Jennifer Schwartz

Jennifer Schwartz

Nonpartisan

Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 17

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

3

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Jennifer Schwartz is a judge for Department 17 of the Nevada 8th Judicial District Court. Schwartz assumed office on January 2, 2023. Schwartz's current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Schwartz ran in a special election for the Department 17 judge of the Nevada 8th Judicial District Court. Schwartz won in the special general election on November 8, 2022.

Schwartz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Clark County, Nevada (2022)

General election

Special general election for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 17

Jennifer Schwartz defeated Adam Ganz and Lindsey Moors in the special general election for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 17 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Schwartz (Nonpartisan)	36.7	204,220
		Adam Ganz (Nonpartisan)	34.0	189,243
	Submit photo	Lindsey Moors (Nonpartisan)	29.3	163,324

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 556,787
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jennifer Schwartz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Schwartz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My grandparents were holocaust survivors and they taught me that hard work, compassion and integrity are the defining qualities for a good person. I have been a practicing attorney for 20 years having spent thousands of hours in the courtroom representing my clients and protecting their constitutional rights. I know I will work tirelessly so that I make the correct decision while ruling with compassion and integrity every day I am on the bench.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am qualified because I am the only candidate who has spent nearly 2 decades fighting for people and fighting for equality under the law for all. Judges need more than a law degree, they need to understand that their actions have real world consequences for everyone involved in a case. They need to understand the gravity of the decisions they make and the way they act on the bench. We need judges who have compassion and who have actually dedicated a significant part of their legal career to working to fix the system and working to help the indigent.
• I do not understand why anyone in public office would fail to participate in community service programs. Public officials tout their allegiance to their communities but anyone in position of power who refuses to take part in community advancement (in my opinion) would be a trickster. As stated above, I have worked with Legal Aid of Southern Nevada, Volunteered with Spring Valley Little League, sat on the board of Midbar Kodesh Temple as well as acted as the youth director, I volunteer with the JustOne project and volunteer with Family Promise.
• My paternal grandparents have been a major influence in my life. They are among the very lucky and few who survived the Holocaust and were liberated from concentration camps by the Allies. They lost their families, homes, and friends, then moved to a new country, learned a new language, raised a family, and built a new community. They instilled in me the values of always fighting for the underdog and understanding that if you stand by and allow persecution of someone today, that same persecution will come back and spread to you tomorrow. We are all responsible for fighting for the rights of our neighbors. Their lives and sacrifices guided to me to become a public defender and, now, to run for judge.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Sadly, I have routinely witnessed individuals treated better, both by a prosecuting office or a judicial officer, simply because of the person’s socioeconomic status or the color of their skin. As an attorney with the Clark County Public Defender’s Office, I am in justice and district court on a regular basis, and it is never lost on me that the individuals who are in custody are primarily those with little to no money or are a person of color. I have argued in court, again and again, that cash bail is not working. It serves only to keep the disadvantaged in custody. Wealthy people accused of violent crimes can make their cash bail while non-violent individuals with little to no support are forced to stay in custody. When a prosecutor asks for high cash bail as the only condition, I highlight the inequity of that request. A person, who does not pose a risk to the community, should not be required to post money in order to be released from custody. I then ask for the least restrictive means possible to ensure that the person returns to court. When I see that a person is being treated differently simply because of race, religion, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age I immediately bring it to the forefront of whatever argument I am presenting. I point out how a similarly situated individual not in a particular protected class received a benefit then question out loud why this other individual is not receiving the same consideration & benefit.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2022 Elections

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Footnotes

Nevada courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada

State courts:

Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada

State resources:

Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada