Juvenile judge to take case to Supreme Court

Erica D. Johnson

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 | 11:02 a.m.

Family Court Judge Cynthia Dianne Steel has taken her battle to extend her term as juvenile judge to the state Supreme Court, and she doesn't plan to leave her post without a fight.

Steel's three-year stint as Clark County's sole judge handling juvenile cases ends on Dec. 31, after Family Court judges failed to re-elect her to the position for the 2004 term.

The judges selected Family Court Judge William Voy as the new juvenile judge. Steel is slated to begin handling divorce cases in January.

But Steel says there is more work to be done with juvenile delinquents in Clark County. In a motion filed with the Nevada Supreme Court in September, Steel asks the high court for clarification on the process of selecting the juvenile judge.

She will argue the motion in a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 18.

Steel said she has helped make significant strides at the helm of the juvenile justice system in Clark County, an arena that often takes a back seat to the adult system when it comes to public attention.

"For the first time in 20 years things were starting to happen, and they decided to put me back on divorces," Steel complained.

She said she hopes to have the opportunity to continue developing programs and front-end services that will prevent juvenile delinquents "from escalating up the chain."

"It has to do with being prepared and being in the right spot to help this community of invisible kids," she said. "(Juvenile delinquents) don't have anybody there for them. Somebody has got to be there."

Steel said state laws do not dictate the process of selecting a juvenile judge in counties with a population 400,000 or more.

While Family Court judges are elected by the public, Family Court judges have elected one of their own for juvenile judge by a secret vote. The judges are elected by a majority and can be re-elected for an unlimited amount of terms.

Beginning in January 2004, the most senior Family Court judge will be automatically selected as juvenile judge.

Steel was elected to the post by a unanimous vote in January 2001, she said.

In a response to Steel's motion, presiding Family Court Judge Steven Jones would not comment on the reasons Voy was selected.

He argued, however, that decisions unique to the operation and and functioning of Family Court should be made by Family Court judges.

"Judge Steel was not the first Juvenile Court judge and will not be the last. She does not own Juvenile Court. No one is entitled to be selected as a Juvenile Court Judge," he stated in the motion.

"She may disagree with the decision of the other judges, but it was a collective decision and there is absolutely no redress in law for losing a vote."

Eleven of the 12 Family Court Judges signed a petition saying they agreed with the current selection of juvenile judges. The petition was attached to the motion.

But Steel hopes the Nevada Supreme Court will clarify the section process at next week's hearing.

"I believe we need to address the issue of the juvenile justice community from the Supreme Court vantage point in order to help the system progress," she said.

Steel said all District Court judges should have input into the selection of the juvenile judge or be able to ratify the selection made by Family Court.

In her motion, Steel outlines several reasons why she believes the current process of selecting the juvenile judge will disrupt the legal process, noting that the learning curve alone of a new judge could be costly.

When a new judge comes aboard while programs are still being developed, Steel said, it is up to that judge to decide whether those programs will go forward.

Among the programs currently under way is the reorganization of new juvenile statutes, which go into affect on Jan. 1.