EXCLUSIVE: Bizarre Case of Man With No Legs Forced to Wear Ankle Monitor on Wrist Could 'Amount to Discrimination,' Attorney Claims
Steven Min was pushed to wear an ankle monitor on his wrist on house arrest.
March 20 2026, Published 3:20 p.m. ET
Triple amputee Steven Min was forced to wear an electronic monitor on his only remaining limb in order to be released from jail on house arrest this month despite his lawyer's pleas for the courts to provide another solution.
Alex King, the founding attorney of First Coast Criminal Defense, exclusively told RadarOnline.com that arguments this could "amount to discrimination" carry "real legal weight."
Who is Steven Min?
Steven Min lost both of his legs and one arm due to sepsis.
Min, 51, has a long history of criminal complaints. He's had nearly 200 cases brought against him since the late '90s, although many of them were misdemeanors and more than 120 of them were subsequently dropped or dismissed, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
During one of his stints in jail, both of his legs and one of his arms had to be amputated due to sepsis.
Min, who also has end-stage renal disease and requires frequent dialysis treatments, is currently facing casino trespassing charges in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While his lawyer, Joseph Reiff, argued that an ankle monitor is specifically designed to be worn on a much stronger part of the body and could potentially cause injury to his client, Metropolitan Police Department said it was the "only authorized and available equipment for Electronic Monitoring and GPS tracking."
Ankle monitors can vary in weight, bulk and shape, and it is unclear which model authorities use in Clark County.
Steven Min's Case 'Highlights a Real Gap' in System
Steven Min is facing trespassing charges in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The situation facing Steven Min highlights a real gap in how many jurisdictions handle electronic monitoring programs," King exclusively shared with Radar.
"As the Metro Police acknowledged in court, their system relies solely on ankle monitors for GPS tracking. When that policy is applied rigidly, there’s no room for defendants with physical disabilities that make ankle placement impossible."
King said this is a problem that courts and monitoring agencies "need to address."
"Both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act apply to government-run programs, including pretrial supervision, and require that reasonable accommodations be considered," he added.
Potential Argument for 'Discrimination'
While it's likely this situation doesn't come up very often in court, King said it was possible this could still be argued as a form of "discrimination" – but it points to an "administrative limitation," not a "legal one."
"From a defense standpoint, that distinction is critical," he explained. "A strong advocate should be pushing the court to require the agency to explore and implement reasonable alternatives, rather than accepting the absence of options at face value."
Alternative Solutions Exist – But Not in Las Vegas
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While an ankle monitor for GPS tracking is the only option for Min, some jurisdictions in the United States have adopted other solutions, including "wrist-worn GPS devices, similar to a smartwatch" that are "already used in certain programs," according to King.
Additionally, there are "non-wearable options," such as "voice recognition" check-ins.
"Some jurisdictions have even implemented smartphone-based GPS monitoring," he said. "Where location tracking is handled through a court-approved mobile device or app."
While Min was initially released from jail and put on house arrest on March 11, he was "returned to the Clark County Detention Center after a compliance check revealed he was in violation of the conditions of his electronic monitoring program" shortly after.
It is unclear which rule he allegedly violated.
However, on Thursday, March 19, a judge ruled to close the case and released him from custody.
