Two new judges will ease burden in Family Court

Bill Gang

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The November election will add two new judges to the six already at Family Court. The primary whittled the four challengers in each race to two.

The new positions were authorized at the last session of the Legislature to ease the crowded calendars in the court that handles all domestic matters and juvenile crime.

Ironically, one of the losers -- Deputy Attorney General Nancy Saitta -- will don the robes of a judge before either of those who nipped her by a handful of votes at the polls. She was appointed in early October to a vacant position as Las Vegas Municipal Court judge.

DEPARTMENT G

The winners in the race for Family Court Department G were Juvenile Court Hearing Master Fernando Guzman and Cynthia Dianne Steel, a former Republican assemblywoman who serves as chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren.

Both were unsuccessful in runs for seats on the Family Court bench four years ago when it was created by the Legislature.

However, Steel, 43, did win election to the Assembly in 1994, although she resigned from that position after one session to accept the position with Hammargren. That resulted in an ethics complaint, because lawmakers are prohibited from working in government-related jobs within a year after leaving the Legislature. The complaint was dismissed.

Steel, a 1990 graduate of California Western School of Law, advocates flexible court hours to accommodate working parents.

Guzman, 47, who has been a hearing master for 16 years, said his Juvenile Court experience dealing with family issues makes him a prime candidate.

Guzman, who is a 1974 graduate of the University of San Francisco and former deputy district attorney, said he wants to "fast track" custody issues if there are allegations of abuse or neglect.

FAMILY COURT DEPT. H

The race for Family Court Department H is between two private attorneys, Gary Redmon and Kendal Sue Bird.

Like the contestants in Department G, Redmon also ran unsuccessfully for judge during the past election, although it was for District Court, not Family Court.

But this is the first bid for election by Bird, 32, who has practiced family and civil law since 1988, when she graduated from McGeorge School of Law in California.

"The families of Clark County are entitled to justice that is fair, prompt and legally sound," she said. "Justice rests in truth and the law, not political connections or favors."

Redmon, 61, finished first in the primary for the seat that will pay $100,000 annually.

A former deputy district attorney, Redmon has practiced family and criminal law for more than 20 years. He earned a bachelor's degree from UNLV and a law degree from the University of San Diego.

He vowed to eliminate gender bias in the Family Court system.