Judicial debate: Clark County Family Court, Dept. S: Challengers question incumbent’s performance

Vincent Ochoa, a Family Court judge facing two challengers in the primary election, defended himself against the results of a Las Vegas Review-Journal survey that suggested he was unfamiliar with cases before him.

While 48 percent of lawyers said he was not familiar with the cases and records, Ochoa pointed out that only 88 attorneys responded to the question.

“My law clerk reads every case. I read every case. I read the law clerk’s brief,” Ochoa said during a debate hosted by the newspaper. “I’m more concerned with the 2 million people who live in Nevada, and that’s why I’m getting their support. … Sometimes I ask questions, and they think I don’t know the answer, but I do know the answer. I’m asking them to try to provide a solution and also to kind of express their feelings on record.”

Attorneys Regina McConell and Lisa Szyc are vying to replace Ochoa, who took the bench in 2010, in Department S.

Both McConnell and Szyc said Ochoa has changed since he got the job.

“I think there’s been a decline in his performance since then,” said Szyc, who earned her Nevada law license in 2009 and started practicing family law in 2013.

“There’s a need for change in his department, and that’s a huge part of the reason I decided to run for Department S.”

McConnell added that Ochoa has delayed trials and not appeared in settlement conferences.

“He’s not what he used to be,” she said.

Ochoa fired back.

“They say that I’m not the same judge, and they’re right,” he said. “I’m not the same judge. I’m more experienced now than when I started 10 years ago. I’m more efficient now. I’m more productive than I was when I first started.”

McConnell, who has practiced law in Nevada since 2003 and started focusing her practice on family issues in 2007, said she would work to move cases along as quickly as possible.

“I’m actually down in the trenches with these people,” she said. “I’m able to work with people to get cases resolved before even going into court because I know what they’re looking for. I also know that some cases need to go to trial. I’m trying to be as proactive as I can.”

Szyc defended her experience versus the incumbent, who started practicing in 1979.

“In the seven years I’ve been practicing, I’ve done almost every type of family law case,” she said. “I’ve managed to do and learn a lot, which would give me the experience necessary to preside over these types of cases.”

If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary, the candidate will win the election. In primary races where no candidate captures a majority of votes cast, the top two finishers will advance to November’s general election.

The debate was among 23 scheduled events for more than 70 candidates in judicial primary races for Family Court, District Court and the Nevada Supreme Court.

While the debates can be found on reviewjournal.com, they air Wednesday and Saturday nights on Cox Cable’s YurView Channel 14 as part of a video partnership between the media companies.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.