Issue of favoritism toward donors is fodder for judge hopefuls
Three attorneys vying for a newly created seat on the Family Court bench discussed the effect of campaign donations on judges during a debate hosted by the Las Vegas Review-journal.
Judicial hopefuls Craig Bourke, Jack Fleeman and Margaret Pickard also explained how they would work to run their courtrooms efficiently. They are running for Department V, one of six new Family Court positions.
Debate moderator Victor Joecks, a columnist for the newspaper, referred to a list of attorneys who endorsed Fleeman on his campaign website and asked whether those attorneys would receive favorable treatment in his courtroom.
“There can be no worse feeling for a litigant to go in there and feel that the judge is chummy with other attorneys,” said Fleeman, who has been licensed in Nevada since 2007.
“In no way would I ever give preferential treatment to anyone who’s supported me or donated to my campaign.”
Pickard, who was licensed in the state in 2010 and works as a Family Court hearing master, said she strives to run her courtroom efficiently and help people understand the proceedings.
“It’s important that we have access to justice,” she said. “We also need to have, as a judicial officer, the opportunity to give them information as they stand there with a handout so that they know how to file a motion and what to do. So it’s about knowledge-information sharing.”
Bourke, licensed in 2005, said he has practiced almost exclusively in family law, like his opponents.
“It’s always been my focus from day one: Get these people to a better place in their lives, and to get them through what is otherwise a very difficult system,” he said. “I’ve always been able to get in touch with people and really connect with people on a personal level.”
When asked about his lack of a campaign website, Bourke said he has tried to avoid soliciting campaign donations and works to find supporters through the telephone. He said he had done so in person prior to the coronavirus outbreak.
“I don’t want anybody thinking that because they made a donation they’re going to get special treatment,” Bourke said.
If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary, the candidate will win the election. In primary races where no candidate captures a majority of votes cast, the top two finishers will advance to November’s general election.
The debate was among 23 scheduled events for more than 70 candidates in judicial primary races for Family Court, District Court and the Nevada Supreme Court.
While the debates can be found on reviewjournal.com, they air Wednesday and Saturday nights on Cox Cable’s Yurview Channel 14 as part of a video partnership between the media companies.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.