Judge Defined

What Does Judge Mean in Nevada Law? A Vegas Lawyer Explains

Las Vegas defense lawyers provide representation to defendants who have been accused of violating the law. There are many different types of behaviors that are considered illegal under Nevada’s laws. The laws outlining behaviors that are considered crimes are found in Title 15 of the Nevada code. Title 15 contains different chapters, with each chapter defining offenses that constitute particular types of crimes. For example, there is a chapter in Title 15 which defines offenses committed against persons, and a chapter in Title 15 which defines offenses committed against property.

Defendants need to know what the definitions of various offenses are, because it is up to prosecutors to prove a defendant’s actions constitute a particular offense. There are different elements of many offenses, and if a prosecutor is not able to prove that a defendant’s conduct fits within the full definition of a crime – including all elements of the offense outlined in Nevada law – the defendant should be acquitted.

Sometimes, there are words with unclear meanings, or with specific legal meanings, that are included when defining an offense. Sometimes, there are also words with unclear meanings that are used when explaining how a crime should be classified or what penalties should be imposed. Title 15 also deals with both classification of crimes and the imposition of penalties.

Because it is important for everyone to be on the same page about what all of the words used in Title 15 mean, there is a part of Title 15 in which various words are defined. Chapter 193 is the part of Title 15 where the definitions applicable throughout the title are found. One of the words defined in Chapter 193 is the word judge.

N.R.S. 193.016: Judge Defined

Because the general provisions – including the definitions – that are found in Chapter 193 apply throughout all of Title 15, the definition of the word “judge” in Chapter 193 applies any and every time the word judge is used when crimes are defined or when penalties are enumerated anywhere within the title.

The definition of the word judge is found in N.R.S. 193.016. According to the relevant statute, when the word judge is used anywhere in Title 15, the term includes any and all judicial officers with the authority to provide over a court of record. This includes judicial officers who are allowed to preside over court records alone, and judicial officers who are allowed to preside over court records in conjunction with others.

For example, in N.R.S. 199.220, which is found within Title 15, the crime of destroying evidence is defined. The definition of destroying evidence indicates a defendant could be guilty of this offense if a person destroys books, records, or other information with the goal of, among other things, preventing the presentation of the evidence in a court before a judge. For purposes of this statute (along with numerous other statutes in Title 15), the word “judge” means all judicial officers, in accordance with the definition in N.R.S. 193.016.