Clark County District Court Department 20
The race for Clark County District Court Department 20 could turn out to be the richest judicial battle of the year. Eric Johnson, 56, a former longtime federal prosecutor, is the appointed incumbent looking to be retained. He’s being challenged by Anat “Annette” Levy, a Beverly Hills, California, and Las Vegas lawyer, who boasts of endorsements ranging from unions to a comedian.
Johnson was appointed to the bench in April 2015.
In a four-way race in the June primary, Johnson collected more than 45 percent of the vote; Levy garnered more than 24 percent.
By the primary, Johnson had raised more than $205,000, while Levy had raised nearly $142,000, recent filings said.
Johnson worked for more than 30 years as a federal prosecutor and handled cases ranging from murder to terrorism and public corruption to money laundering. “I have twice been named one of the nation’s top prosecutors and have regularly taught trial advocacy at the National Advocacy Center,” Johnson said. “I emphasize my trial experience because the District Court is our trial court, and for the last year I have handled numerous civil and criminal cases.” Johnson lists endorsements from police and fire organizations, along with several of the top law firms in Las Vegas.
Levy points to endorsements from several organizations, including the AFL-CIO of Southern Nevada, Service Employees International Union of Nevada and the North Las Vegas Police Supervisors Association. Comedian Paul Rodriguez starred in a video introducing her campaign to pedestrians in Downtown Las Vegas.
Levy, who has 29 years of legal experience that spans complex civil and criminal matters, said part of the reason she is running is to help clean up Nevada’s image of corruption.
“I’m seeking the position because I’m committed to raising the competence and ethics levels in our court system,” she said. “It’s time to raise our standards.”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
