Chief Justice Bill Maupin says the Nevada Supreme Court wants to wait until 2004 before asking voters to create an appeals court. Maupin told members of a legislative budget subcommittee the court has reduced its backlog of uncompleted cases by more than 500 since 1998. Justices now believe they can delay by two years the establishment of the new court, Maupin said Wednesday. Unlike Nevada, most states have a three-tier system of courts.
Appeals courts hear appeals of decisions of district courts.
Then the Supreme Court receives appeals from the appeals court decisions. In Nevada, appeals of district court decisions go directly to the Supreme Court. We are still reducing the backlog and want to see if the trend continues, Maupin said. The Supreme Court had told legislators two years ago that the question to create an appeals court should go on statewide ballots in 2002. Despite past court drives to create an appellate court, the proposal has been defeated by voters three times.