Nevada has a variety of courts, and at first the number of them may seem confusing, but each court has its purpose.

Cities in Nevada, such as Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Mesquite here in Southern Nevada, all have their own court systems called Municipal Court. Each municipal court deals with criminal misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, municipal code enforcement and civil actions up to $2500 which occur within the city limits of each particular city. Similar charges which occur outside of city limits are heard in Justice Courts which are part of the county court system.

In Las Vegas Municipal Court there are six elected judges who conduct trial court. These are actual trials with all the normal legal rules, but the trial is heard by the judge, not a jury, and it is the judge who renders the decision of guilt or innocence. Judge Cynthia Leung is the judge in Las Vegas Municipal Court, Department 1. She was appointed to fill the unexpired term left by the death of long-time judge Toy Gregory. Judge Leung is running for election to the Department 1 position.

Among the most common cases in Municipal Court are parking tickets. Most of these are resolved by paying for the ticket, but hearings are held if the ticket is contested.

Traffic misdemeanor citations are also heard in Municipal Court. Speeding, improper lane changes, and moving violations are the most common of these charges. Most of the moving violation charges are heard by a Traffic Commissioner so that the judges have more time to devote to the criminal misdemeanor and civil cases. The Las Vegas Municipal Court system processes over 150,000 traffic offenses a year.

Much of the court time in Municipal Court is devoted to criminal misdemeanor offenses. Cases such as driving under the influence (DUI), battery, domestic violence, disturbing the peace, drug and drug paraphernalia cases, and prostitution are the most common.

Judge Leung refers to some cases as the “quality of life” cases. These cases usually revolve around distressed or condemned property nuisance violations, permit violations under the Uniform Building Code and the Uniform Fire Code, alcohol-related offenses other than DUI, soliciting money, or creating a public disturbance.  The Municipal Court also handles cases involving licensing of animals and regulation of their ownership.

The Las Vegas Municipal Court has a number of innovative programs aimed at reducing repeat offenders (recidivism) which both reduces crime and cuts expenses for the court. One example is the Women in Need program (WIN) initially started by Chief Judge Bert Brown and now the responsibility of Judge Leung. In this program, repeat prostitutes are provided counseling, detoxification, job training and support to break the cycle of prostitution and arrest. Those who are successful don’t repeat. Those who cannot complete the program receive the maximum penalty.

While Judge Leung handles the WIN program, other innovative programs include the H.O.P.E. Court in Department 5 which deals with recidivism; DUI court in Department 2; the Drug Court in Department 3; and Mental Health Court in Department 4. All of these programs are aimed at breaking a cycle of criminal activity and reducing the caseload in Municipal Court.

As a measure of caseloads for judges, Judge Leung has an average of 300 cases a day in her court. With that sort of caseload, the challenge for each judge is to make certain each defendant fully understands the charges, is able to provide a defense, and witnesses and victims are accommodated while still processing each case efficiently. In addition, Judge Leung believes that respect must be shown for each person, and court decorum must be maintained.

With the completion of the Regional Justice Center (RJC) at 200 Lewis Avenue in downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Municipal Court offices moved from City Hall to the RJC. Departments 1, 2, 3 and 6 are located on the 5th Floor. Departments 4 and 5 can be found on the 6th Floor. The Administration offices are on the 2nd Floor, Court Ordered Programs are on the 4th Floor, and House Arrest is on the 2nd Floor.

Warrants can be checked by calling the Las Vegas Municipal Court for information. Call 229-2067 locally or 800-654-6856 if out of state. Generally, a person can avoid arrest by appearing and posting bail.

There is also a confidential warrant tip line. This link will take you to an email directly to the Las Vegas Marshal’s Office http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/AppForms/warrants.asp or you can call 229-2422. All tips are strictly confidential.

The Las Vegas Municipal Court system also encourages volunteer bilingual court advocates. If you are fluent in English and Spanish, you can learn courtroom procedure, help explain the proceedings to defendants, and assist people through the court process. For more information, call 229-4632.

Up to date information on the Las Vegas Municipal Court System and all the courts in Southern Nevada can be found through the Links Page on the button at the top of this page.