Nevada Supreme Court
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The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest judicial body in the state. The court bench is comprised of seven justices who are elected to six-year terms in non-partisan elections.
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Chief Justice
The Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme court is determined by commission seniority and serves for two years. If two justices are eligible, the chief justice is chosen by lot (coin toss). Current Chief Justice Mark Gibbons, who is up for re-election this year, began his term as head of the court in January 2008. He took over for Bill Maupin, who served in the position last year. Maupin and Gibbons agreed to split the two-year term because they both were eligible and on the same election cycle. Earlier this year Maupin announced he would not seek a third term.
2008 Election
In 2008, two seats on the court are up for re-election, Seats B and D. Four candidates Nancy Allf, Don Chairez, Kris Pickering and Deborah Schumacher, faced off for the B seat during the August 12, primary election. Even though the election was non-partisan, Chairez and Pickering were considered the conservative candidates, while Allf and Schumacher are perceived as liberal.
Pickering was the overall winner with 27.17% of the vote, while Schumacher edged out Chairez 25.35% to 24%. Allf was right behind with aporoximately 23.5% of the vote. Pickering and Schumacher with face each other in the November general election.
Thomas Christensen is challenging Mark Gibbons for Seat D.[1]
Court Duties
The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals from the decisions of the district courts. The Supreme Court does not pursue fact-finding by conducting trials, but rather determines whether legal errors were committed in the rendering of the lower court's decision. The court can affirm, modify, or set aside the decision on appeal. The court must consider all cases filed. Beginning in January of 1999, for the first time in history and in a move to dispose of cases more rapidly, the court decides many of its cases by meeting in three-justice panels, with one panel in Carson City and one panel in Las Vegas. Panel membership rotates every twelve months. The full court will continue to sit in Carson City twice yearly, for those cases which are designated to be heard en banc.[1]
History
When Nevada established its statehood, there were three justices of the Supreme Court. This was increased to 5 justices in 1967 and to seven justices in 1997. Only three justices sat on the Nevada Supreme Court bench from 1864 to 1967. In 1967 the legislature used its constitutional authority to increase the size of the court to five. In 1997, the number was increased to seven justices. Each justice is elected to a six-year term, with the exception of the two new justices elected in 1998, who held two-year terms until they were reelected in the 2000 election; subsequent terms are for six years. The Governor fills mid-term vacancies by appointment. The most senior justice in commission becomes chief justice and serves for two years. If two justices are eligible, the chief justice is chosen by lot.
Present Justices
- Chief Justice Mark Gibbons (2003)
- Justice Michael Cherry (2007)
- Justice A. William Maupin (1997)
- Justice Nancy Saitta (2007)
- Justice Michael Douglas (2004)
- Justice James Hardesty (2005)
- Justice Ron Parraguirre (2005)
See Also
External Links
- Nevada Supreme Court Official Site
- Nevada Supreme Court Advance Opinions
- Harmful Error, website that covers the Nevada Supreme court
- Report to the 74th Regular Session of the Nevada State Legislature, 2007, Regarding the Creation of the Nevada Court of Appeals
- Panel endorses plan to change how Nevadans pick judges
- Report on the Creation of the Nevada Court of Appeals
- Nevada Supreme Court Documents
- Las Vegas Review Journal: Supreme Court Judicial Performance Evaluation, 2008
- Nevada Supreme Court rules local candidates ineligible
References
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