Changes:

If elected to serve as the next Family Court Judge in Department I, I would strive to implement the following changes:

• Every order signed by Department I that contained an award for child support would mandate that all child support payments be made by check or money order.  No cash payments of child support may be paid to the custodial parent.  The reason for this rule is simple.  Parents lose track of how much they have paid in child support when they give cash to the other parent.  Too many parents are giving cash and not getting credit for it.  A rule that provides for no cash payments will eliminate this problem.
  
  
• Every order signed by Department I that contained an award for child support would set forth the specific due date for the support.  When you rent an apartment or a house, your rental agreement states the date that your monthly rent is due.  Child support should be no different.

• Every order signed by Department I that contained an award for child support would include a provision stating if payment is not made by the specific due date, penalties and interest will be assessed against the person ordered to pay child support.

• Cases on Department I’s court calendar where attorneys are present shall be called first so long as all parties are present.  The reasoning for this is simple.  Attorneys charge a high hourly rate.  Needless waiting time is expensive for the client and unproductive for the attorney.

• If any matter at the beginning of Dept. I’s court calendar appears to be heavily contested, either from a preliminary review of the pleadings or after initial presentation in court, it will be either trailed to the end of the calendar or re-set for another day. 

• The ten day rule requiring a written response to a filed motion shall be enforced unless strict enforcement of the rule is unreasonable and fails to consider the timing of service and the hearing date set.  For example, Dept. I will expect that if defendant’s counsel is served with a motion and the hearing date set is many weeks out, plaintiff and defendant’s counsel will communicate to arrange an appropriate time for service of the response and any reply.  Strict adherence to the 10-day rule in the situation described above is silly and does not promote the interests of justice.

•  If elected to Dept. I and there is sufficient support staff, Dept. I’s calendar will commence at 7:30 a.m. and likely end at 4:30 p.m.  

• At the present time, it is difficult to find a working judge on Friday afternoons. If elected to Dept. I, Court will be in session on Friday afternoons.  The taxpayers are paying for a full time judge and they deserve a full time judge.

•  If allowed by court administration, Dept. I would hold Court every other Saturday to allow for maximization of the Court facilities and to accommodate working litigants.

• If an attorney or a party makes a reasonable argument for recusal of the Court, the Court will recuse itself.  If elected to Dept. I, every litigant and his or her attorney shall receive his or her day in court and get a “fair shake.”

• Justice in Dept. I is not for sale.  The Court cannot and will not be swayed by campaign contributions, the identity of the parties or by the influence yielded by their attorneys.    If the facts and law do not support a litigant’s position, he or she will be told in straightforward terms, that his or her case is weak and will undoubtedly receive an unfavorable ruling.

• The Court in Dept. I will employ common sense.  The only time that common sense will not be part of the Court’s decision is when the law, as crafted by the legislature, lacks common sense. 

I look forward to having the opportunity to serve our Clark County citizens and make these changes happen.

Thank you for your time,

Greta Muirhead
Candidate for Family Court Judge, Dept. I