Lame-duck chief justice criticized for road trips

CARSON CITY - Chief Justice Charles Springer says another justice is off base in saying cases have been held up because of Springer's five road trips since early June.

Justice Bob Rose made the claim Thursday, but Springer said, "He knows that's not true ... I don't know what he's talking about. Nothing could be more untrue."

Rose, who has been at odds with Springer many times over the years, also said the chief justice's trips to conventions, workshops and forums are a waste of money because Springer is a lame duck.

Ironically, Rose and Springer had signed a letter six years ago, when the late John Mowbray was wrapping up his term as chief, saying taxpayer dollars shouldn't be spent to send Mowbray to go to a national gathering of chief justices.

Springer, who has been at a similar conference, in Lexington, Ky., all week, said he's making "no apologies" for going to the chief justices' meeting.

"It's a conference of chief justices and I'm the chief justice (in Nevada) so therefore I went," he said.

Rose said Springer also attended a July 29-Aug. 2 American Bar Association national convention in Toronto, and a July 11-12 forum of state court judges sponsored by the Roscoe Pound Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Rose added Springer also attended the June 10-13 State Bar convention in Hawaii; and a U.S. Department of Justice workshop held in early June in Tampa, Fla. The state is paying for all but the Washington and Florida events.

"Besides wasting taxpayers' money, Chief Justice Springer's long absences have delayed action on several important cases," Rose said.

He added that Springer had scheduled a major opinion conference for July 28 - but "did not attend because he was headed to yet another conference."

"The staff has been faxing the chief justice information about court matters at his various convention locations," Rose said. "This has proven time-consuming, costly and ineffective."

Springer said the faxing of opinions and dissents back and forth was an effective way to keep up with casework, adding, "I'm up to date on everything. There is nothing awaiting my signature."

When Rose and Springer, joined by former Justice Tom Steffen, criticized Mowbray in 1992, they said it made more sense for the incoming chief justice to attend the chiefs' gathering. That year, it was held in Hawaii.

When he leaves after 18 years on the state Supreme Court, Springer will be replaced by Rose as chief justice.

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