Hearing master, attorney facing off for Las Vegas Justice Court seat

A hearing master and attorney are vying for a seat on the Las Vegas Justice Court bench in Department 8.

Lawyer Nancy Bernstein, who was raised by parents heavily involved in unions and has more than 15 years experience in private practice as both a criminal defense attorney and civil litigator, said she believes in the judicial system, but feels justice court needs to be streamlined.

“We have to hurry up and get used to the fact that we’re a big city now,” Bernstein said.

Hearing Master Amy Ferreira, who advocates against animal cruelty, wants to be a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.

She said she feels that the current system is too onerous for citizens spending too long in court.

“Our courts should be working for the people that they serve and not against them,” Ferreira said.

Both candidates feel there are unnecessary delays plaguing the court. Bernstein said she feels that holding court in the morning doesn’t allow that much time for judges to spend on a case. “The dockets are really just overcrowded, and it doesn’t make sense when you have a lot of time still in the day,” Bernstein said.

Ferreira emphasized that continuances often mean witnesses can sit in court for too long. “Why are we making our regular, everyday community member sit in court for four hours for no reason?” asked Ferreira, who feels that increasing virtual options and vetting requests for continuances can help speed up matters.

Both candidates have experience working on traffic infractions — Bernstein as a private attorney, and Ferreira as a hearing master. Las Vegas Justice Court has a program that allows those with traffic citations to pay a fee and get points removed from their license. Some traffic experts have concerns about this.

“I understand both sides,” Bernstein said. But, she said, she feels the court’s system works well.

Ferreira feels it’s something that needs to be looked into more, as the more money someone has the easier it is for them to “buy their way down to a parking ticket.”

Ferreira said that her experience as hearing master means she knows how to do the job, and that being recognized as the court’s employee of the year in 2022 proves she’s doing something right.

Bernstein, whose ex-husband Dennis Prince was shot and killed at his Summerlin law office in April, said she understands what being impacted by violent crime feels like.

“The most important thing that I would want in a judge is to be present,” she said.

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estellelilym on X and @estelleatkinsonreports on Instagram.