Jason Woodbury
Three attorneys, including Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury, have applied to fill the seat being vacated by Judge James Todd Russell in Department 1 of First Judicial District Court, according to a Sept. 19 news release from the Nevada Administrative Office of the Courts.
“Chief Justice Elissa Cadish announced this afternoon the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection received three applications from individuals who wish to fill the judicial opening in Department 1 of the First Judicial District Court,” said the release. “This Commission will convene to determine the outcome of this vacancy. Department 1 is vacant through the resignation of the Honorable James Russell at the end of October of this year.”
Nevada Chief Deputy Attorney General and Consumer Counsel Mark Krueger, who is running against District Court Judge Kristin Luis for Department 2 in the general election, is another attorney who applied to the Department 1 seat.
Joel W. Locke of Carson-based law firm Allison MacKenzie is another applicant.
“Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience, including two years of Nevada practice, were encouraged to apply for the opening,” the AOC said. “The Commission is composed of seven permanent members — the Supreme Court Chief Justice, three non-attorneys appointed by the governor, and three attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Nevada.
“Neither the governor nor the State Bar may appoint more than two permanent members from the same political party and cannot appoint two members from the same county. For District Court vacancies, two temporary members are appointed from the judicial district where the vacancy occurs — a non-attorney by the governor and an attorney by the State Bar — bringing the Commission membership to nine.”
According to a media representative for AOC, interviews are tentatively scheduled for Oct. 30, after which the governor will have 30 days to appoint a candidate per state law. An interim appointment lasts until the next general election, which would be in 2026.
The appointment process will be like the one for Department 2 Judge James Wilson’s recent retirement, when Luis was appointed by Gov. Joe Lombardo to temporarily fill that seat. Luis had been one of three finalists forwarded by the Commission on Judicial Selection to the governor for consideration, and now she is running for a full term.
Judge Russell decided to retire after nearly 18 years on the bench.
“You know, I’ve never not wanted to come to work. I’ve always enjoyed the job. It’s been a great job. It really has. It really has been my privilege to represent Carson City and Storey County. It’s been a wonderful, wonderful job,” he previously told the Appeal.