15 lawyers vying for judicial vacancies

By Stephanie Tavares

Fri, Jan 23, 2009 (2 a.m.)

Fifteen local lawyers have applied for two recent vacancies on Southern Nevada court benches.

The contenders include one judge, a deputy public defender, a former hearing master and several private attorneys. A few of the candidates have unsuccessfully run for judicial seats in past elections.

The Commission on Judicial Selection will choose three candidates for each opening, and Gov. Jim Gibbons will pick the replacements from the nominees.

The two selected will replace Family Court Judge Stefany Miley, who was elected to Elizabeth Halverson’s District Court seat, and Family Court Judge Sandra Pomrenze, who was elected to the newly created Department P at Family Court.

The applicants for their vacated seats are:Senior District Judge Terrance Marren; Clark County Deputy Public Defender William Gonzalez; former Family Court Hearing Master Fernando Guzman; Philip Dabney of Holland & Hart; John Howard Jr. of Howard & Perez; Aurora Maskall of Lee, Hernandez, Kelsey, Brooks, Garofalo & Blake; and private-practice attorneys Gregory Gordon, Kurt Harris, Charles Hoskin, Ronald Israel, Keith Lyons Jr., Michele Mercer, Vincent Ochoa, Morrisa Schechtman, and Dawn Throne.

The commission will interview the applicants Feb. 9 and 10 in Las Vegas.

This will be the second time the formerly confidential selection process will be open to the public, including the applications (except sensitive information such as health records).

The commission is welcoming comments about the applicants, which can be submitted in writing to the commission secretary, Ron Titus, courtesy of the administrative office of the courts, Supreme Court Building, 201 S. Carson St., Suite 250, Carson City, NV 89701. They must be delivered no later than Jan. 23.

Photos and the public portion of the applications are available on the Judicial Selection Commission page on the Nevada Supreme Court’s Web site: www.nvsupremecourt.us/ccp/judSelection/applicants/index.php.