Two prosecutors, Michael Allmon and John Cory, compete for a newly created Henderson Justice Court seat on Nov. 3

What happened

Two prosecutors are running for a new judicial seat in Henderson, Nevada Current reported. Michael Allmon and John Cory are competing for Henderson Justice of the Peace Department 4, a seat created to keep up with the court's growing caseload.

Neither man has run for office before. Both advanced to the Nov. 3 general election after beating two other candidates in the June primary, according to the outlet. Readers can find more local races in our elections coverage.

What the Henderson Justice Court handles

Justices on the court serve six-year terms. They hear both criminal and civil matters within the Henderson Township jurisdiction. That work includes preliminary hearings, traffic cases, protective orders, evictions, misdemeanors and small claims.

Nevada Current noted that the court does not currently have specialty courts, such as drug court or veterans court. Those programs steer offenders into services aimed at their individual needs and are designed to keep them out of the criminal justice system.

Meet the candidates

Michael Allmon

Allmon is a career prosecutor who served as a major in the Marines before earning his law degree at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. He told Nevada Current he is running because "we need judicial officers who are actually focused on public safety."

He says he has a 100% conviction rate over a seven-year career and has completed three trials in the past year. His endorsements include District Attorney Steve Wolfson, the Henderson Police Supervisors Association, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the Henderson Police Officers Association, SEIU Local 1107 and the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union.

Asked whether he would bring a prosecutor's bias to the bench, Allmon said he would not. He explained that a prosecutor's client is the community and that deciding whether a case has merit is part of the job.

John Cory

Cory, also a prosecutor, says his mix of civil and criminal experience qualifies him for the Department 4 bench. He was born and raised in Southern Nevada, earned his law degree from Boyd Law School and says he has completed five trials in the past year.

His website lists endorsements from more than 100 local attorneys. He is also backed by the Third Branch PAC, which Nevada Current reported calls itself nonpartisan but is funded solely by the Nevada Republican Club. Cory said he can "be tough on crime but always protect constitutional rights and make sure everybody gets treated fairly and respectfully."

Where the candidates differ

Specialty courts

Cory said he sees high value in specialty courts and is interested in bringing them to Henderson Justice Court. He told the outlet that "a mental health court would be very important for the City of Henderson." He also pointed to a Women in Need court and a court for youth offenders from his time at the Las Vegas City Attorney's Office.

Allmon was less certain the Henderson court itself should build them. He said continuing to work with other jurisdictions could be another path, adding, "I think it's a matter of scale."

Campaign money

As of July, Allmon reported raising $34,000 and had roughly $10,300 on hand, according to financial statements cited by Nevada Current. He also took out roughly $9,000 in loans to fund his campaign. Cory had raised more than $62,000 and had about $3,800 on hand as of July.

Allmon said he favors appointing judges over electing them. "It would be nice if judicial candidates didn't have to raise money," he said, adding that contributions from attorneys who appear before a judge cannot be ignored.

What to watch next

• The Nov. 3 general election, which will decide who fills the newly created Department 4 seat for a six-year term.
• Whether specialty courts come to Henderson Justice Court, which currently has none. Cory has said he wants a mental health court, while Allmon has suggested working with other jurisdictions.