Tiffany wants study before expanding Family Court

Friday, June 6, 1997 | 5:47 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A Republican assemblywoman, pushing for a study of the troubled Family Court of Clark County, says she doesn't want to see the system expanded.

Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, told the Assembly Committee on Elections, Procedures and Ethics Thursday that there are common problems that must be fixed. She has talked with judges, lawyers, litigants and others about the troubles.

Her proposed study by the Legislative Commission would focus on the Clark County problems. A rival resolution by Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, would look into expanding the family courts into the rural counties.

The Anderson resolution would also look into expanding services and into child support and divorce procedures.

Tiffany said she didn't want to do that. Her study would examine the management of the cases, how they are assigned, the consistency in decisions and the involvement of the Family Mediation and Assessment Center, which she said is often criticized.

It would evaluate the staff size, the time it takes to make decisions, the effectiveness of the court administrators and the referral of disputes to alternative methods of resolving disputes.

Anderson was scheduled for another meeting and will testify later on his resolution, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 32. Also before Anderson's Judiciary Committee is a bill to abolish the Family Court system.

But that bill, heard earlier this week, apparently will not be processed.

Kirby Burgess, director of the Department of Family and Youth Services, also sent a letter to the committee, endorsing a study. Burgess said the increased workload has placed "stressful demands on the judges and the staff."

"I believe the Family Court is doing a good job at this time," Burgess said. But he said a study should be done as "part of the continuous improvement process."

While his department is separate from the court, he said they work together.

Chief Justice Robert Gaston appeared earlier this week before the Assembly Judiciary Committee to speak against the bill to abolish the court. He said the court would welcome "your objective scrutiny."

Gaston suggested that comments by those who lose in Family Court are not "always the most trustworthy information."

There have been complaints the court has been slow in giving decisions, that the rulings are sometimes sexually biased, the decisions are inconsistent and that the judges are rude to those who appear before them.

A decision on whether to study the Family Court system won't be made for several more weeks while the committee gets together all the requests for interim studies and decides which ones have priority.