Nine attorneys have applied to the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection to fill the open judicial seat in the Nevada Court of Appeals created by Chief Judge Abbi Silver’s election (Nov. 6) to the Nevada Supreme Court.
The website, http://nvcourts.link/NVJudicialSelection, contains the applications. Nevada attorneys with 15 years of legal experience and two years of Nevada residency were eligible to apply. Confidential information, such as medical records and personal identification information, has been removed from the online applications.
In the coming weeks, the Commission will direct background investigations, accept public comment, and interview each of the applicants.
The applicants for the open seat are:
- Bonnie A. Bulla, 56, Las Vegas, Eighth Judicial District Court, Office of the Discovery Commissioner
- Shawn M. Elicegui, 48, Reno, NV Energy, Inc.
- Charles Hoskin, 55, Las Vegas, Eighth Judicial District Court, Family Division, Dept. E
- John Hunt, 64, Las Vegas, Clark Hill PLLC
- Clark G. Leslie, Jr, 68, Minden, Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers
- Tracie K. Lindeman, 56, Carson City, Attorney
- Vincent Ochoa, 66, Las Vegas, Eighth Judicial District Court, Family Division, Dept. S
- Kevin Speed, 44, Las Vegas, Office of the Clark County Public Defender
- Jerry Weise, 52, Las Vegas, Eighth Judicial District Court, Dept. 30
The Commission invites written public comments about the applicant qualifications. Commission rules allow reference letters to remain confidential if requested by the letter writer. However, the Commission may discuss the contents of the letter with the applicant during executive session. Anonymous letters may not be considered at the discretion of the Commissioners.
Submit letters of reference by 5 p.m. on January 4, 2019 to:
Ms. Robin Sweet
Secretary, Commission on Judicial Selection
Nevada Supreme Court
201 S. Carson St., Suite 250
Carson City, Nevada, 89701
Interviews to fill the open position are tentatively scheduled for the week of January 14, 2019, at the Supreme Court in Las Vegas, 408 E. Clark Ave., and will be open to the public. Once the interviews are complete, the Commission will consider and nominate three finalist names to Governor-elect Steve Sisolak for appointment to the Court of Appeals.
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. Neither the Governor nor the State Bar may appoint more than two permanent members from the same political party, and cannot appoint two members from the same county.