The judges of Clark County District Court envision that the Court may make a positive difference in people's lives by intervening before irreversible damage occurs to the person or the community.

Judges' Perception of their Role
We perceive ourselves as having the opportunity, as no where else in the criminal justice system, to save lives and make a positive difference in peoples lives before it's too late.
We have the ability to craft individual solutions that are copatible with the high standard of justice. We make decisions in the context of people's lives and the need of the community not just in the context of crime or a civil dispute.
In our efforts to make a positive change in the lives of people who come before the court we will be guided by the principles of Theapeutic Jurisprudence.

Guiding Values

1. We have a strong belief in individual responsibility and accountability.
2. We also believe individuals are not condemned to a life of crime or despair by mental condition or substance abuse and that everyone can achieve a fulfilling and responsible life.
3. We believe that everyone, no matter whom, has something positive within their make up that can be built upon.
4. We understand our role and that it is interactive with the community services that are at our disposal such as treatment providers, emergency housing, education, and transportation.
5. We are committed to dealing with the root causes of community safety issues rather than simply using incarceration as a temporary solution.
6. We incoporate in our process checks and balances that protect people's options and constitutional rights.
7. We repect cultural, family, linguistic and educational backgrounds and take individual differences into account when clients appear before the court.
8. We strongly consider that person's life as a whole and his/her family and community context.
9. We are willing to step out of the traditional roles of an adversarial court system to facilitate a more positive, more effective outcome for the person who has committed a crime or wishes to resolve a dispute.