Revises provisions relating to deputy marshals in certain courts. (BDR 1-943)

S.B. 384

- *SB384*

SENATE BILL NO. 384–SENATOR OHRENSCHALL

MARCH 17, 2025
____________

Referred to Committee on Judiciary

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to deputy marshals in
certain courts. (BDR 1-943)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: No.

CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§§ 1, 2)
(NOT REQUESTED BY AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT)

~

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to courts; revising provisions relating to deputy
marshals in certain courts; and providing other matters
properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Based on the constitutional separation of powers, the judiciary has inherent 1
authority to manage and control its employees, including their selection, 2
appointment, promotion, discipline and termination, and if the other branches of 3
government take any legislative or executive actions that directly interfere with the 4
judiciary’s personnel decisions, such interference violates the separation of powers 5
doctrine because it unconstitutionally infringes on the judiciary’s inherent authority 6
to manage and con trol its employees. ( City of Sparks v. Sparks Mun. Court , 129 7
Nev. 348, 362-66 (2013)) 8
Under existing law, in each county whose population is 700,000 or more 9
(currently Clark County), the judge of each district court and the justice of the 10
peace of each j ustice court may appoint a deputy marshal for the court instead of a 11
bailiff, and the deputy marshal serves at the pleasure of the judicial officer making 12
the appointment. (NRS 3.310, 4.353; State ex rel. Vogel v. Grierson , No. 62225, 13
2014 WL 1226461 (Nev. Mar. 21, 2014) (explaining that deputy marshals “are 14
more like employees than public officers because each ‘deputy marshal serves at 15
the pleasure of the judge he or she serves.’ ”)) As a general rule, when a person 16
serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority, the person is considered to be an 17
at-will employee, and the appointing authority has the right to discharge the person 18
for any reason, with or without cause, so long as the reason does not violate public 19
policy. ( Nigro v. Nev. State Bd. of Cosm etology, 103 Nev. 496, 497 -98 (1987); 20
Wayment v. Holmes , 112 Nev. 232, 235 -36 (1996); Dillard Dep’t Stores, Inc. v. 21
Beckwith, 115 Nev. 372, 376 (1999)) 22
This bill revises existing law relating to deputy marshals in each county whose 23
population is 700,000 or more (currently Clark County). First, this bill provides that 24

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the judge of each district court and the justice of the peace of each justice court 25
shall appoint for the court a deputy marshal instead of a bailiff. However, this bill 26
also provides that bef ore such a judicial officer appoints a deputy marshal, the 27
judicial officer must first consider whether there are any qualified and available 28
county employees to serve in the position. Further, this bill provides that after the 29
judicial officer appoints a deputy marshal, regardless of whether the person is a 30
county employee when appointed, the deputy marshal shall be deemed to be a 31
county employee, except that during his or her judicial service: (1) the deputy 32
marshal serves at the pleasure of the judicial officer making the appointment; and 33
(2) the rules and policies that apply to other county employees do not apply to the 34
deputy marshal, unless otherwise provided by the judicial officer. 35
Finally, this bill provides that if the judicial officer ends the se rvice of the 36
deputy marshal in the court of that judicial officer for any reason that does not 37
violate any applicable federal or state law or public policy governing such service, 38
the deputy marshal has no right to serve in that court. However, the deputy marshal 39
remains a county employee and his or her continued employment is subject to the 40
rules and policies that apply to other county employees, including, without 41
limitation, the rules and policies that govern reassignment, transfer, discharge, 42
demotion or discipline. 43

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 3.310 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
3.310 1. Except as otherwise provided in [this] subsection [,] 2
2, the judge of each district court may appoint a bailiff for the court 3
in counties polling 4,500 or more votes. In counties polling less than 4
4,500 votes, the judge may appoint a bailiff with the concurrence of 5
the sheriff. In each case, the bailiff serves a t the pleasure of the 6
judge whom the bailiff serves. 7
2. Subject to the provisions of subsections [2, 4] 3, 5 and [10,] 8
11, in a county whose population is 700,000 or more [, the] : 9
(a) The judge of each district court [may] shall appoint [a 10
deputy marshal] for the court a deputy marshal instead of a bailiff. 11
[In each case, the bailiff or] 12
(b) Before the judge appoints a deputy marshal, the judge shall 13
first consider whether there are any qualified and available county 14
employees to serve in the position . After the judge appoints a 15
deputy marshal, regardless of whether the person is a county 16
employee when appointed, the deputy marshal shall be deemed to 17
be a county employee, except that: 18
(1) The deputy marshal serves at the pleasure of the judge 19
[he or she] whom the deputy marshal serves [. 20
2.] ; and 21
(2) The rules and policies that apply to other county 22
employees do not apply to the deputy marshal during his or her 23
service, unless otherwise provided by the judge. 24

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(c) If the judge ends the service of the deputy marshal in the 1
district court of that judge for any reason that does not violate any 2
applicable federal or state law or public policy governing such 3
service, the deputy marshal has no right to serve in that district 4
court, but the deputy marshal remains a county employee and his 5
or her continued employment is subject to the rules and policies 6
that apply to other county employees, including, without 7
limitation, the rules and policies that govern reassignment, 8
transfer, discharge, demotion or discipline. 9
3. In all judicial districts where there is more than one judge, 10
there may be a number of bailiffs or deputy marshals at least equal 11
to the number of judges, and in any judicial district where a circuit 12
judge has presided for more than 50 percent of the regular judicial 13
days of the prior calendar year, there may be one additional bailiff 14
or deputy marshal, each bailiff or deputy marshal to be appointed by 15
the joint action of the judges [.] , subject to the provisions of 16
subsection 2 in a county who se population is 700,000 or more. If 17
the judges cannot agree upon the appointment of any bailiff or 18
deputy marshal within 30 days after a vacancy occurs in the [office] 19
position of bailiff or deputy marshal, then the appointment must be 20
made by a majority of the board of county commissioners. 21
[3.] 4. Each bailiff or deputy marshal shall: 22
(a) Preserve order in the court. 23
(b) Attend upon the jury. 24
(c) Open and close court. 25
(d) Perform such other duties as may be required of him or her 26
by the judge of the court. 27
[4.] 5. The bailiff or deputy marshal must be a qualified 28
elector of the county and shall give a bond, to be approved by the 29
district judge, in the sum of $2,000, conditioned for the faithful 30
performance of his or her duty. 31
[5.] 6. The compensation of each bailiff or deputy marshal for 32
his or her services must be fixed by the board of county 33
commissioners of the county and his or her salary paid by the 34
county wherein he or she is appointed, the same as the salaries of 35
other county officers or employees are paid. 36
[6.] 7. The board of county commissioners of the respective 37
counties shall allow the salary stated in subsection [5] 6 as other 38
salaries are allowed to county officers [,] or employees, and the 39
county auditor shall draw his or her warrant for it, and the county 40
treasurer shall pay it. 41
[7.] 8. The provisions of this section do not: 42
(a) Authorize the bailiff or deputy marshal to serve any civil or 43
criminal process, except such orders of the court which are specially 44

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directed by the court or the presiding judge thereof to him or her for 1
service. 2
(b) Except in a county whose population is 700,000 or more, 3
relieve the sheriff of any duty required of him or her by law to 4
maintain order in the courtroom. 5
[8. If a] 6
9. The deputy marshal [is] appointed for a court pursuant to 7
subsection [1,] 2 must attend each session of the court . [must be 8
attended by the deputy marshal. 9
9.] 10. For good cause shown, a deputy marshal appointed for 10
a court pursuant to subsection [1] 2 may be assigned temporarily to 11
assist other judicial departments or assist with court administration 12
as needed. 13
[10.] 11. A person appointed to be a deputy marshal for a 14
court pursuant to subsection [1] 2 must be certified by the Peace 15
Officers’ Standards and Training Commission as a category I peace 16
officer not later than 18 months after appointment. 17
Sec. 2. NRS 4.353 is hereby amended to read as follows: 18
4.353 1. Subject to the provisions of subsections 2, 4 and 10, 19
in a county whose population is 700,000 or more [, the] : 20
(a) The justice of the peace for each justice court [may] shall 21
appoint [a deputy marshal] for the court a deputy marshal instead of 22
a bailiff. 23
(b) Before the justice of the peace appoints a deputy m arshal, 24
the justice of the peace shall first consider whether there are any 25
qualified and available county employees to serve in the position. 26
After the justice of the peace appoints a deputy marshal, 27
regardless of whether the person is a county employee w hen 28
appointed, the deputy marshal shall be deemed to be a county 29
employee, except that: 30
(1) The deputy marshal serves at the pleasure of the justice of 31
the peace [that] whom the deputy marshal serves [.] ; and 32
(2) The rules and policies that apply to other county 33
employees do not apply to the deputy marshal during his or her 34
service, unless otherwise provided by the justice of the peace. 35
(c) If the justice of the peace ends the service of the deputy 36
marshal in the justice court of that justice of the peace for any 37
reason that does not violate any applicable federal or state law or 38
public policy governing such service, the deputy marshal has no 39
right to serve in that justice court, but the deputy marshal remains 40
a county employee and his or her continued employment is subject 41
to the rules and policies that apply to other county employees, 42
including, without limitation, the rules and policies that govern 43
reassignment, transfer, discharge, demotion or discipline. 44

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2. In all townships where there is more t han one justice of the 1
peace, there may be a number of deputy marshals at least equal to 2
the number of justices of the peace. If the justices of the peace 3
cannot agree upon the appointment of any deputy marshal within 30 4
days after a vacancy occurs in the [office] position of deputy 5
marshal, the appointment must be made by a majority of the board 6
of county commissioners. 7
3. Each deputy marshal shall: 8
(a) Preserve order in the court. 9
(b) Open and close court. 10
(c) Perform other such duties as may be requ ired of the deputy 11
marshal by the justice of the peace of the court. 12
4. The deputy marshal must be a qualified elector of the county 13
and shall give bond, to be approved by the justice of the peace, in 14
the sum of $2,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of his or 15
her duty. 16
5. The compensation of each deputy marshal for his or her 17
services must be fixed by the board of county commissioners of the 18
county and the deputy marshal’s salary paid by the county wherein 19
he or she is appointed, the same as the salaries of other county 20
officers or employees are paid. 21
6. The board of county commissioners of the respective 22
counties shall allow the salary stated in subsection 5 as other salaries 23
are allowed to county officers [,] or employees, and the county 24
auditor shall draw his or her warrant for it, and the county treasurer 25
shall pay it. 26
7. The provisions of this section do not authorize the deputy 27
marshal to serve any civil or criminal process, except such orders of 28
the court which are specially directed by the court or the presidi ng 29
justice of the peace thereof to the deputy marshal for service. 30
8. [If a] The deputy marshal [is] appointed for a court pursuant 31
to subsection 1 [,] must attend each session of the court . [must be 32
attended by the deputy marshal.] 33
9. For good cause shown, a deputy marshal appointed for a 34
court pursuant to subsection 1 may be assigned temporarily to assist 35
other justice courts or assist with court administration as needed. 36
10. A person appointed to be a deputy marshal pursuant to 37
subsection 1 must b e certified by the Peace Officers’ Standards and 38
Training Commission as a category I peace officer not later than 18 39
months after appointment. 40
Sec. 3. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any 41
additional expenses of a local government that are related to the 42
provisions of this act. 43
Sec. 4. This act does not apply to any employment action 44
taken before the effective date of this act. 45

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Sec. 5. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval. 1

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