The chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court has ordered three steps to heighten scrutiny and supervision of the state's judges, who have become the target of a reform effort amid allegations of impropriety and cronyism in the courtroom and on the campaign trail.
The changes were disclosed in a four-page statement sent to the Los Angeles Times by Chief Justice Robert E. Rose, Nevada's former lieutenant governor and an important figure in the state's political landscape.
They come in the wake of a Times investigation into the state's judiciary, especially the Las Vegas bench. The investigation determined, among other things, that Nevada judges have awarded millions of dollars in judgments in recent years without disclosing that the money was awarded to friends, business partners and former clients -- even people to whom the judges owed money.
The Times' stories had already triggered a broader effort designed to separate Nevada judges from campaign contributors and reduce the frequency of costly elections that judges face under current state law.
Rose's statement outlined three additional steps toward reform that will be set in motion immediately.
First, the Supreme Court will implement a formal process to evaluate the performance of the state's senior judges -- on-call jurists who are paid by the hour, have typically retired from the bench and are farmed out to assist with a growing workload in the court system.
Although many had distinguished careers before their retirement, they are seen as vulnerable to allegations of impropriety because they are not accountable to voters and serve at the pleasure of the Supreme Court indefinitely.
The Times investigation found, for instance, that one senior judge ruled repeatedly in favor of a casino corporation in which he held more than 10,000 shares, and that another had presided over at least 16 cases involving participants in his real estate deals.
One senior judge scrutinized in the Times' stories, Joseph S. Pavlikowski, has resigned from the position in the wake of the reports, Rose said.
The chief justice said Nevada would benefit from a "more comprehensive and uniform procedure to evaluate the performance of our senior judges."
Starting in November, evaluation forms will be sent to lawyers, jurors and parties in cases that are heard by senior judges, and the district courts that request the judges' services.
