Two civil attorneys challenge appointed judge for District Court Department 27

Civil attorneys Terry Coffing and Alexandra Beth McLeod are challenging District Judge Erika Mendoza, a former prosecutor who was appointed by Gov. Joe Lombardo in March.

Coffing, 59, graduated from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 1992, and moved to Las Vegas for job opportunities shortly after. He had a private practice focusing primarily on civil cases and the occasional criminal matter, and is now the in-house attorney for the software company FaceTec.

He has also previously worked as a justice of the peace pro tem, and served as a tribal judge for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.

“I believe I bring the experience and business sense that is kind of lacking right now in the Eighth Judicial District,” Coffing said.

Coffing said he believes he has the most experience out of the candidates vying for the Department 27 seat, especially when it comes to civil law. He said dragged-out cases and inefficient court dockets need to be addressed in order to save money in lengthy proceedings.

“I’m going to be decisive; that’s one of the characteristics I think that best suits me,” Coffing said. “I’ll move matters along, increase efficiency. … Every hour that courtroom’s open, it’s costing the taxpayers money.”

McLeod, 46, graduated from the University of the Pacific’s law school in 2002, and moved to Las Vegas afterward to be closer to family. The vast majority of her cases as a civil attorney deal with premises liability and car accident personal-injury matters.

She previously ran for District Court in 2020, losing the Department 28 seat to incumbent District Judge Ron Israel.

McLeod also pointed to her experience as a civil attorney, and said that she is at an optimal point in her career to run for judge.

“I have two decades of experience behind me and I still have two decades of service ahead of me,” she said. “I can really return the investment that the voters make when they send me to the bench.”

She has previously worked as an arbitrator and as a short trial judge, presiding over minor civil matters.

If elected, McLeod said she will seek to balance efficiency with the “need for people to be heard.”

“I definitely want to create a courtroom where the rule of law, as well as equality, are first and foremost the values that we have,” McLeod said.

Mendoza, 42, graduated from UNLV’s Boyd Law School in 2011 and had worked at the district attorney’s office since passing the Nevada bar exam. At the time Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed her to the bench, Mendoza was a chief deputy district attorney and head of a team prosecuting gun crimes.

She currently oversees a mixed calendar with criminal and civil cases.

Mendoza emphasized that judges should be concerned with public safety in criminal cases, and using judicial discretion when it comes to bail and sentencing. Mendoza said when deciding bail, a judge should weigh a defendant’s circumstances with “what is best for the community.”

“Ultimately as a judge, your job is to make sure, No. 1, everyone’s rights in front of you are being protected,” she said. “But as long as that’s happening, you need to be taking into account the good of the community as a whole.”

Mendoza said she is well prepared to continue overseeing criminal and civil cases, and that her time as a prosecutor gives her the experience needed to continue as a judge.

“When you’re not in court every day and having to learn how to think on your feet and make decisions quickly and respond on the fly, it’s a lot more difficult to transition to the bench,” she said.

Mendoza’s endorsements include major law enforcement organizations, the Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 872. Coffing is endorsed by the Armed Forces Chamber, the Nevada Veterans Association and Veterans in Politics International. McLeod’s endorsements include Hispanics in Politics and the Nevada AFL-CIO union.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.