Courtney Ketter

Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.

I have always shown a desire and ability to work with and for the community. I am a former member of the local SEIU 1107 from my time as a caseworker with the Department of Family Services back in 2006. From there, I worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer in the Juvenile Detention Center. During law school, from 2009 to 2012, I operated a mental health agency that served children involved in the Juvenile Dependency system. My professional experience also includes work as a City Attorney in the Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office, prosecuting cases at the municipal court level. Currently, I am in private practice and part of that practice is working as a Public Defender in Las Vegas Municipal Court. My experience as a prosecutor and a defense attorney at the municipal court level, will allow me to bring the fair and balanced approached that every judge should have to the bench.
I also have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I believe this helps me understand basic human needs and desires.
You should endorse me if you value a candidate that are fair, balanced, and compassionate while also requiring accountability from everyone in the courtroom, including myself. You should endorse me if you want a judge that will be hardworking and believes in working with the community to address the wants and needs of the community.

Describe your understanding of the courts’ responsibility to uphold precedent?

I think the more accurate characterization is that courts are bound by precedent. Case precedent is to be used as law the same way that federal and state statutes and city ordinances.

In what circumstances do the equal protection rights in 5th and 14th Amendments apply to same sex couples?

This is outside of the purview of the Municipal Court.

In Brown v. Board of Education, the court declared that the separate-but-equal standard was unconstitutional. Describe ways in which this decision is applicable in today’s society.

This is outside of the purview of the Municipal Court.

Would you honor the request of a plaintiff, defendant, or witness in a case before you who is transgender to be referred to in accordance with that person’s gender identity?

Yes. At a minimum, judges have to respect the basic rights of each person that comes before them. That includes respecting the identity rights of defendants and victims.

Describe your understanding of nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in places of public accommodation.

These protections protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination based sexual orientation or gender identity. They have the right not to be refused services or accommodations in public places such as restaurants, hotels, theaters, hospitals, retail stores, etc.

Have you been involved in a significant case where a primary issue was sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV/AIDs discrimination? If so, can you provide the case, venue, case number and case citation (if published decision) and your involvement?

No.

If you were presiding over a Justice Court, what would be your approach to an eviction proceeding, and what would you consider before moving forward with the eviction process?

This is outside of the purview of the Municipal Court.

Hypothetical: you are presiding over a case in which the plaintiff is undocumented. Their defense attorney argues that their due process rights were violated by inadequate bail proceedings. How would the plaintiff’s immigration status factor into your decision as to whether or not their right to due process was violated?

The facts, circumstances and the law, should always guide every judge. I would review the facts of the bail hearing and ensure that the individual does understand English, and if not, were they provided with an interpreter to assist them in their native language. Once that was determine, I would examine the rest of the facts from the bail hearing to determine whether or not a violation took place.

In recent years, we have seen Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain individuals as they are leaving criminal court hearings. Would you allow this to occur in your courtroom?

I would not allow this in my courtroom. People should be encouraged to come to court and address any and all allegations against them. Knowing that they could face ICE detention would have an adverse impact on citizens coming to court and we all should fight against that.

What do you see as the judiciary’s role in advancing restorative discipline practices for Nevada’s students?

I plan to re-engage the Trial by Peers program in North Las Vegas. We need an alternative to referring children to the juvenile system which more and more seeks to treat them like adults.

What do you think is the most important issue or problem in the state’s justice system today, and how would you work to address it?

A lack of racial representation. We have began to see more and more women but not necessarily women and men of color. This lack of true diversity means that racial bias is still an issue because we have judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys that cannot relate to the groups most impacted by the justice system.

If you were presiding over a specialty court, what would be your approach towards diversion initiatives and how would you evaluate their effectiveness?

I welcome diversion initiatives and highly recommend them. I hope to bolster the Community Approach to Rehabilitation and Engagement (CARE) Court if elected, and make it a focal point of reform in North Las Vegas. If possible, I'd like to track the number of people that graduate from the program, the number of people that flunk out of the program and do commit additional crimes, the number of people that flunk out of the program but do not commit additional crimes, etc. This will give us an idea of how successful the program is.

What is your view on cash bail following the decision in Valdez-Jimenez v. the 8th Judicial District Court?

The Valdez-Jimenez decision was a step in the right direction but more needs to be done to ensure that people are not needlessly incarcerated, particularly for non-violent offenses.

In light of Nevada’s move to legalize recreational marijuana, what procedures would you follow or what factors would you consider in vacating the conviction of an individual for marijuana possession?

I would consider the persons overall criminal history before making a decision.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade less than 50 years ago established a person’s right to abortion and reproductive freedom. While Roe is considered settled law, the right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy is hanging in the balance as states pass increasingly unconstitutional laws to challenge Roe in court regardless of precedent. Do you agree that Roe is settled law?

This is outside of the purview of the Municipal Court.