Dozen lawyers seek appointment to two vacant judgeships

Six lawyers including two district attorneys have applied for the Third Judicial District Court seat opened this year by the retirement of Archie Blake.

Lyon County District Attorney Leon Aberasturi and Churchill County District Attorney Art Mallory are among six applicants seeking the post along with Dayton Justice of the Peace William Rogers. The Third District Court serves Churchill and Lyon counties.

Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Bob Rose said six Reno lawyers have applied for the Second Judicial District Court post vacated by the retirement of District Judge Peter Breen.

At the time of his retirement Jan. 20, Breen was the longest serving district judge in Nevada with 31 years on the bench. His retirement makes Carson District Judge Mike Griffin the longest serving judge in the state.

Blake, who retired Feb. 11, first took the bench in 1988.

The Judicial Commission will hold interviews for the Washoe position on March 27 in Reno. Interviews for the Churchill-Lyon job will be in Yerington on March 28.

The Commission will select three finalists for each judgeship based on merit and qualifications. Those names are then submitted to Gov. Kenny Guinn who will make the final appointment for each post. The appointees will serve until the next general election when the positions will both be put before the voters.

As part of the process, the public is invited to make comments on the qualifications of the applicants. The deadline for comments is March 3. All comments will be kept confidential.

Comments should be submitted in writing to:

Commission Secretary Ron Titus, Administrative office of the courts; Supreme Court Building; 201 S. Carson St., Suite 250; Carson City.

The applicants for the Second Judicial District Court, in Washoe County in alphabetical order, are:

• Patrick N. Flanagan, 53, of Reno, with the Hale Lane law firm.

• David H. Hamilton, 63, of Reno, in private practice.

• Douglas R. Hill, 56, of Sparks, in private practice.

• Jenny D. Hubach, 40, of Reno, in private practice.

• Margaret Springgate Evans, 51, of Reno, with Margaret Evans & Associates.

• Lorna L. Ward, 53, of Washoe Valley, with the State of Nevada, Department of Administration.

The applicants for the Third Judicial District Court, in alphabetical order, are:

• Leon Aberasturi, 39, of Fernley, Lyon County District Attorney.

• Arthur E. Mallory, 58, of Fallon, Churchill County District Attorney.

• Kevin Pasquale, 50, of Fallon, with the firm of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney.

• Wayne A. Pederson, 52, of Yerington, in private practice.

• Justice of the Peace William G. Rogers, 57, Dayton Justice Court.

• John P. Schlegelmilch, 39, of Yerington, in private practice.