Assembly Bill No. 51–Committee on Judiciary

Prefiled January 22, 1999

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Referred to Committee on Judiciary

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to reporting of caseloads by chief judges in judicial districts that include family court. (BDR 1-377)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to the court system; revising the provisions relating to the reporting of caseloads by chief judges in judicial districts that include family court; providing that certain information concerning caseloads be submitted to the director of the legislative counsel bureau; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. Chapter 3 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto the

1-2 provisions set forth as sections 2, 3 and 4 of this act.

1-3 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,

1-4 the words and terms defined in sections 3 and 4 of this act have the

1-5 meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

1-6 Sec. 3. "Chief judge" means a district judge who is chosen as the

1-7 chief judge of a judicial district pursuant to NRS 3.025.

1-8 Sec. 4. "Family court" and "family division" mean the division of

1-9 the district court that is established as a family court pursuant to NRS

1-10 3.0105.

1-11 Sec. 5. NRS 3.0105 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-12 3.0105 1. There is hereby established, in each judicial district that

1-13 includes a county whose population is 100,000 or more, a family court as a

1-14 division of the district court.

2-1 2. If the caseload of the family court so requires, the [presiding judge

2-2 of the district, or the district judges by mutual consent in a district in which

2-3 there is no presiding judge,] chief judge may assign one or more district

2-4 judges of the judicial district to act temporarily as judges of the family

2-5 court.

2-6 3. If for any reason a judge of the family court is unable to act, any

2-7 other district judge of the judicial district may be assigned as provided in

2-8 subsection 2 to act temporarily as judge of the family court.

2-9 4. A district judge assigned to the family court pursuant to subsection 2

2-10 or 3 for a period of 90 or more days must attend the instruction required

2-11 pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 3.028. [Judges] District judges must not

2-12 be assigned to the family court pursuant to subsections 2 and 3 on a rotating

2-13 basis.

2-14 Sec. 6. NRS 3.025 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-15 3.025 1. [For the second and eighth judicial districts,] In each

2-16 judicial district that includes a county whose population is 100,000 or

2-17 more, the district judges of that judicial district shall [, on the first judicial

2-18 day of each year,] choose from among [the judges of each district a] those

2-19 district judges a chief judge who is to be the presiding judge of the judicial

2-20 district.

2-21 2. The [presiding judge of the district] chief judge shall:

2-22 (a) Assign cases to each judge in the judicial district;

2-23 (b) Prescribe the hours of court; [and]

2-24 (c) Adopt such other rules or regulations as are necessary for the orderly

2-25 conduct of court business [.

2-26 3. On or before the 15th day of the month following, the presiding

2-27 judge of the district] ; and

2-28 (d) Perform all other duties of the chief judge or of a presiding judge

2-29 that are set forth in this chapter and any other provision of NRS.

2-30 3. Not later than 15 days after the last day of each month, the chief

2-31 judge shall submit [a written report] to the clerk of the supreme court [each

2-32 month, showing:] and to the director of the legislative counsel bureau a

2-33 written report that shows:

2-34 (a) Those cases which are pending and undecided and to which judge

2-35 the cases have been assigned;

2-36 (b) The type and number of cases each judge considered during the

2-37 preceding month;

2-38 (c) The number of cases submitted to each judge during the preceding

2-39 month;

2-40 (d) The number of cases decided by each judge during the preceding

2-41 month; and

3-1 (e) The number of full judicial days in which each judge appeared in

3-2 court or in chambers in performance of his duties during the preceding

3-3 month.

3-4 Sec. 7. This act becomes effective on July 1, 1999.

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