State committee censures two district court judge candidates

Two district court judge candidates have been publicly censured for unfair election practices by the Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices.

Ron Israel, seeking the new Department 28 seat, was accused by his opponent, Jack Howard, of distributing a one-page flier listing Israel as a Democratic judicial candidate.

According to the Nevada Code on Judicial Conduct, "judicial candidates in nonpartisan public elections are prohibited from running on a ticket or slate associated with a political organization."

Israel denied knowing about the flier before it was distributed and argued that it was only distributed three times at Democratic Party meetings. Israel also contended that the flier was distributed six months earlier and his opponent, Howard, filed his complaint in October as an election tactic.

Joanna Kishner, who is seeking the new Department 31 seat, was accused of implying on the television program "Face to Face" that her opponent, Philip Dabney, engaged in legal misconduct to receive a $250,000 inheritance from a client.

The committee ruled that Kishner failed to mention that Dabney was cleared of any wrongdoing in the case by the Clark County District Court and the state Supreme Court.

In her defense, Kishner said she offered facts of the case and invited voters to look up the case for themselves. And Dabney was given a chance to respond on the same program, Kishner said.

The committee ruled that Kishner "omitted facts necessary to avoid creating a false implication about Dabney that could mislead voters."

The censures carry no penalty.

Meanwhile, in the Department 32 race the committee denied Ellen Stoebling's complaint against her opponent, Rob Bare.

Stoebling alleged that Bare violated the judicial code by using a photograph of himself in robes during his inauguration as a Las Vegas Municipal Court judge in a TV commercial and on his website.

Stoebling contended that Bare was implying he was an incumbent judge, when he is currently counsel for the State Bar of Nevada. The committee disagreed.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.