By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The newly-elected local judge was officially seated on Saturday afternoon in a brief ceremony in the Moapa Valley Justice Courtroom before a group of about 30 people. Gregor Mills of Logandale was sworn in by Clark County Family Court Judge Mathew Harter who also resides in Logandale.
The ceremony involved Mills’ family. Those in attendance were mainly extended family members and good friends. Mills took the oath of office with his hand placed on a family Bible which was held in place by his four children, Tyler, Ryan, Jack and Kara, who gathered closely around him as he was sworn in. Immediately after the oath was taken, Mills’ wife Amy helped Mills put on his official judicial robes for the first time.
In a few brief comments to those in attendance, Mills stressed his feelings about the vital role he had just taken. “I know to a lot of you who have come in from out of town, that a small town Justice of the Peace seems like not a very big deal,” Mills said. “But to me it is very important.”
A small town judge can have a much more direct and lasting influence on people’s lives than one in the big city,” Mills said. “In a small town you can cater each decision you make to the individual circumstances of the person you are dealing with. That can bring much better outcomes.”
Mills takes the bench for the first time on Wednesday, January 9, when he will preside over a day of Traffic Court. His first criminal court date will take place two weeks later.
In a brief interview with the Progress following the ceremony, Mills said that he already has two changes in mind for the operation of the local court.
The first change involves details of Traffic Court. People receiving citations who are from out of state or who are unable to make their court date, will now be allowed to submit written plea agreements to the court to resolve their cases, Mills said.
“That will be new to the Moapa Valley court, but it is in line with statutes and with court rules,” Mills said. “It’s just a way that I think we can make the court more available to the people.”
The second change Mills is considering is to open the Moapa Valley Criminal Court to two dates per month, rather than only one.
“Every other jurisdiction does two days per month, including even the Moapa court,” Mills said. “So the District Attorney and Public Defender have already been coming out twice per month. I want to just plug our calendar into that schedule.”
Mills hopes this will relieve some of the scheduling pressure on the Criminal Court calendar. “You shouldn’t see the court room so packed with cases nor see us running overtime late in the day,” Mills said.
Mills was also quick to ensure that the local Juvenile Court would still be held in Overton with himself presiding.
“I’ve already been sworn in as a Juvenile Hearing Master,” Mills said. “That has already happened, so we are a ‘go’ on Juvenile Court.”
Mills said that he still planned to keep his campaign promise on making court procedures for Juvenile Court more discreet.
“I’m not going to have everyone coming into the court room at once so that everyone can listen in on every case,” Mills said. “As a point of procedure, we will bring each case in one at a time with the parents, similar to what is done in other courts around.”
Mills won the Moapa Valley judgeship in the primary election held last June. In that race, against Logandale attorney Kyle Waite, Mills received 52.59 percent of the vote.
Mills will be taking the place of Judge Lanny Waite who has served on the bench in Moapa Valley Justice Court for more than 30 years.
Mills said that the experience of taking on the mantle of the Moapa Valley Justice of the Peace is a sobering one.
“I realize in this community, that this position has been where the community standard has been set,” Mills said. “In a lot of ways it is decided right here what we will accept and what we won’t. It is a big responsibility. But I am looking forward to it.”
