Honorable Cynthia Dianne Steel - District Judge - Family Division - Department G

Friends,

You may be visiting my website to decide who to vote for in this family court race. I hope that is the case and I hope the information provided here will assist you in your decision.

The Family Division of the Eighth Judicial District Court is the court that monitors various personal relationships and property issues. As an elected District Court Judge working in this division it has been my good fortune to serve the people of Clark County for two terms of office. Thank you for placing your trust in me and for supporting the various changes which have occurred over my past two terms.

DOMESTIC CASELOAD

A new election season has arrived and once again I ask for your trust and continued support. Those of you who have followed my work on the bench know that I have served in every area of the family division. In 1997, I started my judicial career working with a domestic calendar where I presided over divorce, custody, termination of parental rights, adoptions, child support, alimony, property division, domestic violence, permission to marry, name changes and other miscellaneous matters. These matters touch every community member even if they are not involved in the actual case. Your boss, neighbor, employee, family member, or friend may have been your only connection to the court system, but the ultimate decision touched you in some way. Your concern for the people in your life brings to light the importance of the courts to the community as a whole.

As a litigant involved in a family division domestic matter it is important that an experienced judge be available to resolve the issues timely for you. With eight years of experience on Domestic Calendars, I am able to step into any issue presented, help the litigants on my caseload and get them back to their lives quickly.

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CASELOAD

In addition to the domestic caseload, I have had the privilege of serving for 3 years in the juvenile delinquency area. While serving as the delinquency court judge I re-organized the juvenile code of the State of Nevada. NRS Chapter 62 holds the laws dealing with children who come before the courts for their delinquent conduct. Before the re-organization, administration laws were mixed intermittently between powers of the court and improper conduct. The Chapter now has Sections A-I where each topic is addressed in the same location. The Chapter now has only one definition for a situation instead of 4 different definitions in different spots, sometimes in conflict with each other.

Juvenile courts were created to address conduct which would be criminal if committed by an adult. This court tries to re-direct the young people in our community before they reach adulthood. Often times the young person’s conduct was beyond the services provided by the juvenile division for re-direction. Those juveniles are then placed into the adult system after a hearing in the juvenile courts. Working in this area is rewarding when the youth “get it” and turn from their delinquent conduct to become responsible citizens in our community. Sending a minor to face the adult courts is never an easy decision, but there are times where it is warranted for public safety. Serving on the juvenile court bench for 3 years strengthened my belief that the family division is the core court of the community.

JUVENILE ABUSE/NEGLECT CASELOAD - DEPENDENCY

My current caseloads include the dependency courts and guardianships for minors. The judge in the dependency courts intervene on behalf of children who have been abused or neglected by persons who are responsible for their care and custody. The judicial resources were increased by one additional judge last year by Chief Justice William Maupin. The courts in Clark County are now focusing on improving this area to provide better services to the families in need of direction. Re-organization in this division will involve all the justice partners that work in this sensitive field.

Federal law and Nevada statutes govern the course of the case development in abuse and neglect matters. The dependency court determines when a child should be removed from their parent or guardian, when and if they should return and where they live during the process. The Department of Family Services investigates the charges, monitors the services provided in the parents’ plan for reunification and reports to the courts regarding the best interest of the children. They make recommendations for the return of the children to their family or the termination of the parental rights when appropriate to the district attorney. The parents may have a special public defender to represent them during the court process. There are so many aspects to this complex area of law and I expect the work to improve this division will be extensive in research and operations.

GUARDIANSHIP CASELOAD

The minor’s guardianship court assists families that have agreed to temporarily award the care and custody of their child to another person. This is a legal process which helps the community to determine who has the responsibility of care for a child. Once the reason for the guardianship is no longer present, the parent may ask for the termination of the guardianship. Sometimes all parties agree, often they do not agree that the reason is no longer present and the guardian will object to the termination.

The court’s responsibility in guardianship matters is to ensure that the documentation and notice of all interested persons is complete prior to granting the guardianship. The court must then review each guardianship created on an annual basis. If there is a disagreement regarding the creation or termination of a guardianship the court must preside over the trial to determine the facts which will determine the outcome of the matter.

For the past 11 years, my day started anywhere between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and could end as late as 1:00 a.m. the next morning to complete the case review for the next day. I have tremendous respect for the responsibility which has been given to me by the voters of Clark County. Mixed in with my calendar responsibilities are meetings and conferences where I volunteer to assist in the improvement of the courts.

I thank my family and my chamber staff for supporting my efforts as a district judge. My husband, Stefan, and my 13 year old daughter, Dora, have encouraged me to seek this office once again. Angela Root has worked as my judicial executive assistant for the past 11 years and has given 110% to her job and to the community. Department G’s Marshal, Paul Shoals has also worked diligently to ensure a safe environment for the department, the litigants and court staff.

Next I thank all those who support my re-election bid and those who supported my prior campaigns for this office. Your words of confidence and your financial support certainly help to get my message out to the community.

Finally, I extend my thanks to you for taking the time to investigate the candidates for this year’s election in Family Court, Department G. Please know that I am committed to working just as hard the next 6 years as I have during my first two terms of office. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please contact my campaign.