Judicial selection in Nevada
| Judicial selection in Nevada | |
 | |
| Nevada Supreme Court | |
| Method: | Non-partisan election of judges |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Nevada District Courts | |
| Method: | Non-partisan election of judges |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Nevada Justice Courts | |
| Method: | Non-partisan election of judges |
| Term: | 6 years |
Contents |
Judges in Nevada are selected via non-partisan elections. Elected judges then serve six-year terms.
Supreme Court
| Nevada is one of six states in which the Chief Justice is determined by seniority. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Justices of the Nevada Supreme Court are elected to six year terms by nonpartisan election.
The chief justice of the court serves a two year term and in rotation by seniority.
In order to join the court, an individual must meet the following qualifications:
- be a qualified elector;
- be 2 yrs a state resident;
- the minimum age of 25;
- be licensed and admitted to practice law in NV;
- be 15 yrs a licensed attorney, with at least 2 in NV.
History of the Supreme Court
The first justices of the Nevada Supreme Court were appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to the Territorial Supreme Court in 1861. Three years later, when Nevada became a state, the constitution called for three justices to be elected to six year terms. In 1967, the court expanded to have five justices, and was increased to seven thirty years later. [1]
Circuit Courts
The chief judge serves a two year term and the chief judge is required in districts that have a population of 100,000 or more people to be chosen by peer vote. In all other districts, a chief judge may be selected as he/she is needed.
All other aspects are the same as the Nevada Supreme Court, excluding being a district resident.
Court vacancies
If there is a vacancy on a court between elections, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection solicits and screens applicants and makes recommendations to the governor, who appoints a mid-term replacement. Appointed judges must compete for the seat in the next general election, then serve the remainder of the unexpired term. [2]
Reform efforts
2010
In 2010, a ballot measure regarding judicial selection was defeated by voters. The Nevada Judicial Appointment Amendment wanted to adopt a new method of selection, akin to the Missouri Plan. The measure was defeated with 57.74% of the vote. [3] The amendment would have:
- created a selection panel to screen and recommend candidates for appointment to judicial vacancies;
- allowed the governor to appoint a candidate;
- made the appointee subject to a retention election after two years in office.
The most vocal advocate for passage of the ballot measure was former Supreme Court of the United States Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Justice O'Connor spoke across the state, appeared in television ads, and even participated in home robo-calls to mobilize voters. [4]
Ultimately, voters supported keeping the current method of judicial selection. The opposition to the measure framed the debate as taking away voting rights and replacing them with an unelected panel. [5]
See also
- State Supreme Court elections
- Campaign finance requirements for Nevada judicial elections
- Nevada judicial elections
- Courts in Nevada
External links
- Judicial selection in Nevada
- Gavel Grab, "O'Connor to Press for Merit Selection in Nevada", July 26, 2010
- American Judicature Society, Judicial selection in Nevada
- American Judicature Society, History of Reform Efforts: Nevada
References
- ↑ Nevada Judiciary, History of the Supreme Court of Nevada
- ↑ American Judicature Society, Judicial Selection in the States: Nevada
- ↑ Nevada Judicial Appointment Amendment, Question 1 (2010)
- ↑ Legal Newsline,"O'Connor leads push against judicial elections," December 11, 2009
- ↑ Reno Gazette-Journal, "Two Cents Worth: Ballot questions: Four No, one Yes..." October 21, 2010
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