Department X

Judge Heidi Almase is a former judicial officer for Las Vegas Municipal Court (2011-2017). In that capacity, Judge Almase presided over a regular criminal docket as well as HOPE Court, an adult drug court focusing on defendants who had consistent interaction with the criminal justice system as a result of an addiction and were homeless or at-risk for homelessness. In 2015, Judge Almase, with generous financial assistance from the Las Vegas City Council, created the City’s first mental health diversion program. This program, the first of its kind, focused on defendants suffering from a mental illness who come in contact with the criminal justice system. The program sought to provide stabilization, medication and oversight for some of the City’s most vulnerable citizens in concert with various community stakeholders. Following its first year of operation, Judge Almase and her team won a national award for creative care from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In 2020, Judge Almase was elected to the Eighth Judicial District Court, Nevada’s largest trial court. Judge Almase is assigned to the Family Division and currently presides over a civil/domestic calendar.

Judge Almase is the recipient of the for 2016 Community Partner Award, Las Vegas Foundation for Recovery, for her work in the addiction recovery field while overseeing HOPE Court. Judge Almase is also the recipient of the 2016 Continuity of Care, Connect 4 Mental Health Award, for her work presiding over the Las Vegas Mental Health Court.

Judge Almase is a former member of the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada, an alternate member to the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission, a former member of the Nevada Pre-Trial Risk Assessment Committee, a former member of the Southern Nevada Traffic Safety Committee and a former member of the Clark County, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction and American Judges Associations as well as a member in good standing with the State Bar of Nevada.