When Voters Say “No,” It Means No: Nevada Law Bars Defeated Judges from Serving as Senior Judges!

Clark County, Nevada

January 1, 2026

Judicial elections are not suggestions. They are not advisory polls. They are the people of Nevada exercising their constitutional authority over who sits on the bench. And when voters remove a judge at the ballot box, Nevada law is unmistakably clear: that judge is done serving — even as a senior judge.

There is no loophole. No workaround. No quiet reappointment behind closed doors.

The Law Is Clear: Supreme Court Rule 10:

Under Nevada Supreme Court Rule 10, a judge may only be recalled to serve as a senior judge if they meet strict eligibility requirements. One of those requirements is decisive and non-negotiable:

A judge must not have been defeated in an election for that judicial office.

In plain English:
If a judge runs for office and loses, they are legally barred from serving as a senior judge.

This rule applies across the board — to district court judges, family court judges, justices of the peace, and municipal court judges. Losing an election is a disqualifier, not a technicality.

Why This Rule Exists:

Supreme Court Rule 10 exists for one reason: accountability.

Senior judge status is not a consolation prize for rejected incumbents. It is a limited, temporary role reserved for judges who left office honorably, not those whom voters explicitly chose to remove.

Allowing a defeated judge to continue deciding cases under “senior” status would undermine:

The authority of Nevada voters
The integrity of judicial elections
Public trust in the courts

Nevada law recognizes that when the electorate speaks, the judiciary must listen.

This Is About the Will of the Voters:

Judges are not entitled to lifetime power. They serve at the consent of the governed.

When voters say:

“This judge should not continue,”
that decision must mean something.

Rule 10 ensures that a judge who has lost public confidence cannot quietly remain on the bench through appointment, recall, or administrative maneuvering. The bench is not a revolving door.