Judge Jackie Glass to replace Nancy Grace on ‘Swift Justice’

In a case of swift TV justice, District Judge Jackie Glass has been tapped to replace Nancy Grace as host of the syndicated "Swift Justice," which airs at 4 and 4:30 p.m. weekdays on KVVU-TV, Channel 5.

Known for presiding over the trial that sent O.J. Simpson to prison for nine to 33 years for his role in an armed robbery and kidnapping at Palace Station in 2008, Glass submitted her resignation Tuesday to Gov. Brian Sandoval. She has been with the Eighth Judicial District Court the past 8½ years.

Her last day on the bench will be June 10. She will take over for the second season of "Swift Justice," which debuts in September. In an email to judicial colleagues Tuesday afternoon, Glass said the show is a "very exciting opportunity for me." She added that she had a "wonderful" time on the bench and enjoyed working with her fellow judges. In a statement released by CBS Television Distribution, which distributes the syndicated program, Glass said: "I've always admired Nancy Grace and her inherent sense of justice and I'm honored to take her spot behind the podium."

Structured differently from typical courtroom programs, "Swift Justice" has featured Grace -- a former Georgia assistant district attorney known for her aggressive, confrontational style -- adjudicating small-claims disputes. Unlike on "The People's Court" and all of its descendants, Grace does not don a black robe and does without a gavel and a bailiff, standing behind a glass desk and roaming around the studio.

Chief District Judge Jennifer Togliatti said the courts have big shoes to fill with Glass' departure.

"We're sorry to see her go," Togliatti said. "She's been a great specialty courts judge. She ran a tight ship."

Glass, a former television reporter who was first elected to the bench in 2002, has been handling a limited criminal calendar while overseeing both the drug and the DUI courts. She also has handled all matters involving the competency of defendants to stand trial in District Court and has played a role in the administration of the mental health court here.

Recently, Glass oversaw competency issues involving Dr. Dipak Desai, who is facing criminal charges over the hepatitis C outbreak. Desai is undergoing further evaluation at Lakes Crossing, the state's mental health hospital in Sparks.

Re-elected without opposition in 2008, Glass drew national attention over the Simpson case and was noted for her personality that she herself described as "probably more animated than what you expect of a judge. That's not to say I don't take this seriously."

Several of her back-and-forth exchanges with others in the courtroom prompted parodies by "Saturday Night Live" and Jay Leno.

In the Review-Journal's 2010 "Judging the Judges" survey, Glass received a 60 percent retention rating, which was enough to get re-elected. But her score was below 19 of her 24 District Court colleagues at the time, most of whom had 70 percent to 90 percent retention ratings.

Glass scored high marks in the survey of lawyers for not showing any religious, ethnic or gender biases on the bench, but she didn't do as well when it came to explaining her decisions or applying the law to her decisions.

Glass is married to Steve Wolfson, a Las Vegas city councilman and criminal defense lawyer with whom she was in private law practice.

Togliatti said she will meet with her executive committee next week to discuss how to take over Glass' specialty court duties. Sandoval will appoint her successor on the bench after reviewing recommendations from the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection, a screening panel overseen by the Nevada Supreme Court.

In the CBS statement, Grace described her coming departure as a "tough decision" based on the show's production moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles. "It became challenging to balance my most important job -- mother to John David and Lucy back home."

Grace also hosts the Atlanta-based weeknight show "Nancy Grace" on cable's HLN (Headline News) and signed a new multiyear deal to stay at HLN at the beginning of the year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The trade publication also reported that "Swift Justice," which was nominated for an Emmy for best legal/courtroom program in its inaugural season, debuted as the top-rated new syndicated show of the season and is averaging 2.3 million viewers nationally for the May sweeps to date.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256. Contact reporter Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.