Courts in Nevada
| More information on Nevada's state courts: |
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| Selection methods Elections Salaries Federal courts |
In Nevada, there is one federal district court, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Nevada's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
Judicial selection process
Nevada state supreme court Justices are elected to six-year terms in nonpartisan elections. The governor fills vacancies by appointment.[1][2]
The Nevada Court of Appeals at its creation consisted of three judges who were nominated by the judicial selection commission and selected by the governor. These judges serve an initial two-year term and then must stand for re-election if they wish to continue to serve. After the initial term of the first judges, judges are chosen by election. A full term on the court is six years.[3]
To read more about judicial elections in Nevada, click here.
Federal courts
The federal district court in Nevada is the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
Appeals from these courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Active judges
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2010 - |
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1989 |
Arizona State University Law School, 1992 |
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| March 30, 2012 - |
University of California, Davis, 1991 |
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1994 |
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| March 12, 2013 - |
Claremont McKenna College, 1984 |
Harvard Law, 1987 |
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| July 9, 2013 - |
University of Nevadas, Las Vegas, 1994 |
Pepperdine University Law, 1997 |
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| June 10, 2014 - |
Harvard, 1993 |
Columbia Law School, 2002 |
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| April 7, 2022 - |
Brown University, 1991 |
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1996 |
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| April 7, 2022 - |
Wellesley College, 2001 |
American University, Washington College of Law, 2007 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 7
- Republican appointed: 0
Judicial selection
Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.
Bankruptcy courts
There is one federal bankruptcy court in Nevada. This court has subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy court in Nevada is:
State supreme court
- See also: Nevada Supreme Court
The Nevada Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships.[4]
The following judges sit on the court:
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| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat A | Linda M. Bell | Nonpartisan | January 2, 2023 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat B | Kris Pickering | Nonpartisan | 2009 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat C | Elissa Cadish | Nonpartisan | 2019 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat D | Douglas Herndon | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2021 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat E | Ron Parraguirre | Nonpartisan | January 3, 2005 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat F | Patricia Lee | Nonpartisan | November 21, 2022 |
| Nevada Supreme Court Seat G | Lidia Stiglich | Nonpartisan | December 5, 2016 |
State court of appeals
- See also: Nevada Court of Appeals
The Nevada Court of Appeals was created by a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that was approved by voters in the general election on November 4, 2014. The new court's start date was set for January 1, 2015.[5]
For more information, see: Nevada Creation of a State Intermediate Appellate Court, Question 1 (2014)
The following judges sit on the court:
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
January 5, 2015 - Present |
Brian Sandoval |
|
|
March 4, 2019 - Present |
Steve Sisolak |
|
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January 2, 2023 - Present |
Trial courts
Nevada District Courts
- See also: Nevada District Courts
The district courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction. They have general jurisdiction over all legal disputes and sometimes hear appeals from the justice and municipal courts.[1]
District court judges may also preside over specialty court cases related to felony and gross misdemeanor offenses. Specialty courts are therapeutic court programs addressing substance abuse and mental illness as contributors to criminal offenses.[6][7]
Family Divisions
The Second and Eighth Districts in Washoe and Clark counties, respectively, have a family division. These divisions specialize in family-related issues such as divorce, child custody, and adoption.[8]
Nevada Justice Courts
- See also: Nevada Justice Courts
The justice courts courts deal with cases involving misdemeanors, traffic violations, small claims cases, evictions and other civil cases less than $15,000. They may hold preliminary hearings for the district courts, as well.[1] Justice court judges may also preside over community court hearings, which handle misdemeanor criminal cases for eligible defendants.[6][7]
Justice court judges may also preside over specialty court cases related to misdemeanor offenses. Specialty courts are therapeutic court programs addressing substance abuse and mental illness as contributors to criminal offenses.[6][7]
Nevada Municipal Courts
- See also: Nevada Municipal Courts
The municipal courts deal with traffic and city ordinance violations.[1] Municipal court judges may also preside over community court hearings, which handle misdemeanor criminal cases for eligible defendants.[6][7]
Municipal court judges may also preside over specialty court cases related to misdemeanor offenses. Specialty courts are therapeutic court programs addressing substance abuse and mental illness as contributors to criminal offenses.[6][7]
In other states
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nevada Judiciary, "About the Nevada Judiciary," archived December 20, 2022
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Nevada," archived October 6, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Legislature, "The Constitution of the State of Nevada, Article 6, Section 3A," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Nevada Judiciary, "Overview of the Supreme Court," archived October 12, 2009
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Nevada appeals court draws 36 applicants," November 12, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Nevada Courts, "Media contact," accessed June 2, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Ballotpedia staff, Email communication with Nevada Courts press office, May 31, 2023
- ↑ Nevada Judiciary, "District Courts," archived December 22, 2022
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada
State courts:
Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada
State resources:
Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada
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