LAS VEGAS — A former state court judge who was reprimanded for cursing and throwing a pocket U.S. Constitution against a courtroom wall in an outburst over a juror's apparent attempt to avoid jury service said he will seek the Republican nomination for Nevada secretary of state.
Richard Scotti told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday he'll run on his experience as a business lawyer, business owner and judge.
Scotti served one six-year term in Clark County District Court before losing his bid for re-election in 2020 to the nonpartisan seat. He also served two terms as one of 15 governors of the Nevada State Bar.
Scotti, in a statement, cited his "passion to protect election integrity and our constitutional values."
As judge, Scotti in 2018 ordered the release of Las Vegas police records from the October 2017 Las Vegas Strip shooting to the Review-Journal and other media organizations.
He faced ethics charges for the 2017 outburst, captured on courtroom video, at a potential juror during a child rape trial that resulted in an overturned verdict.
Jim Marchant, a former state assemblyman who lost a bid for Congress in 2020, is also seeking the Republican nomination for the November 2022 election to replace term-limited GOP Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske.
