Justice Of The Peace, Henderson, Dept. 4

• Clark County deputy district attorney in the special victims unit
  • Practice areas: criminal law
• Prior job titles: Marine Corps major

After receiving federal funding, he worked on cold cases from the backlog of sexual assault test kits.

He recently had a difficult sexual assault case he was prosecuting on behalf of a victim. The defendant pretended to be an Uber driver and tricked the victim into getting into his car. Later, another victim was assaulted, but she escaped. She was able to describe the defendant and the assault to a nearby business while calling for 911. However, before trial, she died, so he had to overcome evidentiary hurdles (i.e. getting her statement admitted in trial) to convict the defendant.

• Public safety
  • He wants to ensure the safety of the community. He believes in upholding the rights of victims and families.
• Fairness
  • He believes everyone has the right to be heard. When the process is fair, he believes that results in a fair result.
• Because he has more experience handling criminal cases compared with his competitors, he believes that he is able to make court operations more efficient because he will be familiar with court matters.

• Major donors:
  • District Attorney Steve Wolfson
• Endorsements:
  • Henderson Police Department
  • Nevada Veterans Caucus
  • Henderson Police Officers’ Association
  • Nevada Police Union
  • Clark County District Attorney Investigators Association
  • Las Vegas Police Protective Association
  • Henderson Police Supervisors Association
  • Southern Nevada Building Trades Union

Before becoming a district attorney, he volunteered at the Veterans Treatment Court as a mentor to veterans.

Assistant city attorney, City of Henderson

• Assistant city attorney, City of Henderson (since April 2022)
• Deputy city attorney, City of Las Vegas (March 2017 – April 2022)
• Associate attorney, Faux Law Group (Sept. 2015 – March 2017)
• Associate attorney, Ballstaedt Law Firm (Sept. 2014 – Sept. 2015)
• Judicial law clerk, 8th Judicial District Court of Nevada, Dept. 21 (Judge Valarie Adair)

n/a

• Nevada native committed to the state/community
  • Grew up in Henderson and is raising his family in Henderson
  • 4th generation Nevadan
  • Attended UNLV for undergraduate and law degrees
• Prosecutorial experience needed for this seat
  • Highlights that this judicial seat will handle criminal, civil, temporary protective orders, small claims and evictions.
  • Describes his past prosecutorial experience as being well aligned to address all of these types of matters.

• Endorsements:
  • Third Branch PAC
• Major donors:
  • His five largest donors are:
  • Maier Guitierrez & Associates (Las Vegas, Nevada) ($2,500)
  • Benjamin Nadig (Las Vegas, Nevada) ($2,000)
  • Kenneth Cory (Missoula, Montana) ($10,000) (designated as a “loan”)
  • John Marchiano (Henderson, Nevada) ($1,500)

• City of Henderson’s Assistance in Breaking the Cycle (ABC) Drug Treatment Court program
• Coaching youth sports
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program
  • Provides free income tax preparation assistance for low-income individuals

• Attorney
  • Practice areas: criminal defense, family law, personal injury, insurance sefense, TPO hearings, premises liability, small claims
• Prior job titles: Partner - Mayfield Turco and Gruber
  • Partner - Mayfield Gruber and Sheets; Partner – Mayfield and Gruber

I have successfully argued a contracts case before the Nevada Supreme Court.

He has 28 years of practicing in Henderson.

He finds that each individual believes that their case is the most significant case there is.

He have tried to treat all my clients in that manner that every case I took on was the most significant.

He has handled every kind of case that would come before the court and his intention is to treat everyone that comes before the court with respect, and treat every case fairly and judiciously.

He said that the ideal judge is one who can listen to both sides and apply the law equally.

In the criminal field, he said the judge must weigh the rights of the individual against the safety of the community. In the civil realm, the judge needs to determine whether either side has broken their duty to the other. The judge must be able to apply the law to the facts and treat all who come before the bench with dignity and respect.

• Endorsements: None as of yet
• Major Donors: He will not be asking for any donations

He has served on the State Bar’s disciplinary panel for several years and was the vice chair of the State Bar’s Client Security fund.

• Current Title
  • Founding Partner - Sagebrush Lawyers (2019 – present)
  • Bourassa Law Group (January 2011 – October 2019)
    • Handled plaintiff litigation including construction defect, employment, and consumer FDCPA work, and served as second chair at trial
  • Law Office of David C. Nelson (May 2009 – December 2010)
    • Focused on breach of contract/commercial landlord matters and gaming-related litigation
  • Eighth Judicial District Court ADR arbitrator – July 2020
• Practice Areas in Current Position
  • Contract and business litigation
    • Represents clients in disputes arising from breach of contract, promissory notes, and commercial agreements
    • At Sagebrush Lawyers this has included both plaintiff and defense-side representation in civil litigation
  • Construction law
    • Encompasses disputes between homeowners, contractors, subcontractors, and developers arising from construction defects, delays, and payment disputes
  • Consumer FDCPA litigation (prior, at Bourassa Law Group)
    • The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a federal statute protecting consumers from abusive debt collection practices
    • FDCPA litigation involves claims brought by consumers against debt collectors for statutory violations, typically in federal court
  • Employment law (prior, at Bourassa Law Group)
    • Handled employment litigation matters, likely including wrongful termination, discrimination, and wage and hour claims
  • Court-appointed arbitrator, 8th Judicial District Court ADR program (July 2020 – present)
    • Nevada’s mandatory arbitration program requires certain civil cases with values between $15,000 and $100,000 to go through arbitration before trial
    • Richards has handled 40+ such matters, giving him experience evaluating evidence, weighing credibility, and issuing written decisions (skills directly relevant to judicial service)
• Prior Job Titles:
  • United States Marine Corps, NCO, Fox Co. 2nd Bn, 23rd Marines (1997–2003) – Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom
  • Construction industry: Assistant Superintendent, American West Homes; earlier roles in framing, finish work, concrete

• U.S. Marine Corps veteran (1997–2003); NCO; deployed during Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Kuwait to Baghdad)
• Worked in residential and custom homebuilding before law
• Founded Sagebrush Lawyers – Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated; veteran-owned; multi-year Best of Las Vegas honoree
• Nominated as finalist by Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection for 8th Judicial District Court, Dept. 29 (February 2023) – not selected by Governor Lombardo (Jacob Reynolds was appointed)
• Holds Martindale-Hubbell Judicial Edition AV Preeminent rating
• Recognized as 2026 Elite Lawyer award recipient
• Henderson Chamber of Commerce member; Nevada Justice Association member

• Williams v. Pardee Homes of Nevada, Inc., A-10-631543-D (April 2012) – first jury trial; construction defect
• McGarry v. Lynch, 05A513560 (June 2009) – first matter he signed pleadings for
• Espinoza-Guerrero vs. Perez-Olvedo, A-20-813076-C (February 2021)
• Livingston, et al. vs. Ramirez, et al., 21AH000202 (October 2022) – first pro tem judicial assignment
• Henderson City Attorney v. Cerrone (2024 Nevada Supreme Court) – affirmed municipal court authority and clarified jury trial standards

• Richards said that his Marine Corps service (1997–2003) instilled in him discipline, honor and commitment.
  • Richards said these are traits he views as directly transferable to the judicial role and the demands of presiding over a courtroom.
• Richards said he finds is volunteer pro tem judicial work deeply rewarding, framing his candidacy as a natural extension of service he is already providing.
• He said he has a practical, results-driven approach to the law rooted in real-world experience.
  • He said his pre-law background in residential and custom construction gives him direct familiarity with the types of disputes that frequently appear on a civil court docket
• He said his combination of military service, construction industry experience, legal practice, and pro tem judicial service is a distinctive and well-rounded qualification set that sets him apart from attorneys whose backgrounds are limited to law alone.
• On his campaign website, he said efficiency and accuracy are core courtroom values, which reflects his practical orientation but also speaks directly to the justice court context.
• He said a judge who prioritizes moving cases accurately and efficiently serves the Las Vegas Justice Court population well.

• Endorsements
  • No formal endorsements found
  • Shelley Berkley (former U.S. Congresswoman, current Touro University president, 2026 Las Vegas mayoral candidate) informally endorsed via a campaign committee contribution.
  • Jan Jones Blackhurst (former Las Vegas Mayor) informally endorsed via her hosting and contributing funds toward a fundraiser.
• Contributions
  • Auto dealer industry ($40,000 from Fletcher-Jones affiliated entities)
    • Fletcher Jones Jr. ($10,000), Fletcher Jones Management Group ($10,000), Fletcher Jones Imports ($10,000), Mercedes Benz of Henderson ($10,000)
  • Legal community:
    • Marquis Aurbach ($1,000), Jennifer Fornetti ($1,000), Jeffrey Best ($1,000), and numerous Henderson-area attorneys in the $250–$525 range
  • Business community:
    • PR Partners Inc. ($2,500), Deseret First Credit Union ($1,000 + $1,000), Kosta Inc. ($1,000), Transworld Manufacturing ($1,000), and multiple Henderson-area business figures
  • Political figures:
    • Shelley Berkley for Mayor ($1,000 monetary); Jan Jones Blackhurst ($500 monetary + $4,700.41 in-kind fundraiser)
  • Other notable individual donors:
    • Fiona May ($5,187.75), Romy Ashjian ($1,000), Kirstyn Hairston ($1,000), Douglas J. Fife ($1,000), Chris L. Davidson ($1,000), Jason Bartucci ($1,047.75), David Stoft ($1,047.75), Steven Salomon ($1,047.75), Christopher Carson ($1,037.75), David Nelson ($1,037.75), Frank McCourt ($1,037.75), Scott Friedman ($1,037.75), Marcus Berg ($1,037.75)

• U.S. Marine Corps service (1997–2003)
• Henderson Chamber of Commerce member
  • The Henderson Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy and networking organization representing Henderson-area businesses
  • Membership reflects engagement with the local business community Richards would serve as a justice of the peace
• Sagebrush Lawyers recognized as Google Veteran-Led Business