By Chief Judge Melisa De La Garza
Effective April 1, 2026, the Las Vegas Justice Court will implement a dedicated Traffic Calendar designed to improve the management of criminal traffic matters and promote greater consistency and efficiency in court operations.
The Traffic Calendar will be heard Monday through Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 8A and will be presided over by the Justices of the Peace, who will rotate as part of the Court’s regular judicial assignments. The calendar will consist of criminal traffic citations issued by law enforcement agencies involving traffic-related offenses.
All hearing types, with the exception of bench trials, will be heard on the Traffic Calendar, including in-custody warrant return hearings. In addition, any unresolved civil infraction violations arising from the same incident or event will be addressed alongside the related criminal citation. Bench trials will continue to be scheduled within the Court’s general criminal departments.
Where a matter is resolved and involves only a financial obligation, the Court will provide a payment due date in lieu of an in-person status check hearing. The District Attorney’s Office will participate in Traffic Calendar proceedings, and the Public Defender’s Office will appear when representation is appropriate.
The decision to establish a dedicated Traffic Calendar reflects the unique nature of criminal traffic cases. These matters tend to be high-volume, making them well-suited for consolidation into a single forum. By centralizing traffic cases, the Court is able to apply more uniform procedures, reduce time spent transitioning between traffic and non-traffic matters, and improve overall caseflow.
From a broader operational perspective, the Traffic Calendar allows for more effective caseload distribution and resource allocation, while reducing congestion on general criminal calendars. This, in turn, enables judicial officers and staff in those departments to devote greater attention to more complex and time-intensive matters.
Ultimately, the dedicated Traffic Calendar supports the Las Vegas Justice Court’s ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency, consistency, and the effective administration of justice, while fostering greater uniformity in the handling of traffic matters for attorneys, litigants, and justice partners. The Court looks forward to continuing collaboration as this calendar is implemented.
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 to be Chief Judge.
About the article
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (Mar. 2026), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2026/communique-mar-2026/.
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.
© 2026 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.