Nevada Judiciary

Prior to taking the bench, she was a senior deputy attorney general where she served as the Children’s Advocate for the State of Nevada. Her commitment to children continued after she left that office. As a district judge, Justice Saitta was appointed by Governor Kenny Guinn to the Nevada State Juvenile Justice Commission, and created the Clark County Missing and Exploited Children Comprehensive Action Program (M/CAP) that coordinates with the U.S. Department of Justice. Her efforts have won her recognition, including the "For the Children" award presented by the Office of the Attorney General in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Nevada’s children, the District Attorney Outstanding Service Award, and the Child Advocate of the Year (2001). In 2000, she won an Angels in Adoption award from the U.S. Congress. In 2005, she was named one of the Top 500 Judges in America by Law Dragon publication.

Justice Saitta has retained membership in several local and national children’s advocacy organizations, including as a member of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Foundation Board.

As a district judge, Justice Saitta developed the Southern Nevada Fatality Review Team, and the specialized Complex Litigation Division for case management of construction defect and other voluminous cases. The latter received national recognition as one of the top programs in the country in 2003 from the National Association of Counties.

Justice Saitta graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Magna Cum Laude in 1983 from Wayne State University where she earned her law degree in 1986. Initially, she worked as a criminal defense attorney in Detroit, Michigan, where she was born. She eventually moved to Las Vegas, where she was employed as an attorney with the law firm of Pearson and Patton and later became an associate at the law firm of Gentile and Porter.

In addition to being an attorney and judge, Justice Saitta has embraced a role as a teacher through much of her adult life. She taught at Wayne State University in the Department of Criminal Justice and taught litigation courses at the American Institute for Paralegal Studies. Most recently, she taught in the criminal justice department of the University of Phoenix and has been a keynote speaker and faculty member at several national conferences.

A member of the Clark County Public Education Foundation and Clark County Bar Association Executive Committee, Justice Saitta is married and has four children and four grandchildren. Her term ends in 2013.