Public defender challenges Family Court judge appointed by Lombardo
“The public can trust that families and preservation of relationship between parents and children will always come first in my Courtroom,” says the website of Family Court Judge Paul Gaudet, who was appointed to the Department N bench in March 2023 by Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Family Court judges handle cases of divorce, child custody and support, termination of parental rights, division of property, adoption, guardianship and more.
Gaudet’s challenger, longtime public defender Kerri Maxey, says she chose to run against Gaudet because “he’s the weakest” of the three Family Court judges up for election.
Maxey points to a child custody case in which Gaudet engaged in “a manifest abuse of discretion,” according to the Court of Appeals, when he failed to hold an evidentiary hearing regarding allegations of domestic violence and issued temporary custody orders “without considering the children’s best interest.” The Court wrote in its order, “Although joint legal and physical custody are generally preferred, substantiated allegations of domestic violence must be considered in making any custody determination.”
https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/09/19/public-defender-challenges-family-court-judge-appointed-by-lombardo/