Chief Justice Mark Gibbons announced this afternoon the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection has received 16 applications from individuals interested in filling the judicial vacancy in the Eighth Judicial District Court, Dept. 8. The vacancy became available after the retirement of the Honorable Judge Doug Smith. The applicants in alphabetical order are:


  • Karl Wesley Armstrong, 61, Attorney, Nevada Department of Administration
  • Trevor Lee Atkin, 57, Attorney, Atkin Winner & Sherrod
  • Michael F. Bohn, 60, Las Vegas, Law Offices of Michael F. Bohn, Esq., Ltd.
  • Terrance Allen Coffing, 54, Las Vegas, Marquis & Aurbach
  • Adam Ganz, 47, Attorney, Ganz & Hauf, Chtd.
  • John Hunt, 64, Las Vegas, Clark Hill PLLC
  • Carli L. Kierny, 36, Las Vegas, Clark County Public Defender’s Office
  • Alexandra McLeod, 41, Las Vegas, Grant & Associates
  • Aimee Clark Newberry, 37, Las Vegas, Clark Newberry Law Firm
  • Blair Cowan Parker, 58, Las Vegas, Cohen Johnsen Parker Edwards
  • Yianna C. Reizakis, 39, Las Vegas, Legal Angel
  • Jacob A. Reynolds, 39, Las Vegas, Hutchison & Steffen, PLLC
  • Dena Rinetti, 39, Las Vegas, Clark County Office of the District Attorney
  • Kevin Charles Speed, 44, Las Vegas, Clark County Public Defender’s Office
  • Joseph Vadala, 54, Las Vegas, Nevada Attorney General’s Office
  • Bita Yeager, 51, Las Vegas, Former Las Vegas Township Justice of the Peace

To be eligible, applicants had to be Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience, two of those in Nevada. The Commission will conduct background of the applicants. Interviews to fill the vacant position are scheduled during the week of July 15 at the Nevada Supreme Court Building in Las Vegas. Interviews will be open to the public.

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection is composed of seven permanent members – the Supreme Court Chief Justice, three non-attorneys appointed by the Governor, and three attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. For District Court vacancies, two temporary members are appointed from the judicial district where the vacancy occurs – a non-attorney by the Governor and an attorney by the State Bar – bringing the Commission membership to nine.