District Court Judge, Eighth Judicial District, Department 26

• Team Chief of the Special Victims Unit
  • Practice Areas: Criminal Law
• Prior Job Titles:
  • Thunell has worked for the Clark County District Attorney’s Office since 2008. He started out on the general litigation team, later specializing in the Special Victims Unit, Major Violators Gang Unit and Case Assessment.
  • He has also supervised cases in the Strip Corridor Court as well as the vehicular crimes and domestic violence units. In this role, he was in charge of all sex trafficking cases.

Worked closely with the Child Advocacy Center as the team chief of the Special Victims Unit, served on the Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force while working as the Sex Trafficking/VICE prosecutor for the DA's Office, worked as the team chief over the Strip Corridor Court, had the opportunity to be the team chief and the in-court deputy district attorney in Mesquite, Logandale, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Searchlight and Laughlin.

Also, being in charge of the mock trial every year for Bring Your Kid to Work Day.

As the team chief of the Special Victims Unit, Thunell worked on numerous cases involving charges of child molestation including the recent prosecution of the Palo Verde High School coach. He also prosecuted and took to trial a number of cases involving sex trafficking of juveniles who are from Las Vegas, receiving multiple significant verdicts with life sentences. He has prosecuted and prevailed in a number of murder cases. Additionally, he has prosecuted and taken to trial cases from every town and city in Clark County.

• Separation of powers approach
  • Thunell said he believes his role is not to legislate, but rather “interpret the law fairly and even-handedly as written, while ensuring that such laws do not violate either the United States Constitution or Nevada Constitution.”
• He said he also believes in promoting and enhancing equal access to justice for everyone, when legally permissible.
• . Thunell believes every person who comes into his courtroom deserves fairness, dignity and an impartial application of the law.Thunell believes it is imperative to run a courtroom that is punctual, accessible and efficient. Whether he is presiding over civil or criminal cases, Thunell tries to bring a friendly demeanor on the bench while also working to keep cases moving along and not let them stagnate.
• Whether it is criminal or civil, every case involves real people with real concerns, so he endeavors to bring professionalism, preparation and respect to every proceeding.
• He believes it is important to have extensive background and understanding to make the important and weighty decisions that involve rights,liberty.and justice. He believes with his 18 years at the Clark County District Attorney's Office, he brings that knowledge and understanding to the matters he hears in his court.

Endorsements:

• Henderson Police Officers Association
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 872
• The Third Branch
• Clark County Deputy Marshals Association
• Clark County Prosecutors Association
• Mesquite Police Officers Association
• Henderson Police Supervisors Association
• District Attorney Steve Wolfson

He presented at Signs of Hope, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing free services to survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

He currently teaches a Bible study class every morning before school for high school students in the Northwest part of Las Vegas. Through his church, he has also worked as a leader of a men's group, a youth leader, and Sunday School teacher.

He coached youth soccer every spring and fall for eight years, most seasons fielding two to three teams of different age groups. He also coached youth basketball and won Coach of the Year for Las Vegas.

He has also worked at a wide variety of food banks, shelters and assisting members of the community with moving and other difficult tasks.

Previously served as the Event Coordinator for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk for the Cure in Utah County.

• Current title / position
  • Justice of the Peace, Las Vegas Justice Court, Department 6 (January 2023 – Present)
    • Elected to a six-year term in November 2022; term ends January 1, 2029
    • Currently presides over a civil calendar, handling civil cases up to $15,000 (breach of contract, neighbor disputes, property damage, landlord/tenant, minor car crashes and similar matters)
    • Reviews search warrants during assigned times and days
    • Serves as chair of the Civil Committee and chair of the Legislative Committee
    • Serves on the Executive Committee and Rules Committee
    • Vice President, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction (NJLJ)
    • Secretary, American Judges Association (AJA); also serves on Executive Committee and Board of Governors
• Practice areas in current position
  • Civil law bench (Justice Court Dept. 6 is a designated civil department)
    • Presides over civil disputes with amounts in controversy up to $15,000, including breach of contract, property damage, landlord/tenant disputes, neighbor disputes, small claims and minor vehicle collision matters
    • Search warrant review
    • Conducts warrant review for law enforcement during assigned rotations
• Prior job titles (chronological)
  • Goodey Injury Law, Owner/Attorney (November 2019 – December 2022)
    • Solo practice representing individuals and businesses in civil matters, primarily complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases
  • Becker Goodey, Co-Owner/Attorney (May 2014 – November 2019)
    • Co-owned civil litigation practice focused on complex business, personal injury, and medical malpractice cases
  • Las Vegas Municipal Court, Alternate Judge (2019 – January 2023)
    • Served as an alternate judge for the Las Vegas Municipal Court prior to taking the bench at Justice Court
  • Las Vegas Justice Court, Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore (sworn in 2021)
    • Served as alternate judge when regular justices were unavailable
  • Court-Appointed Arbitrator, 8th Judicial District Court alternative dispute resolution program
    • Decided civil cases up to $50,000 as part of Nevada’s mandatory arbitration program

• J.D., William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2007–2010)
  • Received highest grade in Trial Advocacy class; received a Dean’s Award for contributions to the school
  • First place, First Annual Society of Advocates Mock Trial Competition
  • Participated in Juvenile Justice Clinic as a student attorney representing juveniles in the criminal system
  • Participated in Street Law program, teaching law in at-risk Las Vegas high schools
• Admitted to the State Bar of Nevada, 2010
• State Bar of Nevada, Board of Governors (2018–2020)
• Elected to Las Vegas Justice Court, Dept. 6 in November 2022 (won primary in four-way race; received 59.18 percent in general election against William Gonzalez)
• 2025 Judge of the Year, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction
• Co-created the first New Judges Training Academy in Nevada
• Contributed to revisions of the statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure

None

• Campaign slogan: “Get Goodey” for District Court
• Core platform: civil expertise and efficiency
  • Argues that a district court civil/criminal department specifically needs judges with deep civil law backgrounds; positions her 12 years of civil practice plus her current civil bench experience as directly aligned with the Dept. 26 docket
  • Ran for justice court in 2022 after personally waiting six months for a judge to issue a decision following a three-hour trial
  • Frames efficiency and timely rulings as a core judicial obligation
  • Publicly committed to issuing all decisions within two weeks of hearing
• Emphasizes respect for litigants’ time and taxpayer resources
  • Views slow court proceedings as a form of justice denied
  • Supports remote hearings (video and telephonic appearances) as an accessibility measure for litigants
• Emphasizes empathy and fairness, particularly for pro se litigants
  • Describes a deliberate practice of slowing courtroom proceedings when self-represented litigants appear, to ensure they understand what is happening and what is expected of them
  • Cites “making sure that everybody is treated fairly and equally under the law” as a core commitment
• Positions herself as a reformer from within the court system
  • Points to her role in revising the statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure and co-creating the first New Judges Training Academy as evidence

• Endorsements
  • Las Vegas Peace Officer Supervisor Association
  • Las Vegas Police Managers & Supervisors Association
  • Las Vegas Police Protective Association
  • Nevada Police Union
  • Peace Officers Research Association of Nevada
  • Police Officers Association of Clark County School District
  • Public Safety Alliance of Nevada
  • Reno Police Protective Association
  • Sparks Police Protective Association
  • Washoe County Sheriff Deputies Association
  • Washoe County Sheriff’s Protective Association (WCSPOA)

• Vice President, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction (NJLJ)
  • NJLJ is the statewide professional organization representing Nevada’s limited jurisdiction judges (justice court and municipal court)
  • Leadership role reflects peer recognition and active engagement with judicial professional development statewide
• Secretary, American Judges Association (AJA); Executive Committee and Board of Governors member
  • AJA is an international professional association of judges committed to judicial education and improving the administration of justice
• Co-creator, New Judges Training Academy (Nevada)
  • Helped establish Nevada’s first formal training program for newly-elected or newly-appointed judges
• Contributor, Statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure revisions
  • Participated in revising the procedural rules that govern civil proceedings in Nevada’s justice courts
• State Bar of Nevada, Board of Governors (2018–2020)
  • Governing body of the state bar; responsible for regulating the legal profession, attorney discipline, and bar policy in Nevada
• Street Law volunteer (as a law student)
  • Volunteered with Street Law, a program that teaches practical legal concepts in at-risk Las Vegas high schools
• Juvenile Justice Clinic, student attorney (as a law student)
  • Represented juveniles in the criminal justice system through UNLV Boyd’s clinical legal education program

• Current Title / Position
  • Chief Nevada Bar Counsel
    • Provides counsel to the Board of Governors and Executive Director
    • Investigates attorney misconduct under the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC)
    • Prosecutes all proceedings under the RPCs before the Northern and Southern Disciplinary Boards and the Nevada Supreme Court
• Practice Areas in Current Position
  • Attorney discipline/ethics prosecution;
  • Administrative litigation;
  • Appellate practice before the Nevada Supreme Court
• Prior Job Titles (Chronological)
  • Chief Bar Counsel, State Bar of Nevada (September 2018 – present)
  • District Attorney, Lincoln County, Nevada (January 2011 – October 2018)
  • Deputy District Attorney, Lincoln County, Nevada (May 2007 – December 2010)
  • Real Estate Agent / Principal Broker / Managing Partner, DMH Real Estate, Inc. (July 1999 – May 2007)

• Prosecuted Jerry Elbert Hudson for sexual assault and murder (2018), resulting in life sentence; affirmed by Nevada Supreme Court in Hudson v. State
• Prosecuted Michael Alan Kincade for sexual assault of minors despite suppressed evidence (child pornography suppressed under State v. Kincade); secured life sentence based on victim testimony alone
• Disciplined attorney Cory J. Hilton who had $3.5 million in missing client trust funds
• Handled Hardy Construction v. Lincoln County arbitration and appeal (civil construction dispute)
• Authored multiple articles in Nevada Lawyer on ethics, trust accounting, diversity, and discipline
• Served as senior editor, International Law and Management Review (BYU Law School)

• In the Matter of the Discipline of Cory J. Hilton (2019) – $3.5M missing from client trust account
• State of Nevada v. Jerry Elbert Hudson (May 2018) – Sexual assault and murder; life sentence
• Hardy Construction v. Lincoln County (2015) – Civil construction dispute; arbitration and appeal
• State of Nevada v. Michael Alan Kincade (November 2012) – Sexual assault of minors; life sentence
• State of Nevada v. David Saletta (2010) – Indecent exposure case; juror recantation issue leading to Nevada Supreme Court reversal and retrial

• His personal statement emphasizes his desire for justice to triumph and hopes to his power to shape the world around him.
• He also emphasized his belief that his temperament, integrity, resiliency and humility will serve him well as a judge.

None found for his 2026 judicial election.

• Pro bono legal services (about 50 hours/year): provides free legal assistance to members of his church congregation in family law matters, landlord-tenant disputes, HOA disputes, adoptions and foreclosure assistance
  • Areas that overlap with the civil/family docket of a district court judge
• Boy Scouts of America - Scoutmaster (2003–2005)
  • Scoutmasters are volunteer adult leaders responsible for the program, safety, and advancement of a Scout troop, typically working with boys ages 11–17; the role requires significant time commitment and leadership
• Boy Scouts of America - Varsity Scout Coach (2007–2019)
  • Varsity Scouting is a BSA program for boys ages 14–17 focused on high-adventure activities. A Varsity Coach leads the team and oversees programming. Hooge served in this capacity for twelve years
• Eagle Scout
  • The highest rank in the BSA, requiring completion of a service project, merit badges, and demonstrated leadership. Reflects a longstanding personal commitment to community service values
• Bishop, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (current)
  • An unpaid leadership role overseeing a congregation of approximately 500 members.
  • Responsibilities include pastoral counseling, administrative oversight, and community outreach.
  • The role is roughly analogous to a full-time second job in terms of time commitment
• Continuing Legal Education presentations on ethics topics
  • Has presented to bar associations and legal organizations on attorney ethics, trust accounting, diversity, and discipline
  • Contributes to the professional development of the Nevada legal community beyond his day job