Monthly Archives: March 2018
30/03/18 28 successfully complete specialty court recovery program and get their lives on track
Twenty-eight Eighth Judicial District specialty court participants completed their treatment successfully, graduated in March and are getting their lives on track. The graduates were individually recognized by their presiding judge with a certificate of completion, a special reminder token and cake. A veterans’ court graduate received a Quilt of Valor, specially made by the Quilts of Valor non-profit organization.
Judges Linda Bell and Carolyn Ellsworth who presided over the graduates’ cases, offered praise and words of encouragements as the grads move on down the road to recovery.
Specialty courts, solve issues through a rigorous and coordinated approach between judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, Parole and Probation, law enforcement and mental health/social service/treatment professionals. All work together to help participants recover, live crime-free and become productive citizens.
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Uncategorized
21/03/18 Retired District Court Judge Allan Earl passed away and leaves behind a respected legacy
Retired District Court Judge Allan R. Earl passed away March 20. Judge Earl was a respected jurist who served on the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court bench from 2000 to 2014. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Kenny Guinn.
“Judge Earl was a great asset to this court and a wonderful human being who taught many lawyers how to think,” said Chief Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Earl served for 25 years as a partner in the law firm of Galatz, Earl & Associates in Las Vegas, where he specialized in personal injury trial advocacy.
While practicing as an attorney, he served as the President of the Western Trial Lawyers Association, the President of the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, now known as the Nevada Justice Association, and was the Lawyer Governor from Nevada to the Board of Governors of Association of Trial Lawyers of America, now known as the American Association for Justice. He was appointed by the Federal Judiciary in Nevada to serve as the Lawyer’s Representative from Nevada to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.
Judge Earl wrote articles for nationwide legal journals. He was appointed by the Nevada Supreme Court to the original Select Committee to redraft the Discovery Rules under the Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure.
In 1994, he was appointed by the Nevada Supreme Court to the Board of Bar Examiners, a position he held for over 21 years. As an attorney, Judge Earl received the highest possible rating, “AV,” by Martindale-Hubbell. As a lawyer, the Nevada Justice Association awarded Judge Earl the Peoples Distinguished Counselor Award in 1994. After he was appointed to the bench the same organization honored him with a lifetime achievement award.
Judge Earl earned a Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude in 1965 from Brigham Young University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law in 1968. He served as a law clerk to the Nevada Supreme Court from 1968 to 1969 and was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 1968.
Allan R. Earl was listed in the original publication of “Best Lawyers in America.”
Tags: Eighth Judicial District Court, Judge Allan Earl, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, Judge Jennifer Togliatti, Judge Jim Bixler, Judge Susan Johnson, Las Vegas courts, Nevada Court, NV Eighth Judicial District Court
16/03/18 Students get front row seat to the justice system
Judge Kathleen Delaney had a fifth grade class from St. Viator’s sit in on her calendar. After watching the wheels of justice turn in the courtroom, the wheels in the students’ minds were turning. They asked the judge some very thoughtful questions. One student got a big laugh when he asked the judge if she ever got frustrated with what happens in court.
Students from the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law spent part of their spring break in an alternative program where they learn about the practice of law and the courts. They sat in on court, attended a judges meeting and got some Q&A time in with the judges.
District Court is involved in a number of initiatives to educate students about the justice system.
Tags: Discovery Commissioner Bonnie Bulla, Education, Hearing Master Erin Lee Truman, Judge Bill Kephart, Judge David Jones, Judge Doug Smith, Judge Jerry Wiese, Judge Joanna Kishner, Judge Kathleen Delaney, Judge Linda Bell, Judge Linda Marquis, Judge Michael Villani, Judge Susan Johnson, Judge Vincent Ochoa, Judge William Potter, Las Vegas Education, NV Eighth Judicial District Court, NV EJDC, St. Viator School, UNLV Boyd School of Law, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Crime reduction, Education, Education Clark County, Uncategorized
15/03/18 Judge Linda Marie Bell Selected to Serve as new Chief Judge of the Eighth Judicial District Court
Judge Linda Marie Bell was selected to be the new chief judge of the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court. She will succeed Chief Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez in the post effective July 1. The District Court judges vote on who will serve as the chief judge for a two-year term. The chief judge maintains responsibility for managing the administration of the court. “I look forward to working with everyone in this new capacity,” said Judge Bell. “A key area of focus for me will be long-term planning to ensure the court is well positioned to meet the demands of the future and achieve significant goals.”
Judge Bell grew up in Nevada. She graduated from Bonanza High School and the University of Nevada, Reno with honors. In 1993, she received her law degree magna cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law. She worked in Las Vegas law firms, practicing primarily in the areas of medical malpractice and family law. For twelve years prior to taking the bench, Judge Bell worked as a public defender.
Judge Bell was elected to District Court Department 7 in 2008. Since taking the bench in January of 2009, she has handled both civil and criminal cases and managed the criminal division specialty courts for more than two years. She also ran the grand jury for six years. Judge Bell served on the court’s legislative committee every legislative session since 2009. Judge Bell currently serves as the secretary for the ABA National Conference of State Trial Court Judges. She previously served as president of the Nevada District Judges’ Association and the Howard D McKibben Chapter of the American Inn of Court. Since 2011, she has taught criminal law and criminal procedure at UNLV. She is active the in community, including participation in the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas program.
“Judge Bell has an outstanding track record of leadership through her work with the specialty courts and other programs for the judiciary and the community,” said current Chief Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez. “She brings a wealth of experience and a high level of commitment that will be assets in the role of chief judge.”
During her term as chief, Judge Gonzalez established a jury services committee and put into action a plan to add active voter registration names to the Court’s Jury Master List. Judge Gonzalez implemented improvements to how minor guardianship and involuntary commitments are handled. She spearheaded logical enhancements to business practices to maximize space and proximity to enhance interface at the court with a business pod and a guardianship/probate pod. Under Judge Gonzalez’s leadership, management for homicide cases was also centralized to improve efficiency in the timely disposition of such cases.
Tags: Eighth Judicial District Court, Judge Linda Bell, Las Vegas courts, Linda Bell, Linda Marie Bell, Nevada courts, NV Eighth Judicial District Court, NV EJDC, NV EJDC Chief Judge
- Leave a comment
- Posted under NV EJDC Chief Judge, Uncategorized
15/03/18 Judge issues Stipulation and Order to dismiss claims contained in Elaine P. Wynn’s Sixth Amendment Counterclaim and Crossclaim
WynnVOkadaStipOrder3_14_18 Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez issued a Stipulation and Order to dismiss claims 1,5,7 and 10 contained in Elaine P. Wynn’s Sixth Amendment Counterclaim and Crossclaim on Grounds of Mootness in the Wynn Resorts vs. Kazuo Okada case. A number of developments have occurred recently in the case. A motion hearing is set for March 16 at 8 a.m. in courtroom 10B. 
daStipOrder3_14_18
Tags: Elaine Wynn, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, Steve Wynn, Wynn vs. Okada
- Leave a comment
- Posted under NV EJDC Rulings, Uncategorized
09/03/18 Judge issues written ruling regarding records costs in ABC Vs. LVMPD
Judge Richard Scotti issued a written ruling today in the media case against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department regarding records from 1 October.
Link to ruling
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Uncategorized
09/03/18 Specialty Courts to celebrate 28 new graduates as they mark the end of treatment and beginning of new life in recovery
Twenty-eight Eighth Judicial District specialty court participants have completed their treatment successfully and will graduate on Friday, March 9 at 3 p.m. in the Jury Service Room on the third floor of the Regional Justice Center at 200 Lewis Ave. The graduates will be individually recognized by their presiding judge with a certificate of completion, a special reminder token and cake. One veterans court graduate will receive a Quilt of Valor, specially made by the Quilts of Valor non-profit organization.
“I look forward to celebrating the graduates successful completion of their rigorous treatment,” said Judge Linda Marie Bell, who preside over several specialty court programs. “These graduations are an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of the graduates and convey the importance of their achievements as the move onto a lifetime of recovery.”
Specialty courts, solve issues through a rigorous and coordinated approach between judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, Parole and Probation, law enforcement and mental health/social service/treatment professionals. All work together to help participants recover, live crime-free and become productive citizens.
“Our graduates have come a long way. It’s rewarding to see their transformation and celebrate as they re-join their loved ones and community. They are now able to function, accomplish goals and live productive lives,” said Judge Carolyn Ellsworth, who presides over the drug court.
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Uncategorized
01/03/18 Probate, Trust, Elder Law Bench-Bar focused on what’s new to protect vulnerable population
The joint Guardianship, Probate, Trust, Elder Law Bench-Bar meeting gave attorneys in attendance a whole lot of useful information on what’s new to protect one of our community’s most vulnerable populations.
Nevada Deputy Secretary of State, Gail Anderson highlighted new features added to the Nevada Lockbox program including, the request to nominate guardian form and the guardianship nomination registry. The new additions to the Lockbox program are aimed at protecting individuals in need of a guardian. The form provides for a way to nominate a guardian and keep it in the Secretary of State Lockbox to ensure the ward’s wishes are met. Online resources for Lock Box can be found on the Nevada Secretary of State website.
Nevada state Senator Nicole Cannizzaro and Jay P. Raman from the Clark County District Attorney’s office covered the topic of elder abuse and reviewed some of the legislative changes that have been made to protect older adults and reduce the potential of exploitation. View Senate Bill 229
The Nevada Lockbox is an electronic registry, established in 2008, is securely maintained on the Nevada Secretary of State website. Lockbox contains electronic reproductions of each document filed by registrants. The Nevada Lockbox has two filing components: the Advance Directive Registry and the Guardianship Nomination Registry.
The Advance Directive Registry is a simple and secure system to ensure that the medical wishes of those registered are followed. Copies of filed advance directives are kept confidential but readily available to those registered and to their health care providers, when needed, 24-7.
A presentation was also made on how law firms can to get paralegal help on projects without staffing up.
Bench-Bar meetings are great opportunity for attorneys to grab lunch, get the latest court news and learn secrets to being more effective in court. Attending lawyers are invited to raise issues, ask questions and make suggestions.
http://nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=5227
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/79th2017/Bill/5120/Text
http://nvsos.gov/sos/online-services/nevada-lockbox/forms-resources.
Tags: Clark County elder law, Clark County Guardianship, Elder Law Bench-Bar meeting, joint Guardianship, Judge Gloria Sturman, Nevada elder law, Probate, Tips for lawyers in Clark County, Trust
eighthjdcourt 