SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
CARSON CITY — Governor Jim Gibbons today called on the Nevada Supreme Court to move quickly on its recommendation process to fill the Clark County District Court seat vacated by Judge Robert W. Teuton.
The high court ruled last week that Judge Teuton could no longer serve on the bench, despite the fact an election to fill the vacant judgeship he was appointed to by Governor Gibbons in August, 2008 could not have been legally held until November of 2010 under Nevada elections law.
“Although I hereby declare Judge Teuton’s office vacant in compliance with the Writ, I regret that the people of Nevada must endure what appears to many as a fruitless, time-consuming and costly exercise,” Gibbons stated. “I am especially sympathetic to those litigants that have and will, appear before multiple judges during the life of their case as a result of declaring a vacancy in this office twice in less than a year and a half.”
Governor Gibbons urged the court to expeditiously convene its Commission on Judicial Selection to bring forward three nominees to fill the vacancy, so that the affect on families in Clark County could be minimized and the court can resume its calendar.
Governor Gibbons’ letter to Nevada State Justices (pdf)
