Guinn names Cory to District Court

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn today named Kenneth C. Cory, a Henderson lawyer, to replace District Judge Gene Porter, who resigned Oct. 24.

Cory, 60, said he intends to close his private practice and become a judge by the end of this month.

Guinn selected Cory over finalists Elizabeth Goff Gonzales and Troy Peyton, both private attorneys in Nevada. They were the finalists from a field of 23 lawyers who applied to succeed Porter.

Cory will have to run for election to the post in November if he wants to stay on the bench.

Cory has been an attorney since 1971. He was a federal prosecutor and then served as deputy city attorney for Las Vegas. He was named Nevada's first full-time federal public defender in 1974 and served for six years in that position.

Since then he has been in private practice handling civil litigation, small-business matters and some criminal defense.

He ran once for District Court in 1996 but lost to incumbent Michael Douglas.

In announcing the appointment, Guinn said, "Ken will be a tremendous addition to the Clark County bench. He is a well-respected attorney and has been a pillar of the legal community. I am proud to be able to appoint him to the bench."

The governor said the two other finalists are "fine young attorneys with promising careers ahead of them." He interviewed the three on Monday in Las Vegas.

Cory graduated from Las Vegas High School and attended Long Beach State University and Brigham Young University where he received his bachelor's degree.