Supreme Court of Nevada Decisions

The Nevada Supreme Court reviews appeals in Carson City and Las Vegas. It consists of seven justices, who receive appeals directly from trial courts. The justices can determine whether to review an appeal or assign it to the three-judge panel on the Nevada Court of Appeals. This intermediate appellate court was created in 2014, before which the Supreme Court reviewed all appeals from lower courts. In 2019, more women than men served on the Supreme Court for the first time in its history.

Nevada uses non-partisan elections to fill the seats on the Supreme Court. This means that the party affiliation of each candidate is not included on the ballot. Once they are elected, a justice will serve a six-year term. The Governor of Nevada has the authority to appoint an interim justice if a vacancy arises before the end of the term. To serve on the Nevada Supreme Court, a candidate must be at least 25 years old at the time of the election, and they must have been a resident of Nevada and have practiced law there for at least two years. They must have been admitted to practice law in a state in the U.S. for at least 15 years, although they do not need to have been admitted to practice in Nevada throughout that time.

Under the Nevada Constitution, the most senior justice serves a two-year term as the Chief Justice. If two or more justices have equal seniority, the Chief Justice position technically must be filled by lot. In reality, the justices often agree to each take a shorter term as Chief Justice to allow each of them to serve in this role. They can put this agreement in writing as a court order or another official document and file it with the Clerk of the Court.

Browse Opinions From the Supreme Court of Nevada

Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of Nevada
B.Y. v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct.
Date: April 25, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 32
Docket Number: 88027
Sisolak v. Polymer80, Inc.  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 30
Docket Number: 83999

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a challenge to the constitutionality of several Nevada statutes regulating "ghost guns," or unfinished firearm frames or receivers. The respondent, Polymer80, Inc., a manufacturer of gun-related…

City of Las Vegas v. 180 Land Co., LLC  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 29
Docket Numbers: 84345, 84640

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between the City of Las Vegas and 180 Land Co., LLC over a 35-acre parcel of land. 180 Land Co. purchased the land, which was part of a larger 250-acre golf course, with the intention of…

In re D.C.  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 25
Docket Number: 84563

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a minor, D.C. Jr., who was charged with murder, attempted murder, and robbery. D.C. Jr., who has an IQ of 66, was 14 years old at the time of the alleged crimes. His counsel requested a competency…

Ene v. Graham  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 26
Docket Number: 84800

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a personal injury claim filed by Laura Graham against International Property Holdings, LLC (IPH) and its sole member, Ovidiu Ene. Graham sustained injuries when she tripped and fell over a…

Jones v. Ghadiri  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 27
Docket Number: 85305

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a property dispute between two neighboring parties, Bo and Dan Jones (appellants), and Hamed Ghadiri (respondent). A block wall, erected before either party owned their respective properties, did…

Nevadans for Reprod. Freedom v. Washington  
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 28
Docket Number: 87681

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around an initiative petition proposed by Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom (NRF) to establish a constitutional right to reproductive freedom. The petition would grant every individual the right to make…

Posner v. U.S. Bank Nat'l Ass'n  
Date: April 4, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 22
Docket Number: 85860

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, Lance and Eva Posner purchased a property with an outstanding loan secured by a deed of trust, which they assumed responsibility for. The deed of trust was later assigned to U.S. Bank. In 2012, U.S. Bank filed a…

Ortiz v. State  
Date: April 4, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 23
Docket Number: 85887

Justia Opinion Summary: Ramel Ortiz was convicted of six counts of sexual assault and other felonies after breaking into M.P.'s house and forcing her to engage in multiple sexual acts. Four of these sexual assault counts arose from an incident…

In re I.S.  
Date: March 28, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 18
Docket Number: 86035

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Nevada addressed whether the provision under NRS 62C.200(1)(b) violates the separation of powers doctrine. This provision requires the district attorney's written approval before a juvenile court may…

Smith v. State  
Date: March 28, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 19
Docket Number: 86156

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada dealt with the issue of the scope of a valid search warrant and its implications under the Fourth Amendment. The appellant, Deva One Smith, was convicted of two…

Kabew v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct.  
Date: March 28, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 20
Docket Number: 86982

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Christopher Kabew, who pleaded guilty to attempted residential burglary, his first felony conviction. His sentence was suspended and he was placed on probation with the condition that he complete a…

Draskovich v. Draskovich  
Date: March 21, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 17
Docket Number: 84998

Justia Opinion Summary: In a divorce case, the Supreme Court of Nevada was asked to consider whether a law firm, established by one spouse before the marriage and incorporated under a different name during the marriage, constitutes that…

Gee v. State  
Date: March 21, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 16
Docket Number: 85987

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Demitri Gee, was convicted for driving under the influence resulting in substantial bodily harm. He appealed the judgment of conviction, challenging the restitution amount of $9,940 that was awarded to the…

Valley Health Sys., LLC v. Murray  
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 140 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 14
Docket Numbers: 79658, 80113, 80968

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada ruled on the constitutionality of assigning senior justices to temporarily serve on the Supreme Court in the event of a disqualified justice. The appellant, Valley…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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