DISTRICT COURT 25

The nonpartisan race for the newly formed District Court judge's position in Department 25 has attracted a deputy attorney general, an attorney working for a nonprofit and two attorneys in private practice.

Kathleen Delaney, 43, who has worked as a deputy attorney general in the office's Bureau of Consumer Protection since 2001, said she has the most experience working in the District Court system.

Delaney received her law degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and specialized in labor and litigation at the private firm Hill, Farrer & Burrill in Los Angeles before working as the assistant general counsel to The Mirage and general counsel for the Treasure Island Corp. in the 1990s.

She said she wants to reduce case backlog by 25 percent in her first year, serve as a settlement judge to reduce caseloads of other departments, and serve on judicial committees with the goal of increasing access to courts for those in need.

Suzan Baucum, 48, who received her law degree from the University of Idaho, grew up in Las Vegas and has worked as the executive director of the Nevada Law Foundation, a nonprofit created by the Nevada Supreme Court that helps victims of domestic violence and others who don't otherwise have a voice in the courts, she said.

"I always wanted to give back to the community," she said, adding that she has also taught judges and attorneys about abuse and neglect issues while working at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, based in Reno.

One of Baucum's goals is to streamline the courts so people can get through the court system before the typical four to five years.

Susan Scann, 62, has been in private practice for 31 years and has focused on civil litigation. Scann, who earned her law degree from California Western School of Law, said she has practiced in every court of the state, including the Nevada Supreme Court.

She said her goal is to relieve judges' heavy caseloads, which is a big problem.

She is in favor of being available for early settlement conferences so cases are resolved sooner.

"I have the ability to be fair and equitable to everyone and to uphold the standards of the law," she said.

Nicholas Anthony Perrino, 67, worked as a Cincinnati prosecutor, head of the Cincinnati real estate division and magistrate in the Ohio domestic relations court.

He even worked as an agent for the Internal Revenue Service when he was in his late 20s.

"I've had every experience you could have," he said.

He said his goal is to keep his calendar up to date and to treat everyone fairly.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.