated and returned to practice as a private attorney.

Colleagues remembered Becker as a colorful and unforgettable courthouse character - "a man from a different era, a different time, a different Las Vegas," in the words of attorney Tom Pitaro, who called him "a decent man." Justice of the Peace Doug Smith recalled him as "a good friend to the courts" who "always had a fresh outlook on cases," and fellow attorneys remembered his warmth and his gift for a good story. He died on February 4, 1997, at the age of 67. He was preceded in death by his mother, Clara Becker, and his sister, Goldie Becker.