George, Tyrrell eager to begin

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2000 | 10:51 a.m.

Now that their races are over, new Justices of the Peace Stephen George and Natalie Tyrrell are eager to get to work.

George took home 46 percent of the votes cast to become Henderson's newest justice of the peace, and Tyrrell garnered 57 percent of the votes in the North Las Vegas race.

Ann Zimmerman, who could not be reached this morning, won 58 percent of the vote to become the newest Las Vegas Township Justice of the Peace. Her opponent, George Assad, received 42 percent of the vote.

Both George and Tyrrell said their number one priority will be getting to know their colleagues. George will be joining Rodney Burr, and Tyrrell will be working alongside Stephen Dahl, who, like Burr, ran unopposed this year.

"I'm going to sit down with Judge Burr and coordinate everything so we can operate in a consistent, predictable and efficient manner," George said.

George ran against Matthew Dushoff, John Eccles and Richard Sipan to fill a vacancy created when Kent Dawson was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton earlier this year. Because of the lateness of Dawson's confirmation, no primary was held in the race.

Tyrrell, who ran against Mike Schaefer, said she hopes to work with Dahl to create a night court and to make the courts more accessible to the ever-growing Hispanic community.

The County Commission created the new Las Vegas and North Las Vegas positions last year because of the area's rapid growth.

According to county statistics, the average justice of the peace handled about 8,000 cases a year about two years ago. That number is now around 15,000.

Justices of the peace handle misdemeanor crimes, traffic offenses, some civil disputes and landlord-tenant disputes.

They also preside over the arraignment and preliminary hearings of felony defendants.

Justices of the peace are elected to six-year terms and beginning next year will earn $99,000 per year.