Washoe County judges handle change differently

While Clark County's district judges have resisted reforms that would provide oversight and accountability, Washoe County's judges have embraced change.

Washoe District Judge Brent Adams said the 11 judges in the state's second largest district voted unanimously at a May 21 retreat to give a strong chief judge wide-ranging authority.

"We decided to act as a court instead of a group of individual judges," Adams said.

"The reason we are here is to do the public's business."

The Washoe judges agreed the chief judge will oversee the judges and their staffs to ensure the job of resolving cases is achieved and there will be the authority to reassign cases and duties, he said.

The Washoe chief judge won't be dictating court hours or limiting vacation days, Adams said, but he noted, "We were all elected to the same job and we should be putting in roughly the same amount of hours."

"If judges fail to competently perform the duties of their office, their fellow judges have an obligation to report them to the Judicial Discipline Commission," he said. The state's Judicial Discipline Commission investigates complaints against judges and decides punishment that can include removal from office.

Adams pointed out that judicial ethics rules dictate that judges "dispose of matters promptly and fairly."

But Clark County district judges say that's easier in Washoe County because the judges have considerably smaller caseloads.

The Washoe judges also handle both civil and criminal cases, unlike Clark County judges, who specialize in either civil or criminal -- a system that prosecutors and lawyers like because it streamlines the judicial process but has drawn criticism from judges because the civil judges have larger and more time-consuming caseloads than the criminal judges.

Adams said that another decision by Washoe judges involved an increased commitment to the administrative responsibilities of the court system.

As in Clark County, judges in Washoe County spent only an hour a month considering and voting on administrative matters, such as policies and budget expenditures.

Adams said the Washoe judges have decided to hold two meetings a month and set aside 1 1/2 hours for each meeting.

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