Searchlight’s new justice of the peace begins work

By Jean Reid Norman

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 | 4:01 p.m.

Searchlight Town Advisory Board Chairman Stan Colton is taking on a new role. He was robed Sept. 21 as the new justice of the peace for the town of 750.

He replaces Wendell Turner, who died April 14 at the age of 72.

Colton was appointed to the part-time position by the Clark County Commission last week. He will have to stand for election next year to keep the job.

Colton, former state treasurer and county registrar of voters, is a native Searchlight resident whose father was justice of the peace before Turner.

Colton was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Michael Cherry, who has known Colton for almost 40 years. Colton was an investigator in the Clark County Public Defender’s Office when Cherry was a young deputy public defender.

“The public defender’s office for a lot of us was a great jumping-off place,” he said.

Colton recalled card games among his colleagues at the public defender’s office in those years, noting he always lost to Cherry.

“It was only $22 or $23, but it was every week, just like a car payment,” Colton said.

Colton, who once ran for governor on the Democratic ticket, said he attended but did not graduate from the University of New Mexico law school and began his career as a private investigator. That experience helped prepare him for the appointment to the Searchlight bench, he said.

Justices of the peace in Nevada’s rural areas do not have to be attorneys.

Colton will begin his first day on the bench Oct. 13, but said he had already been to the courthouse in Searchlight getting moved in and observing proceedings.

“Our court will be fair and impartial,” Colton said. “It’s an important covenant you have to have.”

Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who recommended Colton for the job, said he was looking forward to Colton’s filling the position.

“We’re honored to have Stan join the bench,” he said. “He’s going to do a great job.”