Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta to retire

Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta says she plans to retire next month.

According to a press rlease, Saitta wrote to Gov. Brian Sandoval last week saying she was leaving after 10 years on the state’s highest court.

Her six-year term was set to expire in 2019.

Saitta, 65, had previously served as chief justice of the high court and was a senior deputy attorney general before becoming a district court judge.

“After nearly 20 years as a judicial officer, with 10 of those years as a Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, I have decided that it is time to move on to the next chapter,” Justice Saitta said.

“After careful consideration, I am confident that this is the right time for me. My work on the court has been tremendously rewarding. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to be of service to the courts and the citizens of the State of Nevada. I am grateful to have had such an amazing experience.”

Supreme Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer says a replacement will be appointed to fill out the rest of her term.

The seven permanent members of the Commission on Judicial Selection will now recruit, screen, and interview applicants. The Commission then nominates three finalists from which the Governor makes his appointment. This thorough, complex, and public process usually takes about 4 months to complete.