Nevada Supreme Court
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| Nevada Supreme Court |
|---|
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| Sitting Justices |
| Michael Cherry Michael Douglas Mark Gibbons James Hardesty Ron Parraguirre Kris Pickering Nancy Saitta |
| Notable rulings |
| Former justices |
| Nevada on Judgepedia |
Contents |
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest judicial body in the state.
Jurisdiction
Because Nevada does not have an intermediate appellate court, it is the court of last resort. The Nevada Supreme Court determines all appeals from the district courts.[1]
Case load
In fiscal year 2008, 1,842 appeals were file and 2,238 total cases were filed. Seventy-nine opinions were written.[2] The court has one of the heaviest caseloads nationwide.[3]
The court's justices
Selection of justices
Each justice of the seven justices are elected to six-year terms. In the case of a vacancy, the responsibility goes to the Governor to fill by appointment.[4]
Qualifications
To be a qualified candidate, the person must be a resident of the state for at least two years, must be at least 25 years old at the time of the election, and licensed and admitted to practice law in either Nevada or any other state in the United States for at least 15 years. Two of these years must have been spent practicing in Nevada.[5] To file with the Secretary of State to become an official candidate to the Supreme Court of Nevada, the fee is $300.[6]
Current justices
| Name | Elected/Appointed | Term expires | Appointing Governor | Political Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Gibbons | 2002 | 2014 | Republican | |
| Michael Cherry | 2006 | 2012 | - | Democrat |
| Kris Pickering | 2008 | 2014 | - | Republican |
| Nancy Saitta | 2006 | 2012 | - | Democrat |
| Michael Douglas | 2004 | 2010 | Governor Kenny Guinn | Republican |
| James Hardesty | 2004 | 2010 | - | Democrat |
| Ron Parraguirre | 2004 | 2010 | - | Republican |
Chief justice
The Chief Justice is chosen according to seniority, and terms are two years. In the case of two eligible justices, the Chief Justices is determined by lot. In 2009, James Hardesty became Chief Justice of the court.[7] Prior to his term, Bill Maupin and Mark Gibbons split the two year term as both were eligible. Justice Maupin retired in 2008.
History of the court
Upon statehood, the constitution of Nevada provided three justices to the Supreme Court. This was increased twice, once in 1967 from three to five justices, and again in 1997 to seven.[8]
2008 Election
In 2008, two seats on the court were 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 were perceived as liberal. After the primary, 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 will face each other in the November general election. Thomas Christensen is challenging Mark Gibbons for Seat D.[9] Kris Pickering and Mark Gibbons won the general election in November 2008.
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
- Constitution of Nevada
References
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The Nevada Project on Judgepedia
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