Most especially for my Southern Nevada readers, I ask that you read this excellent feature from yesterday’s Review Journal: “A Mother’s Struggle.”
This poor woman’s tragic case is just another example of the suffering that children endure when we put them through hasty marriages to unstable people and subsequent divorces, but also a devastating exposé of our badly corrupt family court system.
This article documents examples of egregious misconduct on the part of one of Las Vegas’s family court judges, Jennifer Elliott, specifically implicating her in showing undue favoritism to people, making uninformed “snap judgments,” and ordering for-profit referrals to the social service industry with which she is in bed. This judge has a reputation for being ignorant and unethical.
Yes, I have personal experience here. Judge Elliott once made a drastic alteration in my family’s custody situation without that being properly filed on the hearing’s agenda or even following the rules for making such a change. Furthermore, she estimated a child support figure and enacted it, again without going through the proper procedure, and ended up with a total that was grossly incorrect.
I don’t know much about her challenger for this seat, Dawn Throne, but I can only imagine she’d be an improvement on the bench. I strongly urge all voters in Southern Nevada to spread the word–please use the link to yesterday’s paper above if my word isn’t enough–and get this woman out of office before she harms any more children’s lives.
Gently Hew Stone 
I’m (fairly) aware of your own struggles with the family courts. My family is close friends with the Barney’s and I grew up with Tiffany. What terrible and unfortunate events. I do appreciate hearing stories about the ‘other’ elections which have such a big impact in people’s lives. All too often people have no idea who any of the candinates are that they are voting for. People… research your votes (all of them down to dog catcher if you have to) and make informed decisions. Jamie, thanks for another great post.
My family’s nightmares with the Clark Co. family courts ran all through the ’80s and into the ’90s. We unseated two judges whose imperious behavior was at least what Elliott’s appear to be, so it can be done. Good luck. If I were still living there, I’d vote with you.