CARSON CITY, Nev. (Legal Newsline)-If Nevada state senators have their way, the Silver State will have a court of appeals to consider cases before the state's Supreme Court.
Nevada is just one of 11 states that do not have an intermediate court of appeals to hear challenges from district court rulings. Currently, legal challenges go directly to the state Supreme Court.
Senators on Tuesday voted unanimously and without discussion to change that.
Senate Joint Resolution 9 would change the state constitution to create the appeals court. If the plan clears the state Legislature, the proposed constitutional amendment would be put to Nevada voters in 2010.
Similar proposals were considered by state voters in 1980 and again in 1992. Voters rejected the argument that the state needed another legal layer to help take some of the workload off the state Supreme Court.
Last year, a panel -- the Article 6 Commission -- created by the Supreme Court to examine Nevada's judicial branch voted unanimously to support the appeals court plan.
During Fiscal-Year 2008, the Nevada Supreme Court received more than 2,200 filings and disposed of about 1,950 cases, officials said.
Last year, Kansas ranked 40th among all 50 states in the fairness of its litigation environment, an annual Harris Poll survey of in-house corporate counsels around the nation indicated.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.