Judge might get $33,000 pay raise

Dan Kulin

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003 | 10:20 a.m.

North Las Vegas's only Municipal Court judge would receive a $33,910 raise under a proposal scheduled to go before the City Council Oct. 1.

Judge Warren Van Landschoot said raising his salary to $128,000 a year is intended to bring his salary in line with the salaries of area Justice Court judges.

The raise, if approved, would put Van Landschoot's salary more than $10,000 above Municipal Court judges in Las Vegas and Henderson, according to a city survey of judges' salaries done in May.

According to the survey, in May Las Vegas Municipal Court judges were paid $113,578 a year, and Henderson Municipal Court judges' annual salaries were $102,464. Justice Court judges in Clark County were paid $128,700 a year at that time, the survey said.

In May, Van Landschoot was paid $91,250 a year.

After a cost-of-living raise in July, Van Landschoot's salary is now $94,090. He also receives a $500 a month car allowance. The car allowance is proposed to stay the same.

"North Las Vegas has always been the lowest paid in the state," Van Landschoot said. "I know this is a hard time to be doing this. But why should I keep making less than everybody else?"

Mayor Michael Montandon said he supports the pay raise in part because Van Landschoot handles more cases than other judges in the state.

Van Landschoot, a retired police officer who is the only municipal court judge in Nevada who is not an attorney, said his courtroom is the busiest municipal courtroom in the state.

Municipal courts handle traffic violations and misdemeanors, such as drunken driving cases, domestic assaults and minor drug violations. The maximum penalty in municipal court is $1,000 fine plus six months in jail per charge.

Justice courts handle probable cause hearings for a wide range of cases up to and including homicides. In probable cause hearings judges determine whether enough evidence exists to forward a case to District Court.

The proposed raise was read into the record during the Wednesday night council meeting without comment. The council is scheduled to vote on the raise on Oct. 1, which is also when the raise is proposed to take effect.

Van Landschoot said legislation passed earlier this year by state lawmakers allows the city to give judges raises.

The salary for Las Vegas' municipal judges is $116,985 annually, and the pay is set by ordinance, Diana Sahagun, city spokeswoman, said.