Monica Trujillo

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Monica Trujillo

Nonpartisan

Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

4

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Vanderbilt University, 2005

Law

American University, Washington College of Law, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Houston, Texas

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Monica Trujillo is a judge for Department 3 of the Nevada 8th Judicial District Court. She assumed office on January 4, 2021. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Trujillo ran for election for the Department 3 judge of the Nevada 8th Judicial District Court. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Trujillo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Trujillo was born in Houston, Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University in 2005 and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law in 2008. Her career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Clark County, Nevada (2020)

General election

General election for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3

Monica Trujillo defeated Adam Ganz in the general election for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Monica Trujillo (Nonpartisan)	60.0	457,825
		Adam Ganz (Nonpartisan)	40.0	304,612

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 762,437
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3

Adam Ganz and Monica Trujillo defeated Michael Miceli in the primary for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Ganz (Nonpartisan)	43.1	119,405
✔		Monica Trujillo (Nonpartisan)	41.9	116,121
	Submit photo	Michael Miceli (Nonpartisan)	15.0	41,575

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 277,101
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To see a list of endorsements for Monica Trujillo, click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Monica Trujillo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Trujillo'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.

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. After graduating high school, I attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. Then, I attended American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. I have been service-oriented my entire life and in 2008 I moved to Las Vegas begin my career as a Public Defender. I have dedicated my career to public service and helping people. As a Public Defender, I have handled cases from misdemeanors to felonies through all phases of the criminal justice process and for the last seven years, I have exclusively handled homicide cases. I am qualified to serve as the lead defense attorney in cases where the State of Nevada is seeking the death penalty as punishment. Having been in a courtroom almost daily for years, I know the importance of being prepared, thoughtful and efficient. More than my dedication to service, I am a compassionate person with integrity and my work ethic is unmatched. I have never been afraid to do what is right and that will never change.

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?

• To provide a courtroom where the judge is not just well-versed in the law, but who also shows compassion and understanding.
• To encourage better community relations and outreach programs with the bench in an effort to promote confidence in the judiciary.
• To ensure that every person in the courtroom is treated with professionalism, courtesy and respect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about fairness and equality under the law and ensuring the protection of rights.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think it is important for an elected official to have compassion and integrity and be decisive and accessible.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want people to remember me as a compassionate person who stood up for what I believed in, even when I had to stand alone. I want people to remember me for doing what was right, admitting my faults and striving to be the best person I could be under the circumstances. Most importantly, I want people to remember me as a loving, supportive and trustworthy family member, friend and colleague.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I have been working in some capacity since I can remember as I come from a hardworking family who not only prioritized working for a living, but also stressed the importance of a quality work ethic. My first actual job was as a receptionist and file clerk for a recruiting company in Houston. I worked there during summer and school holiday breaks.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Build Me Up Buttercup by the Foundations!

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is important, but I believe compassion is more important than empathy. Judges can make well-reasoned, legal decisions while showing compassion. A person does not necessarily have to share one's feelings to understand their circumstances. Compassion is not only showing an understanding of a person's experiences, but it is also being thoughtful and mindful of those experiences.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

I have never been rated by a Bar Association.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for Nevada 8th Judicial District Court, Department 3 because it is an open seat. This department is currently one of the four homicide departments, which is an all criminal case calendar for homicide cases. I exclusively handle homicide cases. I have appeared before the current judge for years and tried cases, including death penalty cases, in Department 3. After confirming that he was going to run for Nevada Supreme Court, I chose this department.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

My primary concern is that some judges make decisions inconsistent with existing law. At times, it appears that judges are more concerned with the prominence of the people appearing before him or her rather than making a decision based on the law. A judge must always be fair, impartial and follow the law.

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

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Candidate

Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Department 3

Website

Facebook

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