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“Info about the Eighth Judicial District Court.”

Monthly Archives: July 2013

18/07/13 Judges Offer Valuable Information At Open Forum Meeting

The recent Civil Bench-Bar Meeting had great attendance. Several interesting discussions shed light on new Supreme Court Decisions, proposed rule changes and courtroom decorum. A subject that generated a lot of discussion was judges’ pet peeves. The top 10 are listed below.

 

Judges’ Pet Peeves

 

  1. Impolite/uncivil attorneys (including those who interrupt).
  2. Attorneys’ lack of preparation.
  3. Putting exhibit on Elmo (monitor) and showing to jury without prior motion to admit and/or publish.
  4. Asking prospective jurors voir dire questions based upon hypothetical, which seeks to have them pre-commit to verdict in violation of EDCR 7.70(c).
  5. Cutting side deals for extensions of time…and forgetting to tell the Judge.
  6. Filing Oppositions/Replies at the last minute and expecting the Judge to read them.
  7. Requesting to appear at hearing by telephone, and then providing the Court a non-direct telephone number to attorney.  That is, the telephone number is directed to the attorney’s receptionist, who forwards the judge’s call to the attorney’s secretary, who forwards the call to the attorney or worse—his voice mail or says he’s not available.  (not all departments use CourtCall)
  8. Failure to timely provide courtesy copies with tabs for exhibits.
  9. Failure to comply with NRCP 56(c) (statement of uncontested material facts with supporting citations to evidence in the record) and the Choy case, 265 P.3d 698 (affidavit required for 56(f) continuance.
  10. Providing stacks of depositions that are not excerpted to make the relevant parts easy to locate.

 

Other recommendations that came out of the discussion include a suggestion that attorney read trial orders to cut down on question in the courtroom.  And, when sending and order, on the last page include a description of what it is and the case number. A lot was covered and a tasty lunch was sponsored by the judges.  The next civil Bench-Bar meeting will be Aug. 13 at 12:05 p.m. in courtroom 15D.

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17/07/13 42 Eighth Judicial District Specialty Court Participants Mark Their Independence From Substance Abuse At July Graduation

Judge Linda Bell told graduates, "you inspire me."

Judge Linda Bell told graduates, “you inspire me.”

Two big screens projecting a mug shot served as the backdrop for 42 Eighth Judicial District specialty court graduates in Las Vegas as they celebrated their drug-free, crime–free life after an intensive treatment program. A packed room filled with friends, family, counselors and even the judges who sentenced the participants, looked on and applauded, as one-by-one the graduates faced friendly heckles on their mug shots, collected their certificates, thanked their judge and counselors and shared their emotional road to recovery. Standing before the audience, a nervous graduate named Armando said he was so excited that he couldn’t sleep the night before. Barbara, who was chosen to speak on behalf of the mental health court graduates, said that the program helped her to overcome a 35-year drug addiction. A DUI graduate named Jason just said that he was happy to have his family back. Many of the graduates brought prepared letters to read, including Marcus who said, “thank you to the program that saved my life.” He read a heart-wrenching letter that recounted his despair during his addiction and ended saying “I hope to make the world a better place.” One 20-year-old said that it was good he caught “it” when he was young because he didn’t think that he would make it to be old. The audience laughed, applauded and echoed the thought.
Judge Linda Marie Bell who presides over the specialty courts commended the graduates and said, “I know how hard you’ve worked and what you put into the program. You inspire me.”

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15/07/13 Eighth Judicial District Court Department 2 Vacancy Announced

District Court Judge Valorie J. Vega today announced she will not file to seek re-election next year to Department 2. She will finish out her current term, which expires in January 2015. Judge Vega will leave the seat open for the voters to decide her successor.

“After careful and thorough consideration, I determined that it was time to take on new personal and professional challenges,” said Judge Vega. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my 25-year tenure as a jurist, a position that allowed me to achieve my goal to serve the public. I am most appreciative of the voters’ support and I wish to thank my colleagues and my staff for their dedication, professionalism and assistance during my career in public service. During my time on the bench, I have seen the court make great strides to ensure that justice is served in our community and I am honored and proud to be part of that. As I take this step, I look forward to meeting new challenges and opportunities.”

Judge Vega was appointed to Department 2 of the Eighth Judicial District Court in March of 1999, by then Governor Kenny Guinn. Since that appointment, she has presided over 293 trials and been retained and re-elected by the voters in the 2000, 2002 and 2008 elections. Judge Vega has served the community for more that 32 years, including prior posts as a Las Vegas Municipal Court judge, Clark County Deputy District Attorney, a judicial law clerk and as the supervisor of court interpreters. Judge Vega has also served in many community organizations and has received numerous awards and honors for her work.

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