Joe Hardy, Jr.
NV · Eighth Judicial District Court Judge, Department 15
Joe Hardy Jr. has been a Clark County district judge since 2015. Before that he was co-managing partner of the Las Vegas office of a large law firm, handling civil lawsuits.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 3 records
Received a 2026 primary-election endorsement for District Court Department 15 on the Communications Workers of America District 9 page published May 28, 2026.
May 28, 2026
Source: cwad9.org
Received a March 30, 2020 endorsement for District Court Department 15 in a signed letter from the Nevada Veterans Association.
March 30, 2020
Source: judgejoehardy.com
Received Governor Brian Sandoval's appointment to the Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 15, on April 2, 2015.
April 2, 2015
Source: clarkcountycourts.us
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 3 favorable · 5 unfavorable
Reviewed pending business-court cases with Judge Maria Gall for the Eighth Judicial District Court pilot and accepted some cases into the pilot, as the court reported August 11, 2026.
August 11, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: clarkcountycourts.us
Excluded a criminal defendant's family from the courtroom during witness testimony in Palmer v. State; the Nevada Court of Appeals reversed on June 27, 2024, holding the closure violated the defendant's Sixth Amendment public-trial right and required a new trial.
June 27, 2024Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Denied a criminal defendant's request to replace retained counsel before trial in Brass v. State; the Nevada Supreme Court reversed on April 7, 2022, finding an abuse of discretion and structural error requiring a new trial.
April 7, 2022Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Dismissed tort claims against a homeowners' association after a foreclosure sale for lack of pre-suit mediation; the Nevada Supreme Court reversed on September 23, 2021, holding those claims did not require interpreting or enforcing HOA covenants.
September 23, 2021Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Ordered disclosure of Las Vegas police patrol officers' unit assignments in a public-records case; the Nevada Supreme Court reversed on December 31, 2020, after finding a nontrivial officer privacy interest and remanded for public-interest balancing.
December 31, 2020Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Granted TitleMax's petition against a title-loan enforcement order; on September 26, 2019, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed his ruling that the loan program complied with lending law but affirmed his rejection of willful-violation sanctions.
September 26, 2019Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Denied Bombardier Transportation's petition challenging prevailing-wage coverage for airport-shuttle repair work; the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his ruling on January 17, 2019.
January 17, 2019Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Denied a motion to set aside a civil judgment in Rodriguez v. Fiesta Palms; the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his decision on October 4, 2018.
October 4, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: nvcourts.gov
Past race Joe Hardy, Jr. ran in:
- District Court Judge, Department 15 · November 3, 2026 · Clark County, Nevada · incumbent