Chief judge of Las Vegas Justice Court resigns from role leading court

The chief judge of the Las Vegas Justice Court has resigned from her role leading the court, her campaign manager said Friday.

Justice of the Peace Cynthia Cruz’s resignation was effective late Thursday afternoon, said Tom Letizia, who manages her re-election campaign. Cruz will now hear civil, drug court and DUI treatment court cases, he said. She has previously presided over the drug and DUI courts, according to the court’s online biography for her.

“Judge Cruz’s decision to step down from her role of chief judge is driven by her desire to return her full focus to the bench and serve the community in the capacity that she was elected for,” Letizia told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Sitting on the bench allows her to engage directly with the public, which has always been her greatest passion.”

In her resignation letter, dated Thursday and provided by Letizia, Cruz said she left her role “with careful consideration and a deep sense of responsibility.”

Cruz began a two-year term as chief judge on Jan. 1, 2023, after being selected in 2022, according to the court.

“This is not like she’s quitting in the middle,” Letizia said. “She basically is at the final stages of her term and she’s also in a political campaign right now so she’s got a lot on her plate.”

Cruz and Chief Deputy District Attorney Madilyn “Leavitt” Cole are currently competing for Justice Court’s Department 5 seat.

“This is another example of why so many people encouraged me to enter this race,” Cole said in a statement. “We need a strong leader in Department 5.”

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.