A potential newcomer to the court is battling a sitting and former chief judge for a seat on the Las Vegas Court of Appeals.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Madilyn Cole, who is campaigning as Madilyn “Leavitt” Cole, and Justice of the Peace Cynthia Dustin-Cruz are running for a seat in Ward Five.

Cole wants to bring about a change on the court, saying “my work ethic, my passion, my ability to bring a new perspective to the court are all things that resonate with people.”

Dustin-Cruz, months shy of having served 12 years on the bench, said only experience can prepare you to handle a heavy caseload and treat people with “dignity and respect, even though you may judge against them.”

In August, the court announced that one of its specialized court programs, the Resort Corridor Court, which handled crimes committed in its corridors, would trigger a “sunset.”

Despite the closure, Cole said she felt like it worked well because cases heard in the same courtroom kept everyone in the loop. Dustin-Cruz said judges became more aware of the need for resources to support people coming through the special court and others.

The “sunset” occurred while Dustin-Cruz was chief justice, a role she assumed starting Sept. 19, although the decision was made through a vote of justices, she said.

Cole said in a statement that the move was “another example of why so many people encouraged me to enter this race,” and that a “strong leader” is needed in Ward 5.

Dustin-Cruz said she didn’t think it was fair to the court for her to remain in the role because she sits on several committees that “do phenomenal work” and stepping away from that would have been “worse for our community.”

Cole has handled criminal cases through her role in the gang division of the Public Prosecution Service’s Major Violators Unit, which focuses, among other things, on homicide cases. She has no experience on the court herself, but has emphasized her relationship with her mother, District Judge Michelle Leavitt, and her grandfather, former Judge Myron Leavitt, during her campaign by using the name Leavitt.

Dustin-Cruz said this move is “trying to piggyback on someone else’s reputation,” and Cole said it’s important to her that voters know she is proud to be a Leavitt.

“I am proud to be who I am, and I want voters and people in the community to know who I am,” she said.

Dustin-Cruz was responding to a GOP emblem on a mailer from Cole’s campaign that identifies the group as the Nevada Republican Club.

“Judges are supposed to be impartial so that we can maintain the integrity of the court,” Dustin-Cruz said.

However, Cole said the group that endorsed her is not a “political organization as defined in the judicial canons,” which bar judicial candidates from soliciting, accepting or using support from political organizations. Cole declined to name the group but said it was not the Republican Party, adding that “that would be inappropriate.”

Contact Estelle Atkinson at [email protected].