Judge Wilson leaves bench but not love of law and people

Retired First Judicial District Court Judge James Wilson described seeing defendants appear before him without the kind of social support he had growing up in Carson City.

“I feel so many of these people never had a chance,” he said, noting some defendants had no one in the courtroom to support them.

The factors and events that lead someone to a judge seemed to occupy Wilson’s thoughts as he talked to the Appeal about his 15 years on the bench. Wilson, 69, left office Monday after announcing his retirement last fall. He discussed the future of the judiciary in Carson City and the state of Nevada, speaking with authority but also with concern for human beings caught up in the legal system.

“I know that what we do, we do all the time, but most of these people, that one case they have is the most important case in their whole life,” he said.

The First Judicial Court sees “tsunamis of cases” in civil and criminal matters. Located in the capital city, it sees political cases involving ballot initiatives and referendums. Wilson has adjudicated issues ranging from school vouchers to high-profile campaign lawsuits. He told the Appeal most of his decisions appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court were upheld.

“We cover everything, the First Judicial District,” he said. “I think it’s pretty widely recognized that our caseload is pretty difficult compared to most places.”

What stuck out in his mind, though, were family cases involving children.

“I had not done much family law in private practice, so there was a big learning curve there for me,” he said. “And it became clear to me, especially when children are involved, how important those decisions are.”

Wilson said he still worries about children “all of the time.”

“It’s often, unfortunately, the case that we don’t have two good parents or one good parent and one bad parent,” he said. “A lot of times we have on one side a domestic abuser and on the other side a drug addict. And who’s the child going to end up with?”

Wilson said he always tried to do his best for kids. He spoke fondly of his own childhood in Carson City, recalling a population of around 5,000 when his family moved to town in 1960.

“When I was around age 10 or 12 maybe, there were three stoplights in Carson City,” he said.

Wilson’s grandfather was in law enforcement, and Wilson grew up hearing “lots of law enforcement stories.” Graduating from Carson High in 1973, he went on to major in accounting at UNR because “that was the degree that the FBI took.”

“I picked up the FBI application, and then I thought the reason they might want accountants is because they actually might want them to do accounting, and that wasn’t my interest, so I never even submitted it,” he said.

Wilson did become a deputy with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office before heading to law school in Sacramento, where he met his wife, Joanna. He graduated in 1981 but didn’t care much for law school, he said. That didn’t stop him from trying out a deputy district attorney position in Elko County after being courted by then-Elko District Attorney Tom Stringfield.

“He was kind of a character. He had a black cowboy hat,” Wilson remembered.

When Stringfield decided not to run for his office, Wilson filed and was elected district attorney in 1982. He was 27 years old at the time. He attributed his victory to being new in the county and its inhabitants not liking the other candidate. Whatever the reason for his victory, he spent the next four years in many jury trials.

“Those cases travel at light-speed compared to civil cases that take years and years to resolve,” he said.

Wilson eventually settled back in Carson and ran a solo private practice for 20 years before being elected to district court in 2008. He was reelected twice, unopposed. He said it’s been an honor to serve in district court.

“I probably met most of the district court judges in Nevada,” he said. “They are, in my opinion, good people who have good hearts, who have good intentions about doing the right thing in the law. I’m proud of being one of the district judges in Nevada. I really admire and appreciate their work. Especially those who serve 100 percent in family court.”

Wilson stressed family court judges rarely get attention and deserve a “huge pat on the back.” Overall, he was optimistic about the independence and integrity of the judiciary in the Silver State, from the district courts to the supreme court.

“I think by a lot of people the judiciary is under attack,” he warned.

He added, “Not just in Nevada. It’s becoming more common that when a decision comes out that somebody doesn’t like, there are threats made against the judge and the judge’s family. And that’s very unfortunate.”

Wilson was never threatened in his tenure, but some colleagues were, he said. He described his colleagues — including newly-appointed District Court Judge Kristin Luis — as smart, capable and unbiased. When asked what advice he’d impart to Luis, who is replacing Wilson until the upcoming election, he mentioned the stress of difficult decisions. He hoped Luis would use available resources, including fellow judges in the same building and across the state.

“This is kind of an isolating job at times,” he said.

Wilson’s love of law was evident during the interview. To him, law is fascinating and challenging. He said he’s planning to open a private practice, once again, and focus on cases that really interest him.

“Courtroom work is where I’ve always been interested,” he said. “The courtroom is just fascinating.”

The mountains also interest him — hiking and backpacking. And he wants to visit his five adult children and 10 grandchildren scattered across the country. That’s why he planned retirement in the first place, to have more time to travel with Joanna and visit family.

Life is unpredictable, however. Weeks after announcing his retirement, Joanna unexpectedly passed away. She was well-known in the community, having served on the Carson City School Board for 12 years and other organizations. The judge showed signs of grief when speaking of her.

“I just wanted to mention her because she was important in my life,” he said. “We were married for 42 years. She was an attorney as well. She was the very smart one in the family. She graduated in the top 10 percent of our law school class. I did not.”

Wilson remembered how his wife had teased him about retirement, if he’d stick to plans. He said leaving is bittersweet.

“The best part of my job are the people I work with. I love them, and I’m going to miss them, and that is the hardest part of leaving the job,” he said.