Columnist Sandra Thompson: Improvements evident in Sanchez’s court reign

Sandra Thompson

Sunday, Dec. 19, 1999 | 10:33 a.m.

Sandra Thompson is vice president/associate editor of the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4025 or through e-mail at thompson@lasvegassun.com.

"COOPERATIVE" had been a seldom-used adjective to describe dealings at Family Court.

Divorce cases, by their very nature, are usually contentious. Couples go to court because they can't cooperate and reach a settlement on their own.

But that unwillingness to be cooperative didn't stop at the litigants' table. It often extended into the judges' chambers.

That was a recurring criticism during a 1998 legislative subcommittee's hearings on Family Court reform. Judges acted independently, which resulted in inconsistent rulings. When the judges scheduled meetings to discuss common concerns, there often wasn't a quorum.

That picture has changed, according to Family Court Judge Gloria Sanchez, who is ending her stint as presiding judge. Judge Dianne Steel takes over next month.

Not only are there quorums for judges' meetings, Sanchez says, but the court has worked to implement the recommendations of that legislative subcommittee, as well as those contained in a 1997 consultant's report. Among the recommendations were more timely disposition of cases, the restructuring of the Family Mediation and Assessment Center to concentrate only on mediation, a new case-management system and implementation of a pro se litigant assistance program.

Sanchez believes that in the past two years there has been more of a willingness among the judges to cooperate and work together to institute reforms. New judicial blood also helped.

Christina Chandler, assistant court administrator, says there's a new vibrancy and collegiality.

While the court is still experiencing growing pains, Chandler says it has passed the "acne stage."

Looking back on her term as presiding judge, Sanchez sees several court accomplishments:

Sanchez hopes the addition of three judges in 2001 will give the court more time to spend on cases. Ironically, she had been criticized by the Judicial Discipline Commission for taking too long to decide certain cases.

"I read everything personally," Sanchez says, adding that she then asks both sides if they have anything to add. "What you read and then what they say are (sometimes) different. The pleadings may be part fantasy. You can't assess credibility by only reading the pleadings.

"For a hotly contested custody case, you need more than 12 minutes."

Sanchez says she spends time asking questions, but tries to cut to the chase more quickly to get to the heart of the case.

The judge doesn't agree with the notion that the divorce process was simpler before the establishment of Family Court.

When she was an attorney, family law cases were heard in District Court. But they were put on the back burner; civil and criminal cases took precedence. In Family Court, she says, the litigants are the priority.

While she sees progress, Sanchez admits there's still a lot to be done to make the system more efficient, consistent and effective.

She also sees a need for a visitation and exchange center. This would be a safe area where parents could bring their children for supervised visits with noncustodial parents. Parents now pay for supervised visitation, with rates ranging from $50 to $100 an hour. It also would be a place for the safe "exchange" of children from parent to parent. Many exchanges now take place at a police station or fast-food restaurant because one or both parents can't be civil.

Sanchez deserves a lot of the credit for the more cooperative judicial atmosphere. As Sanchez returns to a full caseload, expect her to remain a player in further court reforms.