Las Vegas Justice Court opening attracts 14 lawyers

Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 years ago

Justices of the Peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson, left, testifies during a Nevada Judicial Disci ... — Justices of the Peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson, left, testifies during a Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission panel hearing at Thomas and Mack Moot Court on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Justices of the Peace Tobiasson and Chelini are facing a Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline panel in a hearing over the hiring and firing of court administrators. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

Fourteen attorneys have applied for a seat on the Las Vegas Justice Court bench made vacant by the resignation of Melanie Tobiasson.

Those seeking the appointment are: Maxwell Berkley, Cybill Dotson, Tracy Hibbetts, Daniel Hill, Nadia Hojjat, Mark Karris, Benard Little, Fikisha Miller, Nadine Morton, Danielle Pieper, Dena Rinetti, Katrina Ross, Robert Walsh and Yi Lin Zheng.

An eight-member county judicial nominating committee is expected to interview candidates in August or September before sending a list of three finalists to the Clark County Commission, which will appoint someone to finish Tobiasson’s term, which ends in January 2023. The position then will be filled by the person who wins the seat in the November 2022 election.

Justice Court handles misdemeanors, traffic matters, felony arraignments, civil disputes under $15,000, small claims and landlord tenant disputes. The job pays $163,752.

Tobiasson resigned in April while facing a long list of allegations lodged by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.