By Veterans In Politics Court Observation Team
Clark County, Nevada | Eighth Judicial District Court – Family Division, 601 N. Pecos Rd.
October 22, 2025
📹 Watch the video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BqZSeryZ4/?mibextid=wwXIfr
What We Saw Today
On the morning of October 22, 2025, the Veterans In Politics Court Observation Team visited the Clark County Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court – Family Division to observe public hearings — and what we found was deeply concerning.
Entire courtrooms were dark, empty, and silent. Judges’ benches sat unoccupied for hours, while the public, litigants, and taxpayers were left wondering:
Where are the judges?
After reviewing today’s official court dockets and conducting a live walk-through, the following was recorded:
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4 courtrooms had completely empty dockets.
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5 courtrooms had only two-page dockets.
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Several others had just a few brief hearings scheduled between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, leaving long stretches of inactivity.
Stephanie Phillips — a long-time court observer and advocate for judicial transparency — personally walked every hallway of the Family Court to document what was happening behind the courtroom doors. What she found looked more like a quiet office building than a courthouse serving one of Nevada’s busiest family jurisdictions.
Courtroom-by-Courtroom Snapshot
| Judge | Courtroom | Docket Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Henderson | 1 | Empty docket |
| Mari D. Parlade’ | 2 | One-page docket (9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM) |
| Kerri J. Maxey | 3 | Empty docket |
| Regina M. McConnell | 4 | One-page docket (9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, 1:30 PM) |
| Amy M. Mastin | 5 | One hearing at 9 AM |
| Shell Mercer | 6 | Empty docket |
| Sunny Bailey | 7 | Two-page docket starting 9 AM |
| Gregory Gordon | 8 | Empty docket |
| David S. Gibson Jr. | 9 | Full docket beginning 9:30 AM |
| Rhonda K. Forsberg | 10 | One-page docket (10 AM – 1:30 PM) |
| Robert W. Teuton | 11 | Two-page docket (9 AM – 3 PM) |
| Margaret Pickard | 12 | One-page docket (9 AM & 1:30 PM) |
| Cynthia N. Giuliani | 13 | One-page docket (9 AM – 3 PM) |
| Adriana Rincon-White | 14 | One-page docket (9 AM, 11 AM – rest empty) |
| Mary Perry | 23 | One hearing at 9 AM, four at 3 PM |
| Courtroom 22 (TPO Hearing Master) | — | Two-page docket (9 AM – 3 PM) |
| Charles Hoskins | 24 | Two-page docket starting 9 AM |
| Vincent Ochoa | 21 | Three hearings (9:15 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM) |
The Bigger Problem
The Family Division of the Clark County Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court handles some of the most sensitive and life-changing cases imaginable — child custody, domestic violence, adoptions, and family safety. These cases deserve full judicial attention and accountability every single day.
Yet, the public continues to see the same disturbing trend: light dockets, extended gaps between hearings, and empty benches. Meanwhile, families are waiting months or even years to have their cases heard.
Even more troubling — the public is left in the dark about where judges are when they’re not in the courtroom.
If the bench is empty, are judges working in chambers? Working remotely? Out of the building? On personal time? The public doesn’t know — and that lack of transparency must stop.
The Public Deserves Answers
Judges are public officials, paid by taxpayer dollars, and entrusted with one of the most powerful positions in our system of government. The community has a right to know how judicial time is spent and whether courtroom operations are being managed effectively.
Transparency is not a courtesy — it’s a public obligation. When judges are absent from the bench during posted court hours, citizens have every right to demand answers:
Where are our judges, and what are they doing with our time and money?
The people of Clark County deserve open, honest, and accountable courts — especially within the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Family Division, where lives and families hang in the balance.
This Needs to Stop
The justice system belongs to the people, not to the judiciary or the bar. Every empty courtroom and every unanswered question weakens public faith in Nevada’s courts.
Veterans In Politics International will continue walking the halls, observing courtrooms, and reporting what others ignore. If the system refuses to hold itself accountable, the people will.
Every judge swore an oath to serve — it’s time that service be visible, verifiable, and accountable to the public that pays for it.
🎥 Watch Stephanie Phillips’ live court observation here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BqZSeryZ4/?mibextid=wwXIfr
