Las Vegas Justice Court: Hearing Master and Attorney Face Off in Department 8 | Las Vegas | News

A hearing master and an attorney are vying for a seat on the Las Vegas Justice Court bench in Division 8.

Attorney Nancy Bernstein, whose parents were heavily involved in labor unions, has more than 15 years of experience in private practice as both a criminal defense attorney and a civil litigator. She said she believes in the justice system but believes it also needs to be streamlined.

“We have to hurry up and get used to the fact that we are now a big city,” Bernstein said.

Listening champion Amy Ferreira, an anti-animal cruelty activist, wants to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

She said the current system is too burdensome for citizens who spend too long in court.

“Our courts should work for the people they serve, not against them,” Ferreira said.

Both candidates believe that there are unnecessary delays before the court. Bernstein said she felt like the judges didn't have as much time to deal with a case in the morning. “The files are really just overcrowded, and that doesn't make sense when you have a lot of time left in the day,” Bernstein said.

Ferreira emphasized that due to continuity, witnesses can often sit in court for too long. “Why are we making our normal, everyday community member sit in court for four hours for no reason?” said Ferreira, who believes expanding virtual options and considering continuance requests can help speed things along.

Both candidates have experience handling traffic violations – Bernstein as a private attorney and Ferreira as a hearing master. The Las Vegas Justice Court has a program that allows people with traffic citations to pay a fee and have points removed from their driver's license. Some traffic experts have concerns about this.

“I understand both sides,” Bernstein said. However, she believes that the court system works well.

Ferreira believes this is something that needs to be examined more closely because the more money someone has, the easier it is for them to “buy a ticket.”

Ferreira said her experience as a hearing master means she knows how to do her job and that being named the 2022 Court Clerk of the Year proves she is doing something right.

Bernstein, whose ex-husband Dennis Prince was shot to death in his Summerlin law office in April, said she understands what it feels like to be affected by violent crime.

“The most important thing I would want from a judge is to be present,” she said.

Contact Estelle Atkinson at [email protected]. Follow @estellelilym on X and @estelleatkinsonreports on Instagram.