Judge Gonzalez Resigning Effective September 7, 2021

  • Law

Confirming what was first mentioned in the comments yesterday, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez has tendered her resignation to Governor Sisolak effective September 7, 2021. You can view a copy of her resignation letter here.

Love or hate her, and there are certainly people in both camps, Judge Gonzalez has had an impressive 17 years on the bench–handling a number of high profile cases and making contributions to the Clark County judicial system that have helped resolve numerous cases. We wish her well in her future endeavors and thank her for her years of service. 

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 27, 2021 11:53 pm

Why does her Betsy's letter of resignation remind me of Michael Jordan's acceptance speech into the Hall of Fame? Oh yes, it is all about me.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 8:57 am
Reply to  Anonymous

A stolen election
Flodding theccountry with illegals
Censorship, cancel culture
A poison vaxx
The USA is finished.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 2:59 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Church

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 6:52 am
Reply to  Anonymous

1:57 – lol wtf is wrong with you.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 4:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

1:57 got the facts right.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 23, 2021 4:42 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

All people exercising their right to vote (not just white males)
A land stolen by immigrants
Hate speech and incitement of violence
Lack of public healthcare and education
The poor fighting against each other instead of banding together
USA USA USA

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 2:31 am

Dear Amazing Judge Gonzalez,

You inspired me over the course of your 17 years on the bench. Yes, sometimes you ruled against me, and sometimes even wrongly so, but hot damn if you were not one of the smartest, fairest, most decisive judges on bench. I am honored to have appeared in front of you countless times. The good Lord broke the mold when he made you.

God bless.

Sincerely,
An avid G-Force fan

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:11 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Decisive? Thanks for the laugh!! I needed that tonight.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:17 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Bye Betsey. You did well at ignoring the law, and violating my client's due process rights.
Please stay retired. Thanks!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:56 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Thanks, Betsey, for making yourself into a cartoon, G-Force. You must fly.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:51 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Now, now… Let's show a little grace here.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 12:59 am
Reply to  Anonymous

I think she is a fairly solid, very bright, very hard-working judge.

That said, I find it a bit nauseating that she apparently has legions of fans, like 7:51, who have dubbed her "G Force", and find it even more nauseating that some of these legion of fans seem to be quite proud to essentially refer to themselves as judicial groupies("An Avid G Force Fan", as 7:51 signs off.)

And, even though I on balance consider her a pretty fine judge, I take real issue with the comments that applaud her for ignoring the law when she felt like it, to instead fashion remedies and results more to her liking.

Now, I have no instances whereby it seemed to me that she was willfully ignoring the law. But the fact that some posters clearly believe that she did, and they then applaud her for reaching results that the judge perceived as more just even if not at all supported by the Law, shows some real lack of understanding of judicial roles and functions.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 1, 2021 10:25 am
Reply to  Anonymous

8:17. Translation: you lost a case, and it must all be someone else's fault, and they must be a complete idiot, because not only are you a legal genius who could never ever lose, but you also, quite miraculously, are always blessed with cases wherein every dispute or issue within those cases has all the law, and all the facts, clearly on your side.

How about trying a little maturity, accountability, and ego control.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 1, 2021 6:55 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

3:35, scriveners award: get some sleep. Gforce award-best Betsey Gonzalez comeback. 17 years of community service award: your name calling does not help the stellar career of Betsey. And your rant is nonsensical.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:03 am

Judge Gonzalez:
Many judges come and go but you have truly left your mark on the Court. Lets be honest that quite a few judges did not like you because you actually worked to make the Court better, more responsive, more pragmatic (even when some of your rulings in my cases were head scratchers). We have a different better court thanks to you. Yeah Business Court was a game changer and you implemented it and shared the credit with Judge Denton. Yeah the settlement conference program was created entirely by you. Unlike 4:53, you shared credit with your staff and with your colleagues. You were never the easiest judge to like but were always the easiest judge to admire and respect because you did your job and did justice for people in this county. I wish you have taken on the monster that is Hardesty but beggars cannot be choosers.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Well said.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 4:06 am

This woman gave us 17 of the best years of her life and you haters pile on as she exits for what must be dire family issues? Fuck each and every one of you.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:40 am
Reply to  Anonymous

No, fuck you, 906.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 6:39 am

She'll take senior judge status shortly I'm assuming….

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:33 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Rumor has it she is moving to ARM.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:32 am

In her letter of resignation she does not even name the JEA who helped her. She thanked mo one. Just a very odd letter but so Betsy.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:02 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

If I know Betsy, and I do personally, she consulted the JEA directly, who probably declined to be named.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:00 pm

I had a case in front of her years ago. Liability was clear. Defense counsel was obviously a regular donor, and Betsy bent over backwards to favor him.

On one occasion, a deadline was set by her clerk, which I dutifully recorded. On the next court appearance, the Judge excoriated me for missing the deadline. I told her that I wrote down the exact date the clerk gave me in open court. The clerk then shook her head no, and Betsy scowled at me for disagreeing with her.

That was my “were not in Kansas anymore” moment to the practice of law. It was clear that she played favorites, and was willing to “overlook” stuff to help a preferred party get the desired outcome.

Big surprise, I know.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:31 pm

I clerked for Betsy and will always respect her. As a practitioner I've seen her "guide" cases to where she thinks they need to go, she's ruled against me with some frequency, and has cut me off mid-argument. But she has as strong a grasp on complex litigation as anyone on the EJDC bench, she reads your poorly written briefs, she examines the exhibits, and she identifies critical issues you missed. She's not perfect, but she has been a dedicated public servant who has advanced the local court from "judicial hell hole" to "there are some good judges" which is monumental. For everyone concerned about Dan not being identified in her letter – quit trying to find something to be upset about – I am certain he does not feel snubbed. I wish Judge Gonzalez nothing but the best.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 7:57 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I suspect I know who you are 8:31 and agree that Dan Kutinac does not feel snubbed because he was not named by name. I bet he actually was honored to be recognized at all after all of those years. Everytime settlement conferences were set, Judge Gonzalez gave Dan all of the credit for setting it up and coordinating it. Go back and look at resignation letters from other judges (I did) who do not recognize staff at all.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 10:18 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Litigating before the business court is a unique pleasure readily distinguishable from the harsh realities of litigating cases before a significant number of the other elected members to the RJC bench. Litigating before Judge Gonzalez is no exception.

Just like everyone else on this thread, she has not always handed me the decisions I want. But I have always had confidence going into a hearing before her that she has read the briefs and is ready with informed questions. I have seen this time and again, even after hearing ten other cases on any given law and motion calendar, then turning to five dispositive motions in my case—all while holding trial during the same week. She has always been prepared.

She has very evenly applied her 10-minute-per-side rule even while holding hearings open to allow counsel to get to her courtroom when they were stuck in traffic or another court that does not run so expeditiously.

I have not litigated a ton of cases before Judge Gonzalez; some of my opponents in cases before her have. Have I noted that she gives those folks latitude even when they raised ridiculous arguments or made the litigation personal rather than focus on the merits? Sure; it's irritating to no end, but it’s a minor nit against the backdrop of a well-defined legacy of excellence on the bench and 17 years of public service.

No judge gets it right all the time. Judge Gonzalez has been reversed just like every other. But I have always had confidence in her judicial integrity and fairness. I am very sorry to lose her.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Dan Kutinac is a great guy and was an asset to Betsy. What you may or may not know is that Dan worked for her going back into the 90's, in her Beckley Singleton days. Ride or die.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:55 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Scrivener's Award: Sure; it's irritating to no end, but it’s a minor nit against the backdrop of a well-defined legacy of excellence on the bench and 17 years of public service.

anonymous
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anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:43 pm

Now that Sheldon is dead she’s got nothing left to do.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:48 pm

We should be thanking Betsy for her years of dedicated service instead of criticizing her letter, which had to have been very hard and emotional to write after she's invested so much of herself in this job. The toll our microscopic examination of every move those in the public make is huge — look at Biles in the Olympics. Kindness matters; excellence is achievable but perfection is not.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 3:51 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Look indeed. If I walked out of a huge supreme court argument right during the middle of it, and then the client lost, I'm a hero??

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:21 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

8:51, you're an asshole.

Biles performs dangerous feats of acrobatics. The power and height that she puts into each performance could kill her or render her paralyzed if she loses her awareness of where she is in the air at any given moment. If she feels that her muscle memory has become disconnected from her spatial awareness (the condition known as the "twisties" in gymnastics), it's dangerous for her to compete. Not "oh no, the Court could recognize something is wrong and reschedule, permit a Motion to Reconsider, or rely on the actual briefs" danger but "a 24 year old will never walk again" danger. Additionally, there are alternates for this very reason. The alternates aren't some rando ID lawyers they pulled from the darkened halls of Alverson Taylor. They are the best gymnasts in the country.

And yet there are still people like you, 8:51, who happily pull out their microscopes, pretend to have have some understanding of what they're looking at, and complain that what they are seeing isn't what, in their ignorance, they think should be happening.

Put the microscope away and try for some empathy.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:03 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

What if I just don't have an opinion one way or another about Biles? I am not an athlete. I am not a gymnast. I don't know the nature or extent of her mental health condition. So instead of defending her or condemning her, what if I just refrain from coming to any conclusion at all?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 4:10 pm

Thank you Betsy for showing us what a quality jurist looks like. Good luck and Godspeed.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 5:37 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Do quality jurists glare at you from the bench, visibly roll their eyes and sigh loudly while you are arguing (with your client seated next to you), fumble for minutes at a time with their files and personal effects UNDER their desks during your argument, and refuse to look at much less pay any attention to your courtroom exhibits all while fawning over opposing counsel whose children go to the same religious school their children go to and reminiscing about old times On The Record? Because she did things like that, a lot. She couldn't just rule against you based on the law and facts; no, she had to make sure everyone in the courtroom knew the level of disdain and contempt that she felt for the unlucky attorneys who drew her ire (which could be anyone, but she seemed particularly harsh towards younger, female attorneys).

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 5:45 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Yeah this never happened. How do I know? Judge Gonzalez's children (younger 2) went to public school with my children. This story is fabricated. If you did not like her, the rulings, the demeanor, whatever– fine. But don't lie about it and claim things that never happened.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 5:20 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

@10:45, not a lie; not even an embellishment. I wish it was, truly. I did not say anything about public versus private. And there was not enough chatter for me to identify the specific school. But the religion at issue was/is Catholic.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 5:29 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

10:20– You said that Judge Gonzalez was "fawning over opposing counsel whose children go to the same religious school their children go to and reminiscing about old times." Judge Gonzalez's children did not go to Catholic school.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 4:38 pm

What do you do to renew yourself spiritually? This profession is so incredible corrosive to the soul. I belong to an institution in organized religion, and you may too. That's not really what I am looking for here. I am looking for the specific practices that you use to heal and grow spiritually, and what you find particularly effective in this profession. My soul feels wounded and broken so often.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 4:58 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I used to belong to an organized religion so I've had to change some things. These have all helped me a lot spiritually/interpersonally/emotionally:

1) meditation/mindfulness – download the Headspace app, it's a great place to start

2) therapy

3) exercise

4) medication (talk to your doctor if you're depressed or have anxiety – there's lots of us!)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

1. Continuously and honestly evaluate yourself. Be appropriately critical when necessary and practice scrupulous self-honesty.

2. When deciding what is the right or wrong course of action, consider which is the kindest course of action. Consider how your actions affect others.

3. Be generous with your time, your talents, and your money.

4. To the extent you can, avoid quick-fixes like antidepressants; they may temporarily treat the symptoms of your unhappiness, but they certainly don't treat the causes.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:54 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I'd respectfully push back against #4. It's not a "quick-fix" and there shouldn't be any stigma or shame associated with it.

And yes, a cause of depression can be your seratonin receptors being stupid. So get the meds and help them out!

But one shouldn't just get on medication and expect that to fix everything. It's a big tool that helps.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I had a mental health break down last year. I went to see a professional. I was given a prescription to help pull me out. I say help because I was also given specific things I needed to do/practice to get out. The combination of my actions and the prescription worked. I am confident I could not have pulled out without the help of medication. It was not a "quick fix." It took time and it was a lot of hard work. I second 10:54 AM. There should be no stigma associated with getting help or medications.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:53 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Antidepressants, by and large, are overprescribed, mostly by doctors who don't really understand what they're doing.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Go ahead and keep telling yourself there's no stigma. There's a stigma.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 2:46 am
Reply to  Anonymous

3:04 – reread the post, which says "there should be no stigma…" not that there IS no stigma. I am betting that you have at least one characteristic that carries a stigma.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:57 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

1:15 here. I know there's a stigma. I judged others until I experienced it. My comments aren't for the people who have never experienced it. It's for anyone who is wrestling with this right now. If that's you, know that plenty of us have been there. You should feel no shame or embarrassment. Go get help. If the professional thinks medications will help, discuss the pros and cons and then make an informed decision. In my case, I did use meds for a short period and they did help me get out of my episode. Don't let anyone's view of the "stigma" stop you from helping yourself get better.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 11:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

During Covid I upped my workout from 30 minutes to 60, then 90, and now I am regularly pushing two hours. I don't know if I would have made it otherwise. My Church was worthless. I drink enough as it is, so day drinking my way out was not an option. I also cut my asshole clients. Life's too short. My spouse doesn't care about the resulting income haircut.

Amen to helping others. It fills the soul.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:16 pm

And unlike many (most?) of her benchmates, Betsy was a pretty good and successful lawyer prior to becoming a District Court judge. Let's face it, we don't very often get judges who were also good lawyers.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 3:12 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Betsy was a Great lawyer. Hardest working practitioner I ever came across, let alone worked for.

Her rivalries were something to admire, as well. I watched her (with her practice strategies and tactics) put other attorneys into hyperventilation. The strong ones smirked and admired her tactics from across the table, the weaker ones ran for JP.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:27 pm

She will now be a mediator/arbitrator at ARM and make way more money. Plus her PERS is all set.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 6:21 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Is the ARM gig confirmed or just a rumor? I thought judges need 20 years for full PERS?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 7:06 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

The Judicial PERS is slightly different. But I think you have to be 60 and have at least ten years to get the retirement and retiree medical which is critical. She had 18 years and at least three terms. She ran I think in 2004, 2008, 2014, and 2020. Eighteen years is pretty good. Betsy was a partner at Beckly Singleton and had her own firm. She was a pretty good lawyer. She brought substantial experience to the bench which is lacking in so many of our new crop of judges. Most do not have the civil experience. A judge can learn criminal pretty easily but civil presents challenges because it is so complex and pecuilar.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 7:25 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Nevada government workers do not get free medical benefits upon retiring. But the PERS retirement is very lucrative. Having worked for 18 years as a judge, Betsy will receive about 54% of her judge's salary for the rest of her life starting on her retirement, assuming she is 60 years old. Workers can receive up to 75% of their pay and collect at any age if they have 30 years of service (regular) or 25 years of service (police, fire or judicial). Then they can still work in the private sector with no reduction in their pension, unlike social security.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:29 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

12:25 PM–Free medical benefits-no–but Judges retiring before Medicare and after 60 get retiree medical from the State. It is much much cheaper than buying a policy with huge deductibles in the private market if you can even find such a policy. Reteree medical is subsidized by the State. I would take it any day over paying $3,000 a month. Also, spouses and children up to age 26 are covered by the State retiree medical. Top that.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:37 pm

I have had a few trials and other important issues in front her. She crafted a solution in each trial to achieve a result that she believed was just. It was not supported by Nevada law in any of the trials I had in front of her. I would have preferred if she would have just applied the black letter law, but I cannot say that any of the results were unjust. She will be missed on the Court and difficult to replace. Those of you who are criticizing her must not have much trial experience, sure, she did what she wanted, but at least she understood the issues in front of her. This cannot be said of all of our judges. It gets much, much worse than Gonzalez, and her retirement is a negative thing for our Courts.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 6:07 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

But, that's the issue. She understood the issues before her and went out of her way to advocate for the ruling she wanted. I appreciate the new judges, who are more inclined to follow black letter law than be an advocate for the judge's preferred outcome. The role of the trial judge is to follow the law. If she didn't like the law, then maybe she should have sought a supreme court position.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:02 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I have no idea what new judges you are appearing in front of 11:07 but they are a disaster across the board. Judge Gonzalez listened to the facts and applied the law. She never ignored the law, but she would apply the law to reach the result that she thought was just. She ruled against me more than she ruled for me it felt. She got it wrong quite often I thought but supported her decisions with law and evidence. She got reversed a fair amount which was a testament to her getting the toughest civil cases.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:23 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Wait, you just said, her rulings were "not supported by Nevada law in any of the trials I had in front of her" but you still think she is a great Judge? Since when is a judge supposed to "[craft] a solution in each trial to achieve a result that she believed was just. . . ?
I really thought the role of a judge was to follow the law. In which country are you living?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:07 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

And then he concludes by acknowledging her many reversals. Haha!!! That doesn't show she had tough cases, it shows she doesn't follow the law, making her, imo, a bad judge.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 7:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

All I wrote was Betsey Gonzalez does not follow the law, and she violated our firm's client's due process rights and my comment was removed. Bye, Betsey.

law.dawg
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law.dawg
July 30, 2021 12:17 am
Reply to  Anonymous

That's not "all" you wrote. Even though your comment(s) was/were removed, I still have copies of them.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 12:49 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Yes, it was .

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 5:51 pm

Betsy is the worst. She is openly bias against any attorney she doesn't like. She's loves men, hates women. She's a tyrant. She has clearly hated her job the last few years. She should have retired before her burn out effected her performance. I used to appear in front of her for years – for the past 3 years, I've booted her on every case. Audios

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 6:20 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I disagree. She loves men and women, and justice. Adios.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 6:41 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Gonzalez is a step above Bonnie Bulla. Plays favorites. Pushes people around. Screams at the little guy. Does what others tell her to do. Bye, Bets.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 11:38 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

11:41 — WTF, Pinhead.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 12:29 am
Reply to  Anonymous

WTF, Betsey?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:08 pm

Long and short of it is that, her faults and shortcomings aside, she is far better than the average RJC judge.

As far as her resignation letter being "all about her", it really was not so braggadocio, but did include some curious material.

Most such letters indicate the resignation, and thank the governor and the Nevada residents for the opportunity to have served the public. And that's about it.

They usually didn't include a recitation of programs or innovations the judge has been involved in.

But this letter does offer such details. So, I didn't really view it so much as bragging, but just more like a curious approach by including some detailed material about certain court programs that the neither the Governor, nor members of the general public who read the letter online, know much about.

So, it didn't seem egotistical. It just seemed a bit more lengthy considering the brevity such letters usually adhere to, and it seemed to include boring, compact content that very few people will understand and relate to.

For those of us involved in the Law, we all tend, at times, to either be too technical, and/or fail to realize when material we may be interested in will be incomprehensible and indecipherable to most lay people.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:21 pm

1:08, her letter was not too lengthy–less than one page.

But, yes, most such letters consist of two short paragraphs. Paragraph #1 usually consists of the sentence that I am resigning effective such and such date.

Paragraph #2 usually consists of a sentence or two being thankful for the opportunity to serve.

So, this one was a bit longer than that, but not too long.

But I agree it's confusing to the reader(or, at least most readers) to discuss the Overflow Case Settlement Plan and the Business Law Docket.

That's NOT something that resonates with the average person as being some innovations which have streamlined the legal process to make it more user friendly for the average person.

She should have selected a program or two that the average person may have actually benefitted from ,and that they can understand. That would create a nicer, and more clear, legacy for her.

When you're on your way out the door after a sterling career, you don't want your parting thoughts to be about something rather arcane and inaccessible that very few people understand or care about.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:30 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

She very likely could have pointed to the Civil Law Self-Help Center which she steered along with Barbara Buckley and LACSN. I agree that that program would have resonated with the general public more. However Judge Gonzalez has never tried to steal other peoples' thunder.

With that said, yeah I agree that if it ever came out what she is dealing with in her family, I suspect some of you would have more sympathy. Some of you still would not but then that says more about you than her.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

2:30, yeah I think she should have emphasized Self Help, as she was instrumental in that. And she could do so without stealing Buckley's thunder. She could say worked in conjunction with Barbara Buckley, or, even more deferentially, assisted Barbara Buckley in creating…

But, yes, emphasizing some overflow method, or improvements to Business Law calendar, would seem like somewhat obtuse, obscure subject matter to the average person.

An excellent judge, in general, and God Speed to her and her family.

She really left her mark.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 2:30 am
Reply to  Anonymous

FYI the Self Help center was patterned after the Center in Maricopa County Arizona. I was part of the initial group who travelled to Arizona to check it out and to recommend that Clark County create a similar Center. Buckley and Becky did not come up with the idea for the Self Help Center my friends.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 5:53 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I was also part of the initial group and 7:30 is not correct (and I am pretty sure was not part of the initial group).

Clark County already had a Family Law Self-Help Center but lacked a Civil Law Self-Help Center. The civil judges were chafing at the number of pro se litigants clogging their courts. In fact when LACSN attempted to get help from the civil judges on the Pro Bono Recruitment Commission, they were hit with pushback that judges would help but wanted LACSN to address the pro se and not merely pro bono issues. Judge Gonzalez already had a working relationship with Barbara Buckley and LACSN since she had been I think chair of LACSN's Board and took the initiative to get the ball rolling and funding for the Civil Self-Help Center. Judge Gonzalez was instrumental and the driving force behind the Self-Help Center. Don't believe me?
http://www.clarkcountycourts.us/judge-elizabeth-gonzalez-to-be-honored-with-liberty-bell-award-for-making-civil-law-self-help-center-a-reality/

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 6:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

7:30–Whoever you are, I applaud you for all your work and efforts relative to the Self Help Center

But I respectfully think you are wrong when you automatically assume that Buckley and Gonzalez deserve no credit simply because a Self Help Center may not have been their original idea, and that they likewise deserve no recognition of their efforts because they didn't travel to Arizona with you and the others.

First, there have been various forms of Self Help Centers scattered through the U.S. for decades, so of course neither Buckley nor Gonzalez originated the concept.

But Buckley was instrumental in the creation of the Family Court Self Help Center, and both her and Gonzalez were instrumental in the creation of the Civil Law Self Help Center.

Obviously, all major projects are under the auspices of notable people with important positions in the community, and they are the ones who can get things done, create the connections, secure the funding, etc.

And under those people are all the worker bees, who may not have an important title or much community influence, but who put in the hours with a lot of the grass root efforts, etc.

The fact that some of those unheralded workers may actually put in more hours(often far more hours) on a project than the "leaders"(the prominent people with the titles)does not necessarily mean that the "leaders" do not deserve a lot of credit.

No matter how much effort average community members may devote to a project, nothing really gets done, and no funding is ever really secured, without the lobbying and advocacy of the prominent local people, who have titles and influence, who you deride and minimize.

Sorry for the verbose civics lesson, but the hard truth is that nether of those Self Help Centers would have been established without those two lending their name and efforts to the cause.

And I'm sorry that you resent and begrudge them any recognition simply because neither invented the concept of Self Help Centers, and that neither rode with you to Arizona.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 6:46 pm
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This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

law.dawg
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law.dawg
July 29, 2021 6:59 pm
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The only comments I've removed are the ones that violate our policy of name calling and personal attacks. Clean it up.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 8:21 pm

I am not a judge, but I sure hope all you geniuses through your hats in the ring if you want to talk so much trash. Thank you for all your years of service Judge G. Thanks for being the "[wo]man in the arena." Never mind the critics.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:13 pm
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Those who would probably make the best judges are the same ones likely unwilling to demote themselves to the bench. Non sequitur to say someone who criticizes a judge should run themselves. Can we stop it already with that asinine argument?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:18 pm
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I like Teddy Roosevelt's position better. Put up, or shut up. Check out the man in the arena.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:25 pm
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:31 pm

Throw too. Damn you autocorrect.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 9:51 pm

1:21, those you mockingly refer to as geniuses, and who you tell to either shut up or throw their hat in the ring, please don't encourage that.

A few of these "geniuses" did throw their hat in the ring last time and actually won–sometimes at the expense of a solid incumbent or an opponent who was a highly skilled attorney of long and solid standing.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 28, 2021 10:22 pm

Well I for one am glad that this is the one and only statement she will make, publicly or privately, about her retirement and it encompased everything she felt about her time on the bench so the peanut gallery could chime in.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 11:17 pm

Business court is a funny thing. First, I've heard Judge Gonzalez lost a child recently. Whatever you think of her, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It has affected her recent demeanor on the bench, and I hope she gets some time to herself to grieve and find some peace.

Second, while Judge Gonzalez was far from a perfect judge, she was better than most. She paired Judge Denton's intellect with an ability to rule much more decisively. Yes, it came with a brash personality at times, and she could rush into wrong decisions. But she moved cases, and I never had to worry about a client thinking something was dragging along in her courtroom because of some fault of mine.

Finally, this is a big loss for the business court. I hesitate to think of more of my cases going to the judges other than Denton. Judge Gonzalez rarely got hoodwinked by a litigant even at the warp speed she went. Judge Denton is better, though he plods along like a judicial turtle to get there. But the other two? Yikes. I'd fully support moving Judge David Jones into the business court and perhaps sending one of the other two packing if Judge Gonzalez gets a solid replacement.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 29, 2021 11:43 pm
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A new Scrivener's Award winner! Judge Gonzalez rarely got hoodwinked by a litigant even at the warp speed she went. Judge Denton is better, though he plods along like a judicial turtle to get there.

Laughlin Constable Jordan Ross
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Laughlin Constable Jordan Ross
July 30, 2021 9:56 pm

My very small office doesn't play a large role in civil and business court cases; we just help move the paperwork from one point to another. But I've had the opportunity to see how her work advancing the management and efficiency of the courts has helped those of us on the support side – marshals, clerks, constables and the like. I even saw first hand the results of building the business court up when I and a deputy had to testify in one case; the entire process was efficient and civil. Again, my perspective is very narrow and I'm not a member of the bar, but as someone in a support role, I think Judge Gonzalez has been every inch what a judge should be. The bench will be a poorer place for her absence, but I wish her nothing sunny days ahead.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 30, 2021 10:43 pm

Well said SharkCop

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 2, 2021 10:53 pm

Late to the game. Very sorry to hear that Judge Gonzales recently lost a child. By the same token, she did ignore the law, and played favorites. I expect judges to apply the law fairly and without bias. The few times I was in front of her, I don't think she did so.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 4, 2021 4:02 pm
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3:53 — You are a sorry excuse for a human being.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 4, 2021 6:02 pm
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@ 9:02, truly curious–why is it terrible for someone to express both sympathy for the Judge's loss AND the opinion that she was not a good judge? Is it just the timing that offends you? Because there are many other commenters who have expressed sympathy AND the opinion that she was/is a great judge. This is ok for you but the not the other?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
August 4, 2021 7:30 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

11:02 (Not 9:02) There is a despicable attorney in town who I have received information is dying. I deplore this person. However I will refrain from attending their funeral just to their family "Sorry for you loss but let me give you 3 sentences on what a miserable SOB he was" or to express what a rotten human being this person is/was. I will not use this person's departure as the time to discuss their miserableness. The post above wrongfully ties the death of a child with an evaluation of their judicial acumen which just feels icky. Furthermore the "sympathy" appears backhanded and swallowed by the chance to take shots at the judge which are 3x as long. Yeah its hamhanded and should trigger some reflection. On the other hand perhaps 3:53 can now take solace that I will not be at their funeral.