Longtime Las Vegas justice of the peace won’t seek re-election

Longtime Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis has decided not to seek re-election at the end of her term in 2018.

Lippis has served on the bench for 25 years. She was first elected in 1992 after serving as a prosecutor and public defender for nearly 10 years.

“I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I still do,” she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday.

Lippis did not give a specific reason for leaving her position but said, “You cannot buy time with the people that you love.”

As for her last six-year term on the bench, Lippis said, “I’ve been blessed to have it.”

“It’s time for the young people to get in there and bring fresh ideas,” she added.

The judge has not submitted an official notice of retirement, a Clark County official said.

During her tenure, Lippis served on a number of advisory boards, including Families of Murder Victims, Family & Child Treatment, and the Senior Citizens Law Project, according to the Justice Court website.

In 1993, she became the first judge to receive an award from the Clark County district attorney for her professional services to victims of crime.

On Monday, attorney James Dean Leavitt, the former chairman of the Nevada Board of Regents, announced his candidacy to run for the seat Lippis intends to vacate.

“The vision of the Las Vegas Justice Court is to maximize access to Justice, in order to achieve the highest level of Public Trust and Confidence,” Leavitt’s announcement stated. “I pledge to uphold this vision and wish to express my sincere gratitude to the many outstanding members of our community who have placed their Trust and Confidence in me.”

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.