Judges tab Gates new chief

District Judge Lee Gates has been elected to the administrative position of chief district judge for the next two years beginning in January.

He will replace current Chief District Judge Myron Leavitt, who has served in the post for the past two years and is running against light opposition for a seat on the Nevada Supreme Court.

Gates, a graduate of Western High School, UNLV and the University of Colorado School of Law, was appointed district judge in 1991 and elected twice to retain the seat.

Prior to taking the bench, he was a Colorado prosecutor, an attorney for the East Texas Legal Foundation, a Clark County deputy public defender and a private attorney.

The chief judge handles administrative matters and has some supervisory duties, but there is no power authorized to control or direct the activities of fellow district judges.

The vote for Gates at Wednesday's meeting of the district judges was unanimous.

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