Civil Representation
The District Attorney also serves as counsel for Carson City. The Civil Division is far less known to the public than the criminal one, but their roles are just as critical. Good advice from skilled attorneys can save the city millions of dollars in litigation and inefficiency. My goal as District Attorney is that the advice provided is accurate, well communicated, and community focused. There may be times when that advice is unwanted, frustrating, or difficult to hear. My expectation is that it is given anyway. Our civil team spends large portions of their time addressing public records requests. It is important that these requests can be responded to in an efficient manner and that confidential records are not released.
As an on-call prosecutor, I have often been called regarding urgent legal issues experienced by law enforcement. Oftentimes, these questions have more to do with civil liability than whether a criminal case is provable. These moments remind me of the important work of our civil division in ensuring government officials at all levels are following the law and protecting the rights of ordinary citizens. Our civil team staffs all of the boards and commissions and is called upon for legal expertise in the moment. They are relied upon to know specific areas of law and address questions of open meeting law on the spot. Their skills, expertise, and commitment make Carson City a better place to live.
Here are just a few of my ideas for how to improve civil representation in Carson City:
Providing dedicated support staff for the Civil Division to allow the attorneys to use their time on legal functions and not clerical work
Integrating civil workflows into our existing case management system
Assigning civil attorneys based upon aptitude and motivation
