19 LV attorneys vie for judge vacancy

Nineteen Las Vegas attorneys seek to fill the vacancy left by David Wall, who stepped down as a Clark County District judge at the end of August to join the Mainor Eglet law firm as a litigator.

Seven of them lost election bids to either district of justice court either in this year's June primary or in Tuesday's general election.

Lucinda L. Coumou, 47; Craig B. Friedberg, 52; and Mark D. Risman, 55, didn't make it past June. Philip J. Dabney, 51; Michael D. Davidson, 56; Bruce Gale, 55; and Bernie Zadrowski, 45, lost elections this week.

The remaining candidates are Michael A. Federico, 39; Kurt K. Harris, 46; Martin Hart, 47; James A. Kohl, 45; Michael A. Koning, 60; Chris Lee, 36 (currently a North Las Vegas justice of the peace); Charles J. Lybarger, 48; Troy E. Peyton, 50; David J. Rivers, 63; Beverly Salhanick, 52; Jerome T. Tao, 42; and Jeffrey J. Whitehead.

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection will conduct background investigations of each candidate, accept public comment and interview the candidates. It will then nominate three finalists. Barring an unforeseen delay, appointing Wall's replacement might be one of outgoing Gov. Jim Gibbons last formal acts. The appointee must run in the 2012 election to remain on the bench.

Nevada Supreme Court public information officer Bill Gang said interviews will be conducted Dec. 8 and 9. The applications for the most part are public record, and are posted at www.nevadajudiciary.us.

The interviews and deliberations will also be public, with a podcast also posted online.

"Anyone with an interest in the process of filling vacant judicial seats, but who can't attend the public sessions, will have an opportunity through the podcasts to hear what occurred," said Chief Justice Ron Parraguirre in a statement.

Parraguirre is a member of the judicial commission, as are three non-attorneys who were appointed by the governor, and three attorneys who were appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. Neither the governor nor the bar can appoint more than two permanent members from the same political party or same county. Two additional temporary members are appointed to fill district court vacancies.

The State Bar appointed Las Vegas attorney Mitch Cobeaga, who recently formed his own practice after 26 years with Beckley, Singleton Jemision, Cobeaga & List. He specializes in civil litigation.

Gibbons appointed Wayne Allyn Root of Henderson, a vice presidential nominee for the Libertarian party in 2008, a frequent Fox News guest and a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Contact Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512 or read more courts coverage at lvlegalnews.com.