Guinn names Herndon district judge

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005 | 9:03 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Douglas Herndon, chief deputy district attorney for the special victims unit in Clark County, has been named district judge by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Guinn made the announcement Tuesday with Herndon, 41, that he will succeed Ron Parraguirre, who was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Herndon has spent his entire legal career in the district attorney's office. After graduation from the Washington & Lee School of Law in 1990 in the top third of his class, he became a law clerk at the district attorney's office.

In 1991, he became a deputy district attorney and was in the criminal division, where he handled as many as 1,500 criminal cases a year.

He joined the special victims unit in 1996 and became its chief deputy in 1999. In 2003 he was named Man of the Year by the Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada.

He graduated from Texas A & M in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

The two other finalists for the job were Susan H. Johnson, 45, and Timothy C. Williams, 49, both in private law practice in Clark County.

There were 17 applicants to succeed Parraguirre, who was sworn in as a justice earlier this month.

Guinn also announced the appointment of Robert Perry, 62, of Reno as district judge in Washoe County to succeed James Hardesty, who was also elected to the Nevada Supreme Court. Perry, in private practice, was one of the three finalists for the job. The other two were Julien Sourwine and John Springate.

The governor named David Hardy, 41, of Reno to succeed District Judge Charles McGee, who retired in Washoe County. The other two finalists were Cassandra Campbell and Myra Sheehan.

Guinn said all the finalists have "impressive credentials" and it was a difficult decision. But he said he was confident the three selections "will all be outstanding judges."