Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.
Nine Clark County judicial spots are on the line in the civil and criminal division, two of them newly created positions.
One of the most watched races is between District Judge Donald Mosley and attorney John Curtas.
Curtas has focused on Mosley's problems with the state's Commission on Judicial Discipline.
In March the commission found Mosley violated seven judicial canons. A District Court judge in Clark County for almost 20 years, Mosley had been accused of violating 10 judicial canons during three incidents between 1997 and 1999.
The commission ordered Mosley to attend an ethics course at the National Judicial College in Reno and pay a $5,000 fine to the Clark County Law Library.
Curtas, a trial attorney for 25 years, recently accused Mosley of trying to blackmail him into dropping out of the race in May. He simply told Curtas the potential existed for a "blood bath" because he has damaging information about Curtas.
Mosley said he believes the general public understands that his ethics problems are the result of a custody dispute.
Department 1
In Department 1 District Judge Gene Porter will face attorney David Lee Phillips.
Porter, a former assemblyman, presided over the civil division from 1998 to 2001 and currently serves as Business Court judge. He is also an adjunct law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Phillips, a former Marine prosecutor, has been in private practice in Las Vegas since 1983. He has defended 24 murder cases and would like to move cases through the system faster.
Department 4
Former Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Ellsworth is challenging District Judge Kathy Hardcastle.
"I think it's pretty clear that Judge Hardcastle is not performing at the level that is expected of District Court judges," Ellsworth said.
Hardcastle received poor reviews in the biennial study, and her sentencing practices "show she is not in touch with certain issues," Ellsworth said.
Hardcastle, who spent five years as a deputy public defender, said she is a hard-working judge who has worked with her counterparts to make the courts more accessible to the public and to expedite cases.
"You need a judge who can look at a case and the individual factors and render a fair decision and a reasonable decision," Hardcastle said.
Department 5
District Judge Jeffrey Sobel is also battling to retain his seat. Attorney Jackie Glass contends Sobel isn't in his office often enough and tries too few cases.
"I will be a full-time, hard-working judge who will also work with the other judges to improve the system and I will give litigants their day in court," Glass said.
Glass says the number of endorsements she's received from law enforcement and other organizations makes her believe people want a change.
Sobel counters that he is in trial far fewer days than his counterparts because he is more efficient. He is able to settle cases more often, and he spends full days in trial rather than half days as many judges do.
Experience is the main difference between him and Glass, Sobel said. While research indicates she has been lead counsel on only one District Court case in 14 years, Sobel said he had 50 jury trials between 1969 and 1980, when he stopped keeping track.
Sobel noted that he has received between a 70 percent and 90 percent approval rate in the biennial judicial reviews conducted by the Clark County Bar Association and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Eighth Judicial District Court rules require judges to be in the courthouse at least 51 percent of the time, and Sobel says he has adjusted his work schedule to meet that requirement.
Department 7
Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell hopes to replace District Judge Mark Gibbons, who is joining the Nevada Supreme Court. Bell's opponent is consumer-advocacy attorney Grenville T. Pridham.
Bell practiced law for 21 years as a senior partner in a private law firm before becoming district attorney in 1995. Pridham practiced commercial law for three years before becoming a state deputy attorney general for white collar crimes.
Department 10
Las Vegas Municipal Judge Jessie Elizabeth Walsh is facing Family Court Judge William Voy.
Voy is in his first full term on the Family Court and has spent several years as a justice of the peace pro tempore and as an alternate municipal judge.
Walsh, a former Clark County deputy public defender and a prosecutor for Las Vegas, holds numerous community appointments, including on the Judicial Council of Nevada, Police Athletic League and Trial by Peers juvenile diversion program.
Department 20
Chief Deputy District Attorney David Wall, who helped prosecute the Ted Binion murder trial, is competing with attorney Sandy Smagac for the newly created Department 20.
Smagac is a partner in the firm of Alverson, Taylor, Mortenson, Nelson and Sanders, where she has worked since 1994. She has handled complex civil cases, including medical malpractice and personal injury.
Wall has practiced law in Las Vegas for 16 years as a prosecutor, public defender and private attorney. He has also worked with Trial by Peers and the Las Vegas Founders Club.
Department 21
Chief Deputy District Attorney Valerie Adair is facing personal injury attorney Ron Israel.
Adair has worked for the district attorney's office since 1990, prosecuting white-collar crimes, fraud and cases involving the exploitation of the elderly.
Israel has practiced law in Las Vegas for more than 20 years. He is currently a judge pro tempore for District Court.
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