By Judge Melisa De La Garza
Nevada’s 2025 legislative session introduced an array of reforms addressing criminal and civil issues. Many of these changes to the law will significantly influence the operations of the Las Vegas Justice Court starting October 1, 2025.
One of the most impactful reforms increases the punishments for repeat DUI offenders. Senate Bill 309, which passed unanimously, targets minimum jail sentences, alcohol evaluations, and enhancements. The mandatory minimum jail sentence for a second DUI offense will increase from 10 days to 20 days. Additionally, the threshold for a mandatory alcohol evaluation will drop from 0.18% to 0.16%, prompting earlier intervention. There will also be potential enhancements for offenders committing another DUI offense while participating in the Felony DUI Specialty Court Program.
AB475 allocated funding for eviction diversion efforts across the state. Final appropriations included $15 million to Clark County. This funding is intended to support programs that help tenants at risk of eviction by providing rental assistance, case management, and court diversion services. With the funding, the Las Vegas Justice Court’s Eviction Diversion Program, which is a collaboration between the Justice Court, Clark County Social Services, and Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, will continue to mitigate the increasing number of evictions and provide a path to housing stability for vulnerable populations.
In 2021, AB116 reclassified many minor traffic violations—such as some speeding violations, seat belt infractions, or expired registration—from criminal misdemeanor crimes to civil infractions. That meant that being cited for certain offenses no longer resulted in a criminal charge or a criminal record. Additionally, the court was required to cancel bench warrants for failure to pay or appear issued before January 1, 2023. SB 359, effective October 1, 2025, now allows the court to combine a criminal misdemeanor complaint and a civil infraction into a single consolidated hearing, streamlining proceedings.
Changing court procedures in response to new legislation can be difficult as it requires more than just revising policies on paper—it demands a complete shift in how cases are processed, staffed, and tracked. Courts must overhaul long-standing workflows, retrain staff, reprogram case management systems, and educate the public, all while still keeping up with day-to-day caseloads. These transitions often create temporary confusion, backlogs, and inconsistent application of rules, as judges, clerks, and attorneys adjust to unfamiliar processes. However, LVJC is committed to administering justice in a fair and efficient manner.
About the author
Judge Melisa De La Garza was raised in Las Vegas and graduated from Eldorado High School. She received her undergraduate degree from UNLV and her J.D. from Creighton University. Her legal career has included being a Deputy District Attorney, Deputy Public Defender, private practitioner, and Hearing Master. In 2018, Judge De La Garza was elected as a Justice of the Peace for Las Vegas Justice Court. In 2024, she was elected as Chief Judge.
About the article
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (Oct. 2025), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2025/communique-oct-2025/. The printed magazine will be mailed out to CCBA members on October 1, 2025.
The articles and advertisements appearing in Communiqué magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCBA, the CCBA Publications Committee, the editorial board, or the other authors. All legal and other issues discussed are not for the purpose of answering specific legal questions. Attorneys and others are strongly advised to independently research all issues.
© 2025 Clark County Bar Association (CCBA). All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher. Editorial policy available upon request.