Ex-NLV judge cleared to run for his old seat

Thursday, April 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The Nevada Supreme Court gave candidate Gary Davis the green light to continue to run for his former job as North Las Vegas municipal judge.

The high court rejected a motion from the state Judicial Discipline Commission to prevent Davis from continuing his campaign. The commission in 1995 ousted Davis from the bench for misconduct after he served there for 16 years.

Attorney Michael Davidson of Las Vegas, representing Davis, said he was informed of the decision Wednesday by a clerk at the Supreme Court.

"There is nothing in the statutes or rules that prevents him from taking office," Davidson said. "The voting public has read about the commission's decision. They should decide what weight to give that decision."

Las Vegas attorney Frank Cremen, who filed the motion for the commission, had argued that allowing Davis to run again for judge would cause judicial discipline in Nevada to be "irreparably injured to the extent that a Municipal Court judge will be able to flout a removal order by filing again for the position."

"Additionally, the residents of North Las Vegas may be given a false choice of a candidate for the position of North Las Vegas Municipal Court judge should Davis be successful in winning the election and should this court subsequently declare that he was properly removed and is therefore ineligible to hold the office."

The order by the court denying Cremen's motion was signed by all five justices. Still to be decided by the court is Davis' petition that he should not have been removed from office.

The court previously denied an order that would have allowed Davis to continue to serve as judge pending the outcome of his appeal.

Facing Davis in the four-way race are Natalie Tyrrell, Steven Szostek and Warren Van Landschoot. The primary is May 6. If the top vote-getter does not get more than 50 percent in the primary, the two leading candidates will face off in the June 3 general election.