Ex-Supreme Court Justice Rose receives Justice Award

The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday presented former Justice Robert Rose the first Legacy of Justice Award in Las Vegas.

The annual award is given to a person in the judicial system whose contributions, innovations and achievements resulted in significant improvements to the judicial system.

"I'm humbled by it. It's totally unexpected. But after you retire for two years, it's very much appreciated," Rose said in front of the Regional Justice Center, where he was presented with the award.

Rose was elected Washoe County district attorney in 1970 and state lieutenant governor four years later. He served three terms -- 18 years -- on the Supreme Court and retired in 2006.

He co-chaired the Jury Improvement Commission, which helped raise pay for jurors and gave them the right to ask questions of witnesses during trials, Justice Nancy Saitta said.

He also pushed to have every court in Nevada keep and report statistics about cases and court operations.