2012 Voter Guide: District Court Judge Department 5

The Department 5 district judge's race pits recently appointed Judge Carolyn Ellsworth against attorney Phung Jefferson.

Ellsworth was appointed in October 2011 by Gov. Brian Sandoval to replace Jackie Glass, who resigned to take a position in television.

Ellsworth has a long and varied career practicing law in Las Vegas. Originally from Southern California, she graduated from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. She came to Las Vegas and took a position as a Clark County prosecutor.

Ellsworth lead the major fraud unit as a prosecutor before casino mogul Steve Wynn offered her a job as an in-house litigator at about the same time The Mirage held its grand opening.

Following her time working for Wynn, Ellsworth built a lucrative private practice handling aviation litigation - Ellsworth is a pilot - and practicing personal injury law.

Before being appointed to the judgeship, Ellsworth was the chief of enforcement for the securities division of the secretary of state and then securities administrator for the state.

"I'd done very well (in private practice), Ellsworth said. "...And I liked being a public servant and that feeling, like I was making a difference in the community."

Being a judge was something Ellsworth has wanted to do since she was a prosecutor. "After 30 years of practicing law I felt I was finally qualified," she quipped.

Ellsworth said she experienced no learning curve once she took the bench. She said her swearing-in ceremony was at 8:45 a.m. and she took the bench 15 minutes later. The next week she heard her first trial, Ellsworth said.

"I think I was probably one of the most qualified judges to be appointed to the bench," she said.

The judge said she works hard to be prepared for each case she hears. And with 2,200 cases per judge annually, Ellsworth said that means a lot of long hours.

For Ellsworth, a helpful tactic for handling the caseload has been writing tentative rulings prior to hearings in civil cases. When lawyers check in, the tentative rulings are handed out and then Ellsworth hears their arguments, she said. That way the lawyers know she is fully prepared to hear and rule on the issues in their case.

Jefferson, who is a graduate of the Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, Calif., did not return several calls requesting an interview.

According to her website, Jefferson has served as a small claims referee for Las Vegas Justice Court for three years and is a member of the Asian and Urban Chambers of Commerce.

Jefferson also provides free seminars for numerous community and social organizations on topics including domestic violence and how to run a small business.

The website boasts that she learned her "ironclad work ethic" from her father, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant.

Jefferson practices criminal, civil, and family law, according to the website.

She is married to Morse Arberry Jr., a former state assemblyman who served 25 years in the Legislature before he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to report $120,000 in campaign checks that he put into his personal account.

Arberry's case was investigated by Ellsworth prior to her becoming a judge. Jefferson has said publicly she was unaware of Ellsworth's role and it had nothing to do with her run for the judgeship.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.