The Eighth Judicial District Court appreciates the concern many have expressed about the recent allegations of misconduct by Family Court Judge Nicholas Del Vecchio. Based on the allegations, many have asked why the court has not moved to suspend the judge or remove him from the bench. The court does not have the authority to remove a sitting judge from the bench. The Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission is the only agency that can remove or suspend a sitting judge.
Court rules give Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle the authority to reassign Judge Del Vecchio ’s caseload if the allegations against him become a disruption to the normal judicial process for active cases . The court will review preemptory challenges and complaints concerning access to justice to evaluate any impact on Judge Del Vecchio’s caseload. At this time, no decision has been made to reassign the judge ’s caseload.
