| First Supreme Court Cases Heard at Regional Justice Center |
| Monday, 12 December 2005 10:33 | |||
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The first oral arguments in the Nevada Supreme Court's new southern Nevada courtroom at the Regional Justice Center are being held this week. The three-judge Southern Panel –, currently comprised of Justices A. William Maupin, Mark Gibbons and James Hardesty –, will hear a total of nine arguments over Monday and Tuesday. "This is a landmark event," said Chief Justice Nancy Becker. "We have been waiting for this day ever since the plans were begun for the RJC." "We now have a modern courtroom to serve the residents of the state's most populous county," she said. "The majority of Supreme Court cases originate in Clark County and the new facility gives us the opportunity to hold arguments in a courtroom sufficient to meet the public’,s needs." The courtroom on the 17th floor of the RJC has seating for about 50 spectators. For years, the Supreme Court had a makeshift courtroom in its rented facility on Bridger Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets. It was barely able to accommodate arguments before a three-judge panel. The courtroom at the RJC is able to accommodate panel arguments or sessions before all seven Supreme Court justices. The RJC also houses the Eighth Judicial District Court, as Vegas Justice Court and Las Vegas Municipal Court, in addition to the Clark County Clerk's and District Attorney's Offices. Monday's arguments included the appeal of a Las Vegas doctor who lost his license for giving morphine to a patient who died, and the case of a grandmother who was denied custody of her daughter's sixth child, although the grandmother already has custody of the five other children. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear four cases, including the appeal of Bridget L. Pascua, who was sentenced to 54 years to life in prison for the slaying of 66-year-old Doyle Upson in his Las Vegas apartment. Pascua and another woman were convicted of killing Upson over a $44,000 sports betting ticket. Pascua's attorney has alleged the prosecutor committed errors during the trial that warrants overturning the conviction.
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