JP eyes Supreme Court

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Wednesday, July 23, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith announced on Tuesday that he is forming an exploratory committee to develop a campaign to challenge Nevada Supreme Court Justice Deborah Agosti.

Agosti will run in 2004 after serving a six-year term. She became chief justice in January 2003.

Legal challenges have erupted since a state Supreme Court ruling on July 10 allowed the Legislature to break an impasse on a tax package and pass the state budget by a simple majority vote.

Agosti and five other justices joined in the majority opinion. Justice Bill Maupin dissented.

"I was interested in the possibility of a run against Justice Agosti before the latest decision regarding our taxes," Smith said in a prepared statement.

"The latest decisions made by the chief judge have merely sped up and intensified the process."