Specialty Courts

The Specialty Courts of the Eighth Judicial District Court consist of a Business Court, Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts, and a Mental Health Court.  In addition, a specialty courtroom has been created by the District Court to adjudicate complex civil litigation.  These courts provide specialized adjudication and treatment programs.

The business court hears cases such as lawsuits involving copyright infringement, contracts, business ownership disputes, or cases filed by stockholders against public companies.  The goal of the court is to speed up the court process and help businesses obtain immediate action in the courts. Two judges serve the Business Court.

The adult and juvenile drug courts strive to provide a positive alternative to incarceration that will rehabilitate the individual and break the cycle of drug use or recidivism associated with drug offenses.  The Eighth Judicial District Court operates six Drug Courts:

• Adult Criminal Drug Court, for felony cases.
• Prison Re‑Entry Drug Court, for non-violent Department of Prison inmates within two years of probable release.
• Dependency Mothers Drug Court, established to assist women who have child custody issues due to their addiction to methamphetamine or other substances.
• Juvenile Drug Court, for juvenile offenders.
• Dependency Drug Court, for parents petitioned into court for abuse/neglect of their children
• Child Support Drug Court, for non-custodial parents who are petitioned into court for non-payment of their child support obligation.

The Drug Court programs are offered to non-violent offenders who have a serious addiction of substances or to those adults whose addiction has jeopardized their ability to care for their children.  Participants are required to attend a one-year outpatient treatment program and must attend regularly scheduled court appearances before the Drug Court judge.  Lack of progress or non-compliance in the program results in the application of a series of graduated sanctions including increased judicial supervision, increased frequency of treatment, community service, house arrest, and short-term incarceration.

The Eighth Judicial District Court opened a Mental Health Court in December 2003.  This court, funded by a $150,000 grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, focuses on diverting non-violent offenders with mental illness into treatment programs. The goal is to reduce or eliminate offender recidivism by treating their mental illness.  

The Mental Health Court began with 35 offenders identified in the Clark County Detention Center who had a mental illness and who had committed non-violent crimes. Eventually the Mental Health Court may be expanded to more individuals, with additional money allocated by the Nevada Legislature. A local advisory committee made up of judges, mental health professionals, social service providers and community leaders from Southern Nevada will provide assistance and support to the court.

The Complex Litigation Center, the largest Clark County courtroom with 8,000 square feet of space, was designed specifically to handle large and complex civil litigation.  It can accommodate as many as 40 attorneys at once and is used primarily for construction defect litigation and other complex civil cases.