Judge Frances Doherty to Retire from Second Judicial District Court

Honoring 22 years of service

Reno, Nev. June 21, 2019. Judge Frances Doherty has announced she will retire on August 2, 2019 after 22 years of service to the Second Judicial District Court, Family Division. “The Second Judicial District Court will miss Judge Doherty’s commitment to people and her passion for judicial service. She has been a friend and mentor to me. I will miss her tremendously,” stated Chief Judge Scott Freeman.   

Judge Doherty is the longest serving Family Division judge, having been elected in 2002 and reelected in 2008 and 2014. During that time, she twice served as the Presiding Administrative Judge. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve in the Second Judicial District Court. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have accomplished. We are a united and dedicated group of judicial officers who are committed to equal access to justice and earning and retaining the trust of the parties we serve.  I am certain this dedication will continue after my retirement.”

Judge Doherty has spoken and trained across Nevada and nationally on issues affecting children, families and vulnerable adults. In addition to family cases, from 2012 to 2018, Judge Doherty oversaw adult guardianship matters.  During this time she worked to improve adult guardianship case processing and eliminate unnecessary guardianships. Judge Doherty successfully led a statewide initiative to implement Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship.  In May 2019, Nevada became the ninth state in the nation to pass Supported Decision-Making legislation.  Judge Doherty also oversaw Juvenile Delinquency matters from 2003 to 2012 and successfully implemented juvenile justice reforms including Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, which reduced juvenile detention rates by 50%. Judge Doherty has been recognized for her work in various arenas.

Prior to her election, Judge Doherty served as a family court master, a legal services attorney and a Nevada Deputy Attorney General for the Nevada Commission on Ethics, the Consumer Protection Division and the Nevada Domestic Violence Task Force.

The Second Judicial District Court was established in 1910. The Family Division of the Second Judicial District court was established in 1990. To learn more about Presiding Judge Frances Doherty and the Second Judicial District Court, please visit the District Court’s website at www.washoecourts.us.

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