7 seek appointment to Douglas judgeship

Seven lawyers, including Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson, have filed applications seeking to take over for District Judge Dave Gamble when he retires early next year.Other local applicants include Minden attorneys Tod Young, 54, and James R. Hales, 53.The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection set a 5 p.m. deadline Thursday for the applications to fill the seat on the Ninth Judicial District Court. Gamble, 61, who has served on the District Court bench in Douglas County since 1987 — longer than any other sitting judge in Nevada — will retire on Jan. 6.The application was open to all Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience, two of those in Nevada.Also applying for the job are:• Caren Cafferata-Jenkins, 54, Carson City, Nevada Commission on Ethics;• Mark J. Lenz, 61, Reno, Piscevich & Fenner;• Marc P. Picker, 55, Reno, Marc Picker, Esq.;• Gina C. Session, 54, Carson City, Office of the Attorney General The public will be able to view the applications, with the exceptions of medical records and personal identification information, on the Supreme Court Web site beginning next week.The commission will conduct background investigations and interview each applicant. The commission will nominate three finalists, whose names will be submitted to Gov. Brian Sandoval for the appointment. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for Dec. 10-11 in Minden.As has been the rule since 2007, the interviews will be open to the public. The appointee will serve until Gamble’s term expires in December 2014, and must win in the November 2014 election to remain on the bench.The applications, excluding personal identifiers and medical information, will be posted on the Supreme Court website at www.nevadajudiciary.us. Click on “Commissions and Committees” and then on “Commission on Judicial Selection.”