Panel names three finalists to replace late district judge

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2000 | 10:46 a.m.

Two private attorneys and Clark County's special public defender have been named as the three finalists to replace the late Gary Redmon as district judge.

The state's Committee on Judicial Selection announced Tuesday it will forward the names of Kenneth Cory, Allan Earl and Philip Kohn to Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Guinn has 30 days to make a selection.

Cory, 57, and Earl, 59, were finalists last year when another district court seat became available.

Cory has been an attorney since 1971, when he joined the Nevada Bar. He spent two years as an assistant U.S. Attorney and several months as a deputy city attorney before being named by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as Nevada's first federal public defender.

Cory worked for the federal public defender's office six years before entering private practice 20 years ago. While he handles most civil cases, about 35 percent of his caseload is criminal.

In addition to having seen the law in action from multiple sides, Cory said he has a "real love of the law."

"I believe the law is to be applied equally and with justice for all, and I don't think anyone can afford to let that message die out," Cory said. "If it does, people just become cynical."

Until last week's presidential election, no one believed their vote mattered because they had grown so cynical, Cory said. He doesn't want that to happen in the halls of justice.

"How long is it going to be before people again said, 'My vote doesn't count?' " Cory said.

Cory has applied for a judicial appointment three times in the past and ran for a judgeship in 1996 against incumbent Michael Douglas and lost.

Earl is a third-generation Nevadan who has been an attorney since 1968. After spending a year as a clerk for the Nevada Supreme Court, he became a private attorney, where he's remained ever since.

Earl is a civil attorney who handles a lot of personal injury cases.

"I have a lot of experience. I've been a trial attorney all of my career," Earl said. "I understand what a judge should be and I know what kind of judges I like to appear before."

Having a sense of fairness and treating people the way they want to be treated are essential qualities in a judge, and he has them, Earl said.

Earl has applied for four state district judge appointments in the past and has been a finalist three times. In addition, he has been under consideration twice for a federal judgeship and been a finalist twice for a U.S. magistrate post.

Kohn, 50, has been an attorney for 22 years. After spending three years as a police officer in Santa Barbara, Calif., Kohn enrolled in law school.

When he graduated, Kohn spent three years as a district attorney in Santa Barbara County and three years in the Tahoe area in El Dorado County. He then spent eight years as a private attorney before joining the Clark County public defender's office.

After six years with the public defender's office Kohn was appointed the special public defender in January 1999.

"I've wanted to be a judge for a long time," Kohn said. "I've seen it from all sides and I think I can be fair to all sides."

Kohn was one of the finalists in 1998, when former District Judge Don Chairez resigned.

All three men commented on their respect for the other finalists, noting the public should be well pleased no matter whom Guinn selects.

"We want good judges and whoever is selected will be a good judge," Kohn said.

The three men were chosen from a list of 14 attorneys who were interviewed on Monday and Tuesday.

Those who submitted their applications were Family Court Judge Robert Gaston, 61; David B. Barker, 41; Doug Herndon, 36; Vicki Monroe, 50; and Abbi Silver, 35; and James Gubler, 52. Gubler works in the Clark County public defender's office and Gaston, Barker, Herndon, Monroe and Silver work in the district attorney's office.

Also in the running were private attorneys Robert Israel, 46; Michael Mills, 44; Robert Nersesian, 43; Kevin Utterback, 49; and Paul Wommer, 47.