lvcourtsblog.com

WHAT:   Fifth Annual Adoption Day

WHEN:   Wednesday (Nov. 15) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a 12:30 p.m. reception.

WHERE:   Family Court Atrium, Family Court and Services Center, 601 N. Pecos.

EVENT:   Clark County’s Family Court, Division of Family Services, CASA and The Adoption Exchange will observe the Fifth Annual Adoption Day at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday (Nov. 15), in the Family Court Atrium. The event will recognize adoptive families who have adopted over the past year or who will finalize adoptions during special court hearings planned for Wednesday morning. More than 25 adoptions, impacting the lives of more than 35 children, are expected to take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in various courtrooms.

Judges Nicholas Del Vecchio, Jennifer Elliott, Dianne Steel and William Voy will preside over adoptions. Families and judges will be available to interview regarding the adoption process.

During the reception, new families will be welcomed by County Manager Virginia Valentine, National Mother of the Year Laurie Richardson, Judge Del Vecchio and a mother and daughter who finalized an adoption last year.

CONTACT:   Michael Sommermeyer, Court Information Officer, (702) 671-4534.

During the next few months the Eighth Judicial District Court will ensure all outlying areas of Clark County have access to juvenile delinquency hearings by creating a hearing master system for rural juvenile justice. This program will provide court-appointed judicial officers in rural Clark County communities to preside over juvenile delinquency matters. Read more…

Senior Judge Charles McGee dissolved the Temporary Protective Order in the case and did not extend it. Speaking to Amy McNair, Judge McGee said, “You are a clear, tragic victim of domestic violence, but counsel has not provided evidence that Judge Jones is the perpetrator.”

In making his ruling Judge McGee did admonish Judge Jones and Ms. McNair not to contact each other in the future without court approval.

This hearing will take place at 9 a.m. Friday (June 30) in the Senior Judge Courtroom located at 330 S. Third Street, Suite 1120. Senior Judge Charles McGee from Reno will consider an extension of an emergency temporary protective order granted June 21.

This hearing has been rescheduled for June 30, 2006 at 9 a.m. in the Senior Judge Courtroom located at 330 S. Third Street, Suite 1120. Judge J. Charles Thompson will consider an extension of an emergency temporary protective order granted June 21.

Judge Thompson has decided no cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom for this hearing. Reporters may attend, however, temporary protective order hearings may be closed to the public upon request of either party to the action.

Judge William Voy adjudicated the minor a delinquent and sentenced him to 30 days in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center followed by probation of 24 months.

Judge Gerald Hardcastle issued a decision this afternoon (June 22) in the matter of the parental rights of Tamara Bergeron. The State of Nevada sought to terminate Bergeron’s parental rights and severe her from her daughter Brittney. Judge Hardcastle denied the state’s request to terminate parental rights.

In an excerpt from the ruling, Hardcastle states:

The reunification process has been ended by TAMARA’s incarceration. BRITTNEY will not be physically reunified with her mother during her minority. To the degree that BRITTNEY is concerned about being returned to her mother’s care and living the life she knew prior to January 2003, that concern is satisfied. BRITTNEY will not be physically reunified with her mother.

But is it in BRITTNEY’s best interests to terminate TAMARA’s parental rights? The Department case manager says that it is not. This Court believes that it is not. BRITTNEY’s best interests are served by allowing TAMARA and BRITTNEY to continue to have a parent-child relationship, even if that relationship is other than traditional.

BRITTNEY’s love for her mother is so substantial that loss of that relationship would be detrimental to BRITTNEY. BRITTNEY’s desires for stability and safety have been assured. Her desire for a continuing relationship with her mother can be assured by denial of this Petition. It is simply not in her best interest to remove her mother from her life.

The hope is that free of the influence of the notoriety of this case, BRITTNEY and TAMARA will have a future relationship mutually agreeable to both. BRITTNEY also has the great benefit of having a truly unique foster family. Both TAMARA and the foster family love BRITTNEY. Both can be important in her life. There is no reason to choose one over the other. There is certainly no reason to exclude one over the other.

Since the mother’s rights are not terminated, there is no interest in terminating the father’s parental rights at this point.

Accordingly, the Petition is DENIED. This Decision shall constitute Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law as well as the final Judgment in this matter.

This decision comes as a result of a trial held in Dept. D of the Family Court before Judge Gerald Hardcastle which concluded on June 16, 2006.

Court Executive Officer Charles J. Short issued the following statement today (June 21) regarding Presiding Judge Steven E. Jones:

“The District Court received an emergency application for a temporary protective order involving Judge Steven Jones. Because the application involves the Presiding Judge and a temporary employee of the Family Court, and to avoid the appearance of impropriety and potential conflict, the matter has been assigned to Senior Judge J. Charles Thompson.

Judge Thompson issued the temporary protective order this morning and scheduled a hearing at 9 a.m., June 26, in the Senior Judge Courtroom located at 330 S. Third Street, Suite 1120, to consider an extension of the emergency temporary protective order.

Until resolution of this matter, domestic violence cases currently assigned to Judge Jones will be reassigned to another Family Court Judge.”

The trial to determine if the parental rights of Tamara Bergeron should be terminated began today in Dept. D of the Family Court. It will resume Friday at 9 a.m. in front of Judge Gerald Hardcastle.

Judge William Voy ruled this afternoon, following two days of testimony, that 17-year-old Daman Starring was not guilty of sexually assaulting another player in what was called a hazing incident at Sierra Vista High School. Judge Voy adjudicated Starring delinquent on one count of battery and one count of open and gross lewdness. Starring returns for disposition in the Family Court June 23.