Nevada Judiciary

The Supreme Court's decision to hold court outside the state capital will provide unique access to the Court in action for those who may never have a chance to observe oral arguments at the Supreme Court building in Carson City.

"We feel that by holding court sessions across Nevada, we are hopefully providing an interesting educational opportunity for our students and citizens, and promoting a better understanding of the role of the judiciary in our government and society," said Justice Ron Parraguirre.

"Many people view the judicial process as complex and mysterious," he said. "We are attempting to demystify the process."

The initial stop will be in Ely on March 15 for the first session ever held there by a Supreme Court panel.

The Ely court session will be held in the White Pine County High School auditorium and attended by senior class students from four area high schools. About 125 students are expected to attend from White Pine County High School, 30 from Eureka High School, 12 from Lund High School, and three from Steptoe Valley High School in Ely.

Citizens with an interest in the three cases being argued or the court process also may attend the public court session. The crowd is expected to be well in excess of what could have been seated in the White Pine County Courthouse if arguments had been held there.

The audience may also include Family Court judges and attorneys who specialize in family law, since the Supreme Court session will coincide with the State Bar of Nevada's annual Family Law Conference in Ely.

Members of the Northern Panel are Justices Ron Parraguirre, James Hardesty and Nancy Saitta, the only woman on the court. Justice Saitta also is one of the newest members of the court, having been elected in November 2006 and taken her seat on Jan. 1, but the Ely arguments will not be her first. About two weeks after she joined the high court, she sat on her first oral arguments at the Supreme Court in Carson City. The Ely arguments actually will be her fifth court session.

Arguments in the three cases in Ely are limited to a half hour each, but the arguments are scheduled an hour apart –, providing time between arguments for the justices to answer any questions the students may have about the court process.

One case involves the appeal by an Ely man over his conviction for selling drugs. Another is a civil case from Eureka involving a gold mining company. The third is the appeal of a Las Vegas divorce case.

After the court session, the justices will eat lunch with students in the school cafeteria. Justice Parraguirre, the presiding justice of the panel, has requested that tater tots be on the menu –, a favorite of his when he was in school.

"We feel that by coming to our communities and interacting on a more intimate level, we not only provide an educational opportunity, but promote a better understanding of the courts, and hopefully forge a better relationship with those we serve," Justice Parraguirre said.

THE FULL COURT IN LAS VEGAS

On April 3, the Supreme Court will hold its first ever arguments in Las Vegas by the full court since it was expanded from five to seven members in 1999. Oral arguments before the three-member Southern Panel of the court have been routine in Las Vegas, but the full court has never sat at the Regional Justice Center.

The Supreme Court actually will conduct two sessions of the full court during 2007 as part of its outreach program to make the high court more accessible to citizens around the state. The second arguments have not yet been scheduled.

Most cases before the Supreme Court are decided by three-justice panels. Only the most important cases, including all death penalty cases, are argued before the full court.

On May 11, the same Northern Panel of the Supreme Court that is sitting in Ely will also preside over oral arguments in Elko, although it will not be the first time the Supreme Court has visited that city. On May 5, 1988, the Supreme Court –, then composed of five justices –, held oral arguments before about 90 citizens and students at the Elko High School auditorium.

The 1988 arguments were part of the observance of the bicentennial of the United States Constitution.

Historically, it is not unprecedented for the Supreme Court to hold sessions outside the state capital of Carson City. In addition to Elko, the Supreme Court has presided over oral arguments in Tonopah, and Virginia City. Last summer, the Northern Panel conducted oral arguments at the National Judicial College in Reno. The Southern Panel of the Supreme Court annually holds oral arguments at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.