EDITORIAL: For Family Court, Departments F, H, I and J

The Review-Journal editorial board offers the following endorsements in this fall’s elections for Family Court, Departments F, H, I and J.

In Department F, incumbent Judge Bill Gonzalez is being challenged by Denise Gentile. Judge Gonzalez was appointed to the bench in 2009 by Gov. Jim Gibbons after spending 10 years in the Clark County public defender’s office, and in 2010, he won election to a four-year term. Judge Gonzalez has never registered especially good scores in the Review-Journal’s biennial Judicial Performance Evaluation. Last year, 68 percent of attorneys who participated in the survey said he should be retained, 32 percent said his application of the law was less than adequate, and 28 percent said his rulings were less than adequate. His performance on the bench has been in line with his scores: average.

Fortunately, voters have a better option. Unlike Judge Gonzalez, Ms. Gentile has practiced family law — it’s been her focus for more than 20 years, handling everything that comes before a Family Court judge. We don’t see Judge Gonzalez ever becoming a great jurist. But we believe Ms. Gentile is up to the task if voters give her the chance. The Review-Journal endorses Denise Gentile in Department F.

Department H provides voters with one of the easiest choices on the ballot. Incumbent Judge Art Ritchie, on the bench since 1999, is running for re-election against Keith Lyons. In last year’s Review-Journal survey, 85 percent of participating attorneys said Judge Ritchie should be retained, one of the highest scores in Family Court. Just 14 percent of attorneys said the appropriateness of his rulings was less than adequate, and just 13 percent said his application of the law was less than adequate. His colleagues think so much of him that he has been deeply involved in the administration of the courts, and Judge Ritchie’s support in the legal community is such that he had not faced an election challenger until this year. Mr. Lyons, who represents North Las Vegas Municipal Judge Catherine Ramsey in her ongoing efforts to fleece taxpayers and have her court declared a monarchy, did not meet with this newspaper to discuss his candidacy. The Review-Journal endorses Judge Art Ritchie in Department H.

In Department I, incumbent Judge Cheryl Moss has been a perennial underperformer in the Review-Journal’s judicial evaluations since her first election victory in 2000. In last year’s survey, just 44 percent of responding attorneys said she should be retained, 51 percent said the appropriateness of her rulings was less than adequate, and 53 percent said her application of the law was less than adequate. Some judges who weren’t ready for the bench when first elected have shown improvement in the Review-Journal survey, but after 14 years with the court, Judge Moss is still awful.

Travis Shetler, who has more than 20 years of experience practicing law, is challenging Judge Moss because he feels he “owes something back to the community” and because “Judge Moss isn’t getting better.” He has more than 13 years of experience as an arbitrator and says he will bring consistency, competence and compassion to a department that desperately needs it. The Review-Journal endorses Travis Shetler in Department I.

It’s hard to believe, but a sitting Family Court judge actually fared worse than Cheryl Moss in the Review-Journal survey: Kenneth Pollock in Department J. Only 40 percent of participating attorneys said he should be retained, 59 percent said the appropriateness of his rulings was less than adequate, and 56 percent said his application of the law was less than adequate. Family Court would be much improved if only voters would send Judge Pollock packing.

He is being challenged by Rena Hughes, who has 24 years of experience practicing family law and is one of just 34 attorneys certified by the State Bar of Nevada as a family law specialist. “Judge Pollock doesn’t get it,” she said. “He doesn’t follow the law. … He has his own rules, his own system, and ... he does it for power and control.” The highly qualified Ms. Hughes would be an excellent addition to Family Court. The Review-Journal endorses Rena Hughes in Department J.