Lawyers think this lower court judge should be kicked off the bench. Others came close

Those who serve on Clark County’s justice courts handle everything from first appearances for murder suspects to traffic law violations, tasked with delivering a fair first round of justice no matter the severity of the case.

“We’re literally like the Grand Central Station of the courthouse,” Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Amy Chelini said in an October interview.

But whether a judge knows the law well and rules without bias is luck of the draw, according to Clark County lawyers who participated in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 2025 Judicial Performance Evaluation, more often called “Judging the Judges.”

Lawyers gave some of the highest scores to the judges serving on the municipal and justice courts of North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Henderson — and some of the lowest, too.

Generally, justice courts had the most extreme scores on either side of the spectrum. While some of the municipal judges had the least responses, UNLV professor Bradley Marianno said they likely have fewer cases and fewer attorneys appearing in front of them, suggesting the responses reflect how attorneys really feel.

Municipal courts are tasked with overseeing low-level cases, such as misdemeanors and traffic infractions, within city limits.

Out of 33 lower court judges rated by Clark County lawyers, the sole judge who is considered failing is Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Kristal Bradford. Of 76 lawyers who evaluated her, only 48.7 percent believe she should be retained on the bench.

That’s the fifth-lowest retention score of any of the 101 judges whom lawyers evaluated in this year’s survey, which was last completed in 2019. In a written comment, one lawyer said the former public defender is too lenient with defense attorneys, entertaining “arguments that lack legal basis.”

Through her assistant, Bradford declined to be interviewed about her results.

On the cusp of failing and not far behind Bradford were Las Vegas Justices of the Peace Suzan Baucum and Joe Bonaventure, with 53.9 and 55.2 percent retention scores, respectively.

Bradford new to the bench

Bradford, who won her election in 2024 and is up for re-election in 2030, beat out incumbent Joseph Scisento by more than 34,000 votes. In the 2019 Review-Journal survey, Scisento received an 86 percent retention score.

Scisento had been appointed to the bench in 2009 after a long stint in the Las Vegas legal scene that began in the early ’90s. Bradford, however, is much newer to the state. She hails from California, graduating from Western State University College of Law in Irvine on a full scholarship, and later specializing in civil law as she established her own firm in 2012.

After moving to Las Vegas in 2018, Bradford began working at the Clark County public defender’s office — the last position she held until the election. Since taking office, she has been assigned criminal cases.

Of any judge across all courts, Bradford had the poorest score of all for legal ability, at 2.63 out of 5. That score was derived from three questions, which asked whether judges weigh all evidence fairly, whether they accurately apply relevant laws or rules, and whether they clearly explain the basis of their decisions.

Bradford’s administrative and integrity scores, each probing courtroom management and bias respectively, were the lowest among lower court judges. Her scores in those categories ranked third-lowest of the larger judge list, as well.

Baucum’s near-failing retention score is almost identical to the previous survey, where she scored 54 percent. Bonaventure’s is noticeably lower, falling about 13 percentage points between the two surveys.

Neither judge responded to multiple requests for comment.

The five-person race was crowded for Baucum’s seat last year, though she eventually won with 27 percent of the vote. Despite losing her seat in 2022, Baucum previously held a Las Vegas Justice Court judgeship since 2010.

On the other hand, Bonaventure won his election nearly three years ago by a comfortable margin with one challenger, and has served on the bench since 2005. The two judges’ terms end in 2029.

First face behind the bench

The two highest-ranked lower court judges, however, were Chelini and North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Jonathan Cooper. Las Vegas Municipal Judge Matthew Walker and North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Kalani Hoo tied for third-highest-ranked on the lower courts, though only 35 lawyers rated Walker.

Despite also being quite new to the bench and elected in the same cycle as Bradford, Cooper received a 97.4 percent retention score — the highest in the lower courts and the second-highest of any judge who was evaluated.

In an October interview, Cooper said he took a lot of time to consult with the other two North Las Vegas sitting judges and outgoing Justice of the Peace Natalie Tyrrell, who retired.

Prior to the election, Cooper said he was on the other side of the survey, evaluating judges based on his experiences as both a prosecutor with the Clark County district attorney’s office and, later, a public defender.

The last position Cooper held before the election was as a hearing master with Clark County District Court, where he ruled on temporary protection orders in cases of domestic violence.

No matter what the case is, Cooper said he’s acutely aware that having to come to court is a stressful experience for the everyday resident.

“We all hear about the ‘black robe syndrome,’ where once you become a judge, you think you’re more important than everyone,” Cooper said. “It’s hard to think you’re important when you have a 12-year-old daughter, because she makes sure every day that she brings me back down to reality.”

Hoo, Chelini seasoned judges

Chelini and Hoo, in separate October interviews, agreed that every case deserves the same amount of attention, no matter the intensity or if it attracts the attention of the press. According to the results, 95.2 percent and 94.3 percent of lawyers said they should be retained, respectively.

Chelini’s legal ability, administrative and integrity scores stood out as the second highest of any judge across all the courts. Hoo’s scores were high, as well, with the third-highest integrity and legal ability scores of any judge.

Hoo said he and others try to stay abreast of new case law, always trying to “get better at our craft.” Chelini said her secret to running a courtroom isn’t really a secret; it’s common sense.

“It’s as simple as it sounds: Be nice, be respectful to people, and get them out of there as soon as you can,” she said.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.