Personal Code

I believe a judge bears great responsibility to uphold the law and to act in a manner on and off the bench that inspires trust and respect in the legal process.

I want each person to know I will act in an impartial manner according to the rules of law. As a judge, I remind myself daily that I have a personal code of conduct: treat everyone with respect and dignity; be impartial and fair; be patient and listen; do not cut corners for the convenience of “moving cases along” yet be efficient.

The Importance of Experience

I have served as a defense attorney and a prosecutor, and I know how important it is for the accused to understand the choices they face. The law must be followed, and I will take the time to explain the law and the procedures. I am as consistent as I can be. I articulate my thought process so that the parties involved can make an appropriate record and utilize the procedures available to them.

A Prosecutor’s Understanding of How Crime Affects Us All 

As a former prosecutor for the City of Las Vegas, I am extremely familiar with all of the types of cases I preside over. I also understand the larger context in which they occur. I know how a victim of battery domestic violence has suffered and I also understand how the legal process can be an additional trauma. I know how the life of a victim of a drunk driver and his or her family can be forever changed because of someone’s bad decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. I know the daily struggle that business owners go through trying to provide a service, only to have chronic drug, prostitution, and vagrancy problems near their businesses. I bring years of experience trying exactly these types of cases, and I hold people accountable for their actions. I know a single act has many consequences and affects more than the one person who is accused of the crime.

Not Everyone Is a Hardened Criminal

I also know how a single bad decision can lead to criminal charges. Many folks who come before me have never been in trouble before and are nervous, scared or confused about the legal process. I believe it is my duty to make sure their constitutional rights are protected. I do try to assist them to the extent that I can without violating my ethical requirements as a judge.

Provide Citizens and Taxpayers with a Quality Court

Taxpayers have a right to expect a judge to work hard, avoid backlogs, and dispense justice fairly. I believe I deliver on that expectation.

It is important at all times for our courts to look for innovative solutions and stop, where we can, the revolving door of justice where someone is arrested, tried, convicted and jailed only to be released, arrested again and begin the whole process again. The costs in terms of tax money, court time, and wasted lives is tremendous.

That’s why I’m carefully monitoring the Women In Need (W.I.N.) program of diverting repeat prostitutes into an intensive program of de-tox, counseling, job training and support to beat the recidivism problem. Those who fail get the maximum penalty. Those who succeed can become productive citizens and taxpayers save tens of thousands of dollars in jail costs.