Las Vegas Justice Court says you can go maskless if you’re fully vaccinated. [Admin Order 21-05)
Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez ruled that activists don’t have a right to joint the Clark County Republican Party’s central committee. [RJ]
A Las Vegas woman was indicted on charges of violating trade restrictions with Iran. [8NewsNow]
As Nevada prepares to reopen at 100%, Memorial Day 2021 is looking a lot different than last year. What are you doing this weekend? Whatever you do, we wish you a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!
since you're the morality police, can you give me a list of things I'm allowed to do and not? If I make a condescending comment on a private blog, can I then go out and enjoy my weekend? Or does my condescending comment have to be on my facebook? TIA
I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend with their loved ones and friends, and takes a moment to reflect on the reason for the day.
P.S. Pretty much allowed to do anything you want except commit crimes. But take a second. maybe a minute to remember the 20 year old that gave his life on Normandy, or the 20 year old black kid that gave his life in Viet Nam (for very little, if any reason), so that you could smoke a blunt and make smart ass comments.
Oh say can you see . . .
I use Memorial Day to remember deceased family and ancestors, to tell their stories in addition to honoring those who died in the service of our country. I'll celebrate the day as I see fit, thank you very much.
Unbelievable. Four comments, two of which are non-objectionable wholesome comments and two miserable, sensitive, snowflake haters. Glad I'm not spending the weekend with 10:33 and 11:09.
What do you care how I or anyone else spends our May holiday that kicks off summer? I also used to use Memorial Day to remember deceased family and ancestors, to tell their stories, in addition to honoring those who died in the service of our country. Except my deceased ancestors are across the country so there will be no grave decorating this year. But frankly I don't tell people how to celebrate their Easter, their Valentines Day, their President's Day, their Independence Day, their Labor Day, their Thanksgiving or their Christmas.
Think about how ridiculous "Let's please try to remember what President's Day is all about. Hamburgers are fun, but that's not the underlying reason for the day." For some people it is about celebrating the first of three holidays that all center around military people (Memorial Independence Veterans); for others one holiday that celebrates veterans is enough. Being in the military is not statistically the most dangerous job; more health care workers died in service to their nation in the last year than military members. Celebrate Memorial Day the way that you want to celebrate it and in the way that means the most to you personally.
Memorial Day (previously, but now seldom, called Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. The holiday was formerly observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Many volunteers place an American flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries.
Geez people, celebrate how you want, but jumping down people's throats because they suggested you take a second or a minute out of your narcissistic, average freedom enjoying life to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice is beyond the pale. Thankfully most of you ingrates have not had to make a sacrifice other than complaining about "your rights" when asked to wear a mask.
Not "jumping down people's throats because they suggested you take a second or a minute out of your narcissistic, average freedom enjoying life to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice". Jumping to the defense of those who do not appreciate being piously told what or how to spend their holidays.
You can be grateful for the sacrifice of those who made it without endorsing the sanctimonious pomposity of people who did not make that sacrifice prescribing how and when other people celebrate, honor and recognize our military. This entirely unnecessary decision to climb on a soapbox devoid of any lathery goodness should never have been started.
Since 9/11, patriotism and military appreciation have converged in total overlap, and that is really unfortunate because it is to the exclusion of so many things that make this country amazing, including all the non-military Americans who fought to improve this country over time. The suffragettes. The pioneers. The freedom riders. The labor organizers. The religious leaders. The protesters.
No qualifiers. No who has to respect what or pay homage to who.
Don't get me wrong,that would be nice–to reflect on the significance of the holiday and those who made such sacrifices–but that is a highly personal, private matter, as to what people think, what they reflect on, what they value and honor, etc.
We don't yet have thought police, so some people, while enjoying the barbecue, beers and the pool, may reflect on the sacrifices of those who made this all possible, while others will just enjoy the barbecue, beer and the pool.
Just the way it is. We can't guilt, shame or pummel anyone into thinking this, or respecting that.
Whether they should, ideally speaking, respect this, or reflect on that, is a separate issue. We can't pound them into falling into lockstep with our ideas of what we think they should honor, or what we think they should be thinking.
2:05 – you do realize we're talking about Memorial Day? That is expressly to honor military. We have a MLK day – to honor a religious and civil rights leader. As to Labor, freedom riders and suffragettes – pick a day and they can have it. Memorial Day is for remembrance. Do whatever you want, but don't pretend that the day is not about the military – it is.
This is absolute craziness. A person asks that others remember the purpose of Memorial Day and people go off their rockers, i.e. don't tell me what to do, you're a pompous a-hole for telling me what to do, etc. Un-f-ing believable. I am really disappointed in a whole lot of people today. Waive the flag, remember the 416,000 that died on WWII, remember the 33,000 that died in the Korean War, remember the 56,000 that died in the Viet Name War, remember those that died in the Gulf War, remember those that died fighting for your freedom. Pray to Allah/God your spirit animal that you never have to go to war.
P.S. Punch a f-ing Nazi in the face.
3:07, I agree with you. But I also agree with 2:46 that's it's pointless to get sucked into angry debates about who should respect what.
We can say that we think people should reflect on the significance of the day, but if someone responds by saying that we are didactic and pompous for suggesting what people should do or think, then fine–let them over-react that way and distort what we are suggesting, and let it go.
I use Memorial Day to worship my new Lord and savior Donald John Trump. I pray he has a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend in Mar-a-Lago. Peace be upon him.
@2:27 – I'm absolutely not kidding. Once I stopped praying to the old gods and prayed to Donald John Trump, everything in my life got better. Our firm is doing great, husband and kids doing great, life is beautiful. Someday I plan to build a temple in his glorious honor.
I love you too! His Holiness Donald John Trump has filled my heart full of love for others. If only more would embrace his spirit, this world would be filled with peace, and the world would thrive.
Gonzalez fair and balanced as usual, but to what ends? The Republican party should just dissolve and go away. They are irrelevant. Less useful than a overflowing bag of excrement.
"Less useful" – I can think of lots of things to do with an "overflowing bag of excrement" – like use it upgrade the space your "brain" is supposed to be in
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 6:30 pm
A few years ago, my son went to school and his elementary school teacher asked each child how they spent their Memorial Day holiday. Several children rose and told moving stories of their ancestors, fighting for our country. The teacher called me later that day, laughing. "I have got to tell you what your son said. He said, 'We had a great holiday! We went to El Pollo Loco for dinner, our car overheated in the drive through. We blocked the drive through so they called a tow truck, they towed our car and I got to ride in the tow truck!!! Oh yeah, and my grandpa bombed the Nazis.'" So yes, we all celebrate the holiday in our own special way.
I'm convinced Betsy is connected with this blog. I made some super vanilla comment about her lack of judgment this week and my comment was removed. It's odd to be that this is a legal blog and some statements about judges and practitioners are allowed to stand – but a comment that a sitting judge is losing my respect – for reasons I've mentioned that keep getting removed – get removed. Let's see how long this post lasts…. Gonzales needs to retire.
David Jones. Knows civil law better than anyone else on the bench. Seems like his overwhelming priority is to be fair to both side and apply the law. Also really like how he treats juries.
Years ago, I was not a fan of Gloria Sturman. But she has become better and better over time. Her instincts have improved. She has excellent temperment. She treats everyone with respect, even those who, in my opinion, don't deserve it. When she was doing guardianships, she was thorough and really put the needs of the protected person first at all times. I think she is among our better judges now.
@1:57 here – my past comment about Betsy was that she has become less and less professional over the years, she disrespects counsel to the point of near intentional humiliation. I said I bounce her now, every time. Each time I have made similar comments (in the last 12 months) they are removed. As far as better judges – Weise, Williams, Alf, Denton, Jones….all will eventually make a decision even if you can't get a motion to dismiss granted. I especially love Weise's ability to relate to the practice of lawyering. Given 95 percent of all cases eventually settle (civil practice) I find that it's increasingly more important to me and my client(s) how a judge will handle his/her case during the discovery process. And let's face it – I remove everything I can to federal court anyway.
Have not been in front of Jones, but I met him before as opposing counsel . Very nice. Dent in, like. Allf, shirt no. Williams, a bench filler. Gonzalez, better than Allf, which is no endorsement
2:53–I'm not taking up for Allf or Tim Williams(you can trust me on that)but if you can't think of anyone worse in that building to complain about than those two, I respectfully suggest that you have(relatively speaking) not been in front of too many RJC judges, and that you may be in for a rude awakening.
It's very clear several of the judges read this blog. Every time someone comments on a certain appointed family court judge, someone else weighs in and asks if there are multiple people complaining about her or if it's all one person. Predictable and transparent.
They are legitimate questions. Is it one person complaining or only one person defending? We will most likely never know. Welcome to anonymous blogs.
MY suspicion is that very few judges read the blogs because most judges have thin skins like pretty much all of us. Why would you read a website that routinely pillories you anonymously, you really cannot defend yourself and which you have nothing to gain from reading. Do judges have routine defenders? I am sure that they do just as they have routine critics. But there is little to nothing to be learned from anonymous vox populi.
Other judges have gotten slammed and don't have defenders and they certainly don't have defenders who say the exact same thing every time that one judge is criticized. I have defended a judge here or there on this blog, but not every time I see their name on here and not with the exact same response.
With regard to the judges, yes some of it is just gossip, but I do like to read comments from other attorneys. Some of it is actually useful in preparing for court and knowing how to deal with those particular judges.
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 9:54 pm
Denton
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 10:00 pm
That was a shit no on Allf.
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 10:02 pm
11:16 said the Republican party should dissolve and go away, and 1:02 took some real offense to that and made some unflattering remarks about 11:16's intelligence.
But, 11:16, although perhaps needing some lessons in sensitivity and diplomacy, has hit on something when mentioning that the Republican party is becoming irrelevant.
Look how everything is changing out there. States which have never gone democrat, or have not gone democrat for years, went democrat in this presidential election.
Republicans may still be roughly evenly split with democrats among middle-ages and older voters, but the younger voters(let's say the 18 to 34 demographic range) has turned largely democrat.
And who is it who will be voting in all the upcoming elections of the next five or six decades? Well, those currently in the 18 to 34 range, as well as those who are still presently children but who (statistically speaking) will be registering democratic in disproportionate numbers in the future(unless some huge social shift sends everything in the opposite direction).
Meanwhile, the loyal republican voters in their 50's to 90's, will be gradually shuffling off this mortal coil, leaving the now 18-34 year olds(who are largely democrat) to run the legislatures, as well as set the societal/political tone for the future.
I'm not saying I favor or support that dynamic. I'm just saying it seems to be the ruthless, focused trend–so focused, in fact, that it seems intent on obliterating the opposition, or anyone who even dares to question or disagree with any of the democrat policies.
So, unlike 11:16, who seems to relish the passing of the republican party, I really bemoan it's significant weakening, and gradual evaporation.
But I still think 11:16 has a point–and a clearly correct, valid one at that.
3:02, I'm a Republican and agree that current trends don't bode well for the Republican party.
But you also alluded to dramatic societal/political shifts that occur, and they tend to a occur more often than many expect.
Take our own state for example. There have been dramatic shifts from election to election, with some elections the republicans dominating, the next election the democrats dominate, and the cycle continues.
But as to your point that we may no longer see those cyclical shifts due to the graying of the Republican party, and the youthful Democrat base taking over society in general as well as the electorate, we will just have to wait and see, as the wheel is still in spin.
I don't know. My kids are evenly split between populist Trumpers and woke anti-Trumpers. It is very, very sad that the former have to be very, very careful who they share their ideas with, because the wokesters control the internet, the schools, and UNLV. Getting doxxed is a real threat.
Blaming the current trends for the demise of the Republican Party is denying reality. If wokeness breaks the spine of the right it was a weak spine destined to break under its own downward momentum. You make the very real point that the Republican Party has spent so much energy short term gerrymandering, packing lower courts and state legislatures that they forgot to look at where American political sensibilites were trending. And as you pointed out, it has been towards the Democratic Party. Now that the are aging out, who is left but a massive block of young Democrats that are tired of being blamed, shamed and demonized. And now they ate in power and want to change the world to fit their views. Welcome to America. Eventually the kids will be in charge. Hopefully we taught then wellm
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 10:29 pm
How would Judges Mendoza and O'Donnell have faired today? Would they have been thrown out for their terrible temperaments?
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 11:24 pm
3:29,they would not have been removed from the bench these days, but there would be more accountability these days, and discipline proceedings, possibly resulting in reprimands, if abusive behavior is of a repeat nature.
No judge was really disciplined in our county until the later 80's when Paul Goldman really seemed to go over the deep end.
But that's what it basically took Pre-2000–really outrageous or shockingly unethical behavior.
But temperament issues, in general, were not sufficient to attract discipline, even when the temperament issues extended to a judge having litigants or attorneys summarily held in contempt and handcuffed.
Goldman was an extreme example because the people he summarily held in contempt and handcuffed included a high ranking METRO official who did not immediately appear in Goldman's court when he demanded he appear, an 88-year-old woman who refused to testify against her son, and a maintenance supervisor whose crew supposedly made too much noise on the roof above Goldman's courtroom.
But these judges who received discipline in more recent years, for holding people and attorneys in contempt at hearings, never would have attracted that discipline back in the 80's and 90's–and it is unlikely anyone would have even reported them.
So, Judges like Potter and Rena Hughes, and probably Judge Assad as well, would not have received discipline, IMO,for how they handled contempt proceedings if their actions were back in the 80's and 90's.
But one fairly recent example of discipline relative to contempt and taking someone into custody, that was outrageous enough that it also would have resulted in discipline back in the lax 80's and 90's (when judges were close to untouchable), was the situation wherein a JP has a DPD handcuffed, and precluded from representing her clients, while the judge proceeds against each of them in turn.
A Deputy P.D. is arguing on behalf of her client. She won't stop arguing when the JP demands she stops, so he has her held in contempt and handcuffed. He then has her sit in the area reserved for defendant inmates, and starts proceeding against her other clients without letting her say one word on their behalf.
Could it get worse from there? Seemingly not, but it does. We learn that the JP then insisted that a law clerk(or some other non-attorney employee of the P.D.'s Office) present on behalf of the remaining defendants whose cases are to be called.
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 11:28 pm
4:24–I've been told that JP, before taking the bench, was a fairly well-regarded Deputy Attorney General.
But sometimes people cannot handle power effectively. Some people are pretty well-centered attorneys, whether it be the public or private sector, and have decent demeanors, but once promoted to the bench they lose their footing and humility.
Possibly that was a factor here.
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Anonymous
May 28, 2021 11:58 pm
You mean this guy? Now, he is Utah's problem:
A former Nevada judge barred from the bench, for, among other offenses, the handcuffing a female PD, is now at work prosecuting crime in Saratoga Springs, Utah.
Utah native Conrad Hafen stepped into the role of assistant city attorney, nearly three years after Nevada’s judicial discipline board banished him for a string of confrontations in his courtroom.
Hafen, who agreed not to contest censure for the incidents from 2014-2016, returned to Utah after losing his bid for re-election as a Las Vegas justice of the peace in 2016.
He applied for the Saratoga Springs job after spending about two years as a part-time employee in the city’s recreation department, where his duties included supervising referees at youth sports games.
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Anonymous
May 29, 2021 12:00 am
So who were the great District Court Judges? Wall, Barker, Maupin, Wendell, Denton? Who else?
As for Marren, yes in the sense as a founding father of the Family Court and was always involved in projects for the improvement and development of the court, etc.
So, yes, kudos to him for his administrative efforts, lobbying efforts, and for being a very effective PR face for the court.
But as to his actual calendar, although quite bright and capable, I found him to be seldom prepared, he seemed to almost always feel he could "wing" it, and constantly took many matters under submission(for months)–to the point that it was his undoing.
So, let's not conflate two different things. Those who practiced a lot of Family Court during his time on the bench will concede that as a public face for the court, and as an administrative go-getter, he did a great deal for the court.
But as to his actual performance on the bench, it got to a point the last couple years where he was so absorbed with political and administrative matters that you needed to tell your client there was a 50/50 chance no decision would be issued the day of the hearing–or, in some cases, till many months later.
But he is not the fist person to perceive he could be a full-time judge, as well as a full-time lobbyist/administrator, PR face of the court, etc.
As it turns out, it becomes almost overwhelming to burn the candle from both ends.
But as to his legacy, there have been many Family Court judges, they come and go and few leave any real lasting imprint. So, the fact that he may not have been great at timely handling of his calendar as a judge may be relatively unimportant since his lasting legacy is that he may be the primary mover and shaker in the creation and development of our Family Court.
Many of the successful programs, policies an services we still have today have his fingerprints all over them.
So, although not a great judge in my estimation, a great creator(or co-creator) of a system–and that's far more important
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Anonymous
May 29, 2021 12:53 am
As you were arguing in front of Marren, he was often typing into a computer so you got the idea he was not listening. But maybe he was just taking notes.
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Anonymous
May 29, 2021 1:01 am
Bonaventure was fun, but he could be volatile. BTW does anyone know how Michael Amador, first attorney for Margaret Rudin, died?
Bonaventure is a trip. Nothing like having a sitting judge call you and tell you that you are handling a case against a friend of his and that it would mean the world to him if you could be reasonable in reaching out with a settlement offer (yes it really happened).
Judges reach out all the time behind the scenes which is entirely unethical about cases. Sometimes they use other people to "help" them.
Really happens.
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Anonymous
May 29, 2021 1:21 am
No pot lounges. I like non pot judges, Hardy and Leavitt. No pot. No got. No Amsterdam .
Heart attack is what I heard. He was found at home by his ex-wife.
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Anonymous
May 31, 2021 11:42 pm
Shout out to Jackie Rosen for showing up on Memorial Day services. Have not seen her doing anything else for us during covid-19. Good photo opportunities.
Good heavens. Well, the good news is that the permanent mass mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting and observer-free counts ensure I don't need to know who my "representatives" are any more. Harry has it covered.
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Anonymous
June 1, 2021 5:03 pm
Review Journal just announced that Valerie Adair died.
Let's please try to remember what Memorial Day is all about. Hamburgers are fun, but that's not the underlying reason for the day.
since you're the morality police, can you give me a list of things I'm allowed to do and not? If I make a condescending comment on a private blog, can I then go out and enjoy my weekend? Or does my condescending comment have to be on my facebook? TIA
I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend with their loved ones and friends, and takes a moment to reflect on the reason for the day.
P.S. Pretty much allowed to do anything you want except commit crimes. But take a second. maybe a minute to remember the 20 year old that gave his life on Normandy, or the 20 year old black kid that gave his life in Viet Nam (for very little, if any reason), so that you could smoke a blunt and make smart ass comments.
Oh say can you see . . .
I use Memorial Day to remember deceased family and ancestors, to tell their stories in addition to honoring those who died in the service of our country. I'll celebrate the day as I see fit, thank you very much.
Unbelievable. Four comments, two of which are non-objectionable wholesome comments and two miserable, sensitive, snowflake haters. Glad I'm not spending the weekend with 10:33 and 11:09.
What do you care how I or anyone else spends our May holiday that kicks off summer? I also used to use Memorial Day to remember deceased family and ancestors, to tell their stories, in addition to honoring those who died in the service of our country. Except my deceased ancestors are across the country so there will be no grave decorating this year. But frankly I don't tell people how to celebrate their Easter, their Valentines Day, their President's Day, their Independence Day, their Labor Day, their Thanksgiving or their Christmas.
Think about how ridiculous "Let's please try to remember what President's Day is all about. Hamburgers are fun, but that's not the underlying reason for the day." For some people it is about celebrating the first of three holidays that all center around military people (Memorial Independence Veterans); for others one holiday that celebrates veterans is enough. Being in the military is not statistically the most dangerous job; more health care workers died in service to their nation in the last year than military members. Celebrate Memorial Day the way that you want to celebrate it and in the way that means the most to you personally.
Memorial Day (previously, but now seldom, called Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. The holiday was formerly observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Many volunteers place an American flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries.
Geez people, celebrate how you want, but jumping down people's throats because they suggested you take a second or a minute out of your narcissistic, average freedom enjoying life to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice is beyond the pale. Thankfully most of you ingrates have not had to make a sacrifice other than complaining about "your rights" when asked to wear a mask.
Let's just all enjoy the weekend.
Not "jumping down people's throats because they suggested you take a second or a minute out of your narcissistic, average freedom enjoying life to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice". Jumping to the defense of those who do not appreciate being piously told what or how to spend their holidays.
You can be grateful for the sacrifice of those who made it without endorsing the sanctimonious pomposity of people who did not make that sacrifice prescribing how and when other people celebrate, honor and recognize our military. This entirely unnecessary decision to climb on a soapbox devoid of any lathery goodness should never have been started.
Since 9/11, patriotism and military appreciation have converged in total overlap, and that is really unfortunate because it is to the exclusion of so many things that make this country amazing, including all the non-military Americans who fought to improve this country over time. The suffragettes. The pioneers. The freedom riders. The labor organizers. The religious leaders. The protesters.
1:22 here.
Again, let's just all enjoy the weekend.
No qualifiers. No who has to respect what or pay homage to who.
Don't get me wrong,that would be nice–to reflect on the significance of the holiday and those who made such sacrifices–but that is a highly personal, private matter, as to what people think, what they reflect on, what they value and honor, etc.
We don't yet have thought police, so some people, while enjoying the barbecue, beers and the pool, may reflect on the sacrifices of those who made this all possible, while others will just enjoy the barbecue, beer and the pool.
Just the way it is. We can't guilt, shame or pummel anyone into thinking this, or respecting that.
Whether they should, ideally speaking, respect this, or reflect on that, is a separate issue. We can't pound them into falling into lockstep with our ideas of what we think they should honor, or what we think they should be thinking.
2:05 – you do realize we're talking about Memorial Day? That is expressly to honor military. We have a MLK day – to honor a religious and civil rights leader. As to Labor, freedom riders and suffragettes – pick a day and they can have it. Memorial Day is for remembrance. Do whatever you want, but don't pretend that the day is not about the military – it is.
This is absolute craziness. A person asks that others remember the purpose of Memorial Day and people go off their rockers, i.e. don't tell me what to do, you're a pompous a-hole for telling me what to do, etc. Un-f-ing believable. I am really disappointed in a whole lot of people today. Waive the flag, remember the 416,000 that died on WWII, remember the 33,000 that died in the Korean War, remember the 56,000 that died in the Viet Name War, remember those that died in the Gulf War, remember those that died fighting for your freedom. Pray to Allah/God your spirit animal that you never have to go to war.
P.S. Punch a f-ing Nazi in the face.
3:07, I agree with you. But I also agree with 2:46 that's it's pointless to get sucked into angry debates about who should respect what.
We can say that we think people should reflect on the significance of the day, but if someone responds by saying that we are didactic and pompous for suggesting what people should do or think, then fine–let them over-react that way and distort what we are suggesting, and let it go.
I use Memorial Day to worship my new Lord and savior Donald John Trump. I pray he has a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend in Mar-a-Lago. Peace be upon him.
I hope you are kidding.
@2:27 – I'm absolutely not kidding. Once I stopped praying to the old gods and prayed to Donald John Trump, everything in my life got better. Our firm is doing great, husband and kids doing great, life is beautiful. Someday I plan to build a temple in his glorious honor.
I don't know you, but I love you.
I love you too! His Holiness Donald John Trump has filled my heart full of love for others. If only more would embrace his spirit, this world would be filled with peace, and the world would thrive.
He is a vile, corrupt ahole who would just as soon drive over your prostrated body as to acknowledge your existence.
If it were his wish to drive over me then I shall willingly lay in the road for him.
Damn Lawyers suck. Miserable people.
Gonzalez fair and balanced as usual, but to what ends? The Republican party should just dissolve and go away. They are irrelevant. Less useful than a overflowing bag of excrement.
"Less useful" – I can think of lots of things to do with an "overflowing bag of excrement" – like use it upgrade the space your "brain" is supposed to be in
A few years ago, my son went to school and his elementary school teacher asked each child how they spent their Memorial Day holiday. Several children rose and told moving stories of their ancestors, fighting for our country. The teacher called me later that day, laughing. "I have got to tell you what your son said. He said, 'We had a great holiday! We went to El Pollo Loco for dinner, our car overheated in the drive through. We blocked the drive through so they called a tow truck, they towed our car and I got to ride in the tow truck!!! Oh yeah, and my grandpa bombed the Nazis.'" So yes, we all celebrate the holiday in our own special way.
I used to think that no one needs 12 kids. I was wrong. These people need 12 kids.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/henderson/forever-family-grows-to-12-as-couple-adopt-5-siblings-2364391/
Hey, where'd all these onions come from?
I'm convinced Betsy is connected with this blog. I made some super vanilla comment about her lack of judgment this week and my comment was removed. It's odd to be that this is a legal blog and some statements about judges and practitioners are allowed to stand – but a comment that a sitting judge is losing my respect – for reasons I've mentioned that keep getting removed – get removed. Let's see how long this post lasts…. Gonzales needs to retire.
*me
G-force is amazing in every way. But challenge accepted. Who is a better judge, and why?
David Jones. Knows civil law better than anyone else on the bench. Seems like his overwhelming priority is to be fair to both side and apply the law. Also really like how he treats juries.
Years ago, I was not a fan of Gloria Sturman. But she has become better and better over time. Her instincts have improved. She has excellent temperment. She treats everyone with respect, even those who, in my opinion, don't deserve it. When she was doing guardianships, she was thorough and really put the needs of the protected person first at all times. I think she is among our better judges now.
@1:57 here – my past comment about Betsy was that she has become less and less professional over the years, she disrespects counsel to the point of near intentional humiliation. I said I bounce her now, every time. Each time I have made similar comments (in the last 12 months) they are removed. As far as better judges – Weise, Williams, Alf, Denton, Jones….all will eventually make a decision even if you can't get a motion to dismiss granted. I especially love Weise's ability to relate to the practice of lawyering. Given 95 percent of all cases eventually settle (civil practice) I find that it's increasingly more important to me and my client(s) how a judge will handle his/her case during the discovery process. And let's face it – I remove everything I can to federal court anyway.
G-force? I lost my spaghettios in laughter.
Have not been in front of Jones, but I met him before as opposing counsel . Very nice. Dent in, like. Allf, shirt no. Williams, a bench filler. Gonzalez, better than Allf, which is no endorsement
2:53–I'm not taking up for Allf or Tim Williams(you can trust me on that)but if you can't think of anyone worse in that building to complain about than those two, I respectfully suggest that you have(relatively speaking) not been in front of too many RJC judges, and that you may be in for a rude awakening.
I assign files over to my partner on Allf. She is an Alf.
Alf! Funny
It's very clear several of the judges read this blog. Every time someone comments on a certain appointed family court judge, someone else weighs in and asks if there are multiple people complaining about her or if it's all one person. Predictable and transparent.
They are legitimate questions. Is it one person complaining or only one person defending? We will most likely never know. Welcome to anonymous blogs.
MY suspicion is that very few judges read the blogs because most judges have thin skins like pretty much all of us. Why would you read a website that routinely pillories you anonymously, you really cannot defend yourself and which you have nothing to gain from reading. Do judges have routine defenders? I am sure that they do just as they have routine critics. But there is little to nothing to be learned from anonymous vox populi.
Other judges have gotten slammed and don't have defenders and they certainly don't have defenders who say the exact same thing every time that one judge is criticized. I have defended a judge here or there on this blog, but not every time I see their name on here and not with the exact same response.
With regard to the judges, yes some of it is just gossip, but I do like to read comments from other attorneys. Some of it is actually useful in preparing for court and knowing how to deal with those particular judges.
Denton
That was a shit no on Allf.
11:16 said the Republican party should dissolve and go away, and 1:02 took some real offense to that and made some unflattering remarks about 11:16's intelligence.
But, 11:16, although perhaps needing some lessons in sensitivity and diplomacy, has hit on something when mentioning that the Republican party is becoming irrelevant.
Look how everything is changing out there. States which have never gone democrat, or have not gone democrat for years, went democrat in this presidential election.
Republicans may still be roughly evenly split with democrats among middle-ages and older voters, but the younger voters(let's say the 18 to 34 demographic range) has turned largely democrat.
And who is it who will be voting in all the upcoming elections of the next five or six decades? Well, those currently in the 18 to 34 range, as well as those who are still presently children but who (statistically speaking) will be registering democratic in disproportionate numbers in the future(unless some huge social shift sends everything in the opposite direction).
Meanwhile, the loyal republican voters in their 50's to 90's, will be gradually shuffling off this mortal coil, leaving the now 18-34 year olds(who are largely democrat) to run the legislatures, as well as set the societal/political tone for the future.
I'm not saying I favor or support that dynamic. I'm just saying it seems to be the ruthless, focused trend–so focused, in fact, that it seems intent on obliterating the opposition, or anyone who even dares to question or disagree with any of the democrat policies.
So, unlike 11:16, who seems to relish the passing of the republican party, I really bemoan it's significant weakening, and gradual evaporation.
But I still think 11:16 has a point–and a clearly correct, valid one at that.
3:02, I'm a Republican and agree that current trends don't bode well for the Republican party.
But you also alluded to dramatic societal/political shifts that occur, and they tend to a occur more often than many expect.
Take our own state for example. There have been dramatic shifts from election to election, with some elections the republicans dominating, the next election the democrats dominate, and the cycle continues.
But as to your point that we may no longer see those cyclical shifts due to the graying of the Republican party, and the youthful Democrat base taking over society in general as well as the electorate, we will just have to wait and see, as the wheel is still in spin.
I don't know. My kids are evenly split between populist Trumpers and woke anti-Trumpers. It is very, very sad that the former have to be very, very careful who they share their ideas with, because the wokesters control the internet, the schools, and UNLV. Getting doxxed is a real threat.
Blaming the current trends for the demise of the Republican Party is denying reality. If wokeness breaks the spine of the right it was a weak spine destined to break under its own downward momentum. You make the very real point that the Republican Party has spent so much energy short term gerrymandering, packing lower courts and state legislatures that they forgot to look at where American political sensibilites were trending. And as you pointed out, it has been towards the Democratic Party. Now that the are aging out, who is left but a massive block of young Democrats that are tired of being blamed, shamed and demonized. And now they ate in power and want to change the world to fit their views. Welcome to America. Eventually the kids will be in charge. Hopefully we taught then wellm
How would Judges Mendoza and O'Donnell have faired today? Would they have been thrown out for their terrible temperaments?
3:29,they would not have been removed from the bench these days, but there would be more accountability these days, and discipline proceedings, possibly resulting in reprimands, if abusive behavior is of a repeat nature.
No judge was really disciplined in our county until the later 80's when Paul Goldman really seemed to go over the deep end.
But that's what it basically took Pre-2000–really outrageous or shockingly unethical behavior.
But temperament issues, in general, were not sufficient to attract discipline, even when the temperament issues extended to a judge having litigants or attorneys summarily held in contempt and handcuffed.
Goldman was an extreme example because the people he summarily held in contempt and handcuffed included a high ranking METRO official who did not immediately appear in Goldman's court when he demanded he appear, an 88-year-old woman who refused to testify against her son, and a maintenance supervisor whose crew supposedly made too much noise on the roof above Goldman's courtroom.
But these judges who received discipline in more recent years, for holding people and attorneys in contempt at hearings, never would have attracted that discipline back in the 80's and 90's–and it is unlikely anyone would have even reported them.
So, Judges like Potter and Rena Hughes, and probably Judge Assad as well, would not have received discipline, IMO,for how they handled contempt proceedings if their actions were back in the 80's and 90's.
But one fairly recent example of discipline relative to contempt and taking someone into custody, that was outrageous enough that it also would have resulted in discipline back in the lax 80's and 90's (when judges were close to untouchable), was the situation wherein a JP has a DPD handcuffed, and precluded from representing her clients, while the judge proceeds against each of them in turn.
A Deputy P.D. is arguing on behalf of her client. She won't stop arguing when the JP demands she stops, so he has her held in contempt and handcuffed. He then has her sit in the area reserved for defendant inmates, and starts proceeding against her other clients without letting her say one word on their behalf.
Could it get worse from there? Seemingly not, but it does. We learn that the JP then insisted that a law clerk(or some other non-attorney employee of the P.D.'s Office) present on behalf of the remaining defendants whose cases are to be called.
4:24–I've been told that JP, before taking the bench, was a fairly well-regarded Deputy Attorney General.
But sometimes people cannot handle power effectively. Some people are pretty well-centered attorneys, whether it be the public or private sector, and have decent demeanors, but once promoted to the bench they lose their footing and humility.
Possibly that was a factor here.
You mean this guy? Now, he is Utah's problem:
A former Nevada judge barred from the bench, for, among other offenses, the handcuffing a female PD, is now at work prosecuting crime in Saratoga Springs, Utah.
Utah native Conrad Hafen stepped into the role of assistant city attorney, nearly three years after Nevada’s judicial discipline board banished him for a string of confrontations in his courtroom.
Hafen, who agreed not to contest censure for the incidents from 2014-2016, returned to Utah after losing his bid for re-election as a Las Vegas justice of the peace in 2016.
He applied for the Saratoga Springs job after spending about two years as a part-time employee in the city’s recreation department, where his duties included supervising referees at youth sports games.
So who were the great District Court Judges? Wall, Barker, Maupin, Wendell, Denton? Who else?
I always liked Tim Williams.
My faves, Denton, Scann, Barker, McGroarty,and Bonaventure.
I love Tim Williams. Wonderful human being.
Williams is slow but serviceable.
Togliatti was one of the very best.
If anyone says Jessie Walsh, we know their firm.
Family Court: Gloria Sanchez, Terry Marren.
5:07-Agree on Sanchez.
As for Marren, yes in the sense as a founding father of the Family Court and was always involved in projects for the improvement and development of the court, etc.
So, yes, kudos to him for his administrative efforts, lobbying efforts, and for being a very effective PR face for the court.
But as to his actual calendar, although quite bright and capable, I found him to be seldom prepared, he seemed to almost always feel he could "wing" it, and constantly took many matters under submission(for months)–to the point that it was his undoing.
So, let's not conflate two different things. Those who practiced a lot of Family Court during his time on the bench will concede that as a public face for the court, and as an administrative go-getter, he did a great deal for the court.
But as to his actual performance on the bench, it got to a point the last couple years where he was so absorbed with political and administrative matters that you needed to tell your client there was a 50/50 chance no decision would be issued the day of the hearing–or, in some cases, till many months later.
But he is not the fist person to perceive he could be a full-time judge, as well as a full-time lobbyist/administrator, PR face of the court, etc.
As it turns out, it becomes almost overwhelming to burn the candle from both ends.
But as to his legacy, there have been many Family Court judges, they come and go and few leave any real lasting imprint. So, the fact that he may not have been great at timely handling of his calendar as a judge may be relatively unimportant since his lasting legacy is that he may be the primary mover and shaker in the creation and development of our Family Court.
Many of the successful programs, policies an services we still have today have his fingerprints all over them.
So, although not a great judge in my estimation, a great creator(or co-creator) of a system–and that's far more important
As you were arguing in front of Marren, he was often typing into a computer so you got the idea he was not listening. But maybe he was just taking notes.
Bonaventure was fun, but he could be volatile. BTW does anyone know how Michael Amador, first attorney for Margaret Rudin, died?
Bonaventure is a trip. Nothing like having a sitting judge call you and tell you that you are handling a case against a friend of his and that it would mean the world to him if you could be reasonable in reaching out with a settlement offer (yes it really happened).
Judges reach out all the time behind the scenes which is entirely unethical about cases. Sometimes they use other people to "help" them.
Really happens.
No pot lounges. I like non pot judges, Hardy and Leavitt. No pot. No got. No Amsterdam .
Do you drink the devil's juice? Alcohol has wrecked a million+ more lives than the hippie lettuce.
I'm going to make everyone a grilled cheese, because Trevor is hot.
Yes how did Mike Amador die? He was only 66.
Heart attack is what I heard. He was found at home by his ex-wife.
Shout out to Jackie Rosen for showing up on Memorial Day services. Have not seen her doing anything else for us during covid-19. Good photo opportunities.
I had to look up the name. Who dat be?
Our junior U.S. senator.
Good heavens. Well, the good news is that the permanent mass mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting and observer-free counts ensure I don't need to know who my "representatives" are any more. Harry has it covered.
Review Journal just announced that Valerie Adair died.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/recently-retired-clark-county-district-judge-dies-at-age-56-2368252/?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push_notification