Start-up funding sought for Nevada appeals court
CARSON CITY — The state Supreme Court is wasting no time in moving forward with the creation of an intermediate court of appeals following voter approval of Question 1 on Tuesday.
The Administrative Office of the Courts plans Tuesday to seek approval from the state Board of Examiners for $782,500 to fund the new mid-level court, which is expected to help resolve cases more quickly and reduce the court’s backlog of appeals.
The Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee will also have to approve the funding request in early December before the money can be allocated.
The approvals are mostly a formality. The Legislature appropriated the funding for the appeals court in the 2013 legislative session in the event of voter approval. The funding will operate the court through the end of this fiscal year on June 30, 2015.
The new court, which will dispose of more routine cases from the state’s district courts that are now reviewed by the Supreme Court, will be effective starting Jan. 1 although it might take awhile to begin operations.
Question 1 passed with nearly 54 percent of the vote on Tuesday.
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection has also announced that it will begin accepting applications for the three open judicial positions for the Court of Appeals between now and 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Applicants will be permitted to apply for only one of the three seats on the Court of Appeals. Applicants are permitted to withdraw from the application process prior to the application deadline; however, applicants cannot reapply once they have withdrawn their application.
The names of applicants will be posted to the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection website daily. The public portion of each application will be posted to the commission’s website within a few days following the closing of the application process.
The appeals court will operate out of the high court’s building in Carson City and out of the Justice Center in Las Vegas in existing office space.
The commission has not yet received any applications for the appointed positions, which will last for two years. The judges will then have to stand for election in 2016.
Attorneys and sitting judges can apply for the positions, which require a minimum age of 25 and 10 years of experience. The annual salary for the positions will be $165,000 a year, $5,000 less than for Supreme Court justices, and $5,00 more than for district judges.
Interviews for applicants are scheduled for Dec. 1 through 4. The names of the finalists will be submitted to Gov. Brian Sandoval, who will make the appointments in time for the new judges to take office on Jan. 5.
Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801
