FAQ

FAQ

Our court is not allowed to provide legal advice to parties or their attorneys or to consider any ex parte (one sided) communication in a pending case. See, Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers Rule 3.5; Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 2.9.

This includes letters and telephone calls. Please consult the Rural Rules of Practice available at the Nevada Law Library website.

CONTINUED ARRAIGNMENT: To request a continuance of the initial appearance on a criminal matter, a one-time continuance of up to thirty (30) days may be granted upon receipt of a $35 continuance fee. Continued arraignments are heard at 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and 9:30 am on Tuesdays. Any other requests for a continuance may be made by either (a) a written agreement between the District Attorney’s Office and the defendant or (b) an appropriate and timely filed written motion. If there is a written stipulation to the continuance, a copy should be received by the Court before the time of the appearance.

ADVANCEMENTS:   If you desire to have your first appearance or arraignment heard at an earlier date than you were given by the Jail or by the officer who issued your citation, you may enter into a written agreement between you the District Attorney’s Office  to have the case advanced or  you may appear in court any Monday at 9:30 a.m. to request to be placed on that afternoon’s court calendar.

GUILTY PLEAS:  If you desire to enter a plea of guilty or no contest to a misdemeanor citation or a traffic citation (ticket), please be advised that a plea by mail cannot be accepted unless a bail amount is noted on the citation by the issuing officer and (2) a money order or cashier’s check for the bail/fine is enclosed with your plea.

DISMISSALS: If you want to request that the court dismiss a case, please understand that the court cannot dismiss a case before arraignment (your first appearance in court) without the written consent of the District Attorney’s Office.

Our Court’s telephone number is 775-586-7200. The telephone numbers for the District Attorney’s Office are 775-782-9800 and 775-586-7215.


HERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY HEARD BY OUR COURT:

Q. I’ve spoken to several different persons in the court. Why won’t anyone answer my question?

A. Your question may be legal in nature. Court employees can give PROCEDURAL information only, but are prohibited from providing any information that can be construed as legal advice. NRS 7.285 states “A person shall not practice law in this state if the person is not an active member of the State Bar of Nevada…”

Q. Do you have an attorney that will answer my legal questions?

A. No, however, you may call Lawyer Referral at the State Bar of Nevada or call (702)-382-0504. 

Q. Can you give me information about my case that is in another court?

A. No. If you need information about a case in another court you will need to contact that court.

Q. Why does my citation have a different date and/or time than what you have in your computer?

A. It takes approximately two weeks from the date of issuance before the citation is entered into the court’s computer system. For this reason the date the officer lists on the citation is not always valid. Once the court receives your citation a notice is generated and mailed to the address listed providing notification of bail information and court dates.

Q. Why is the bail amount on my citation different than what you have in the computer?

A. Each court sets it’s own bail schedule. Officers write citations into many different courts and occasionally bail errors are made.

Q. Do I have to wait until my court date to resolved my citation?

A. No.  If you DO NOT wish to see a judge, and the citation lists a bail amount and not “Mandatory appearance” you may sign the back of the ticket and bring it or mail it to court with your full payment before your appearance date.

Q. Can an attorney request an adjudication of a citation electronically (fax or e-mail)?

A. No.

Q. How can I find information about a case, including if a complaint has been filed, next court date, bail amount, requirements due and disposition?

A. You may visit our counter or telephone us. But please understand thta we get hundreds of telephone calls, so you might not be able to reach us quickly. Please do not wait until the last minute to make inquiries.

Q.  Do I need an attorney to appear in court?

A. No, you do not need an attorney to appear in court. However, individual parties appearing in proper person are required to follow local court rules. You can also do research at the Nevada Law Library to research requirements of litigants by the Court.

Q. Can I make an appointment to talk to the judge?

A. No, an appointment to talk with the judge is not allowed. All ex-parte communication is prohibited by law. Each party or their respective attorney must have the opportunity to be involved in any communication. This also means we can not pass on email or letters addressed to a judge on matters pertaining to an active case.  But you always can appear at the court clerk’s office on any court Monday at 9:30 to request to be heard on that afternoon’s calendar.

Q. How can I be heard by the judge?

A. The Court may only receive information on a case pending before a judge by the filing of the appropriate motion (a document indicating what relief/issue you want the judge to address). The motion would be set on the court’s calendar and each party has the opportunity to appear and be heard. If you do not know what motion to file, the reviewing the local court rules at the Nevada online Law Library might help.

Q. I missed my court date. What should I do?

A. If you missed your court date without proper notification, depending on the case type, numerous things may occur:Criminal cases: A warrant will have been issued for your immediate arrest. You should contact your attorney immediately to have your case re-calendared. If you do not have an attorney, you will need to file a motion to place on calendar with the court. You will not be arrested at the court’s counter when conducting this type of business.
Traffic cases: A warrant will have been issued for your immediate arrest. You should appear at the court’s front counter to re-schedule your court date or resolve your citation. You will not be arrested at the court’s counter when conducting this type of business.
Civil/Small Claims/Evictions: Please contact the Civil Division clerk for further instruction at 775-586-7200.

Q.  May I obtain a copy of my court video?

A. Yes. The court can provide copies of court appearances and a fee is charged for the making of the CD. Please complete the CD Request Form.

Q. I cannot pay my fine all at once. May I make payments?

A. Yes, but you must first appear at the clerk’s office to enroll for scheduled payments and sign a Waiver and Payment Agreement. If you need more than 30 days, you will need to appear on a court Monday at 9:30 a.m. to request to have a payment schedule considered for approval.

Q. May I pay on-line?

A. Yes. Click here to pay online.

Q. Do you have a drop box?

A. No.

Q.  I’ve looked all over the Internet and I can’t find the legal form I need.

A.  It is possible that a ready-made form for your particular legal need has not been created.

Q. Where can I get a copy of my Marriage Certificate?

A. Information regarding Marriage Certificates is available through the Recorder’s Office in the County where your Marriage License was issued.

Q. Where can I get a copy of my Divorce Decree?

A. Information regarding Divorce Decrees is available through the District Court in the County where your divorce was obtained.