Nevada Judiciary

District Judges who preside in one of the state's multi-county judicial districts spend an average of more than a day a week on the road bringing services to residents of the least populated counties in Nevada.

A Nevada Supreme Court report released Jan. 20, 2005 focuses on the judges in four multi-county judicial districts whose jurisdiction covers 77,292 square miles.

"The work of the judges in our less populated areas is somewhat different than that of our urban judges because of the distances that must be traversed to provide access to the courts and justice for all Nevadans," said Chief Justice Nancy Becker. "The work of these judges, however, is no less important."

"This report details the extra effort, dedication, and time that rural district judges commit just to get to some county seats, even before they take the bench to conduct the business of the courts," Chief Justice Becker said. "The courts will continue to do whatever is possible to meet the needs of rural Nevadans."

The report states, "The rural court judges who must travel their circuit have notably less time available for their judicial obligations than their urban counterparts. On average, the judges in these four judicial districts spend about 22 percent of their time on the road (and out of the courtroom)."

The Planning & Analysis Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts analyzed travel statistics for the past five years to determine how much travel time judges needed to perform their judicial duties.

The fewest miles traveled by judges in a judicial district during a single year was 11,344. The most was 37,414.

The report concludes that the travel requirements on rural district judges "reduces the quantity of cases that can be heard, as well as decreases the time judges are available and accessible, in general."

"The rural judges of Nevada face the increasing stress and fatigue of traveling throughout their district after working already long days in the courthouse," the report concludes. "Judges must still strive to meet the demands and expectations of the court system to maintain or improve productivity, meet statutory sentencing requirements, and hold specialty courts. Yet, as the stress and fatigue have increased, few additional resources have been made available to keep pace with these challenges."

Nevada has nine judicial districts where judges are elected, although they have jurisdiction statewide. In the four most rural Judicial Districts encompassing multiple counties, judges must travel from county seat to county seat to conduct hearings and trials for residents of those counties.

The multi-county districts include:

• Third Judicial District, covering Churchill and Lyon Counties.
• Fifth Judicial District, covering Esmeralda, Mineral and Nye Counties.
• Sixth Judicial District, covering Humboldt, Lander and Pershing Counties.
• Seventh Judicial District, covering Eureka, Lincoln and White Pine Counties.

An additional burden in placed on the judges in the Fifth Judicial District because they must also hold court in Pahrump, the most populous community in Nye County, although the county seat is Tonopah, 93 miles away.

In winter months, some rural judges must travel on roads covered with snow and ice, while, in summer, some can face blistering temperatures along isolated stretches of highway.

The Planning & Analysis Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts compiles and maintains data for the trial courts and occasionally analyzes and publishes related information, such as the multi-county judicial district mileage study.