Celebrating 32-Year Career

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

Judge Lanny Waite has been a devoted and equitable force in the Moapa Valley Jusice Court room for 32 years. He retired earlier this month. A retirement party to honor Waite, and the many positive things he implemented in the community, took place on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Overton Community Center.

Many of the court staff members and other community leaders whom Waite worked with over the years were in attendance and showed appreciation for his service.
“We asked him to sit in judgment over us for 32 years,” said local Metro Police Sergeant Bret Empey. “He is my mentor. When I didn’t get my job right he let me know. I will miss his compassion for everyone involved in the judicial system, he never got out of balance and he took his job seriously.”

Tom Brady served as MV Justice Court Bailiff for over 20 years and he said that he holds the highest regards for his friend and old colleague.
“When I think of Lanny, the thing I think of is his love for this community,” Brady said.

“He has so much feeling for the people here. He has implemented so many different and creative programs that really do work. I watched it and was skeptical of some but it really worked.”

Brady spoke of the extra time Waite took with the people who came before him in court.
“He is a fighter, when he has strength and a mission, you better watch out he is going to get it done,” Brady said. “Sometimes he ruffled feathers but he said, ‘Tom, it comes with the territory.’ We were blessed to have his strength.”

Clark County Rural Court Administrator Karen Powell had many kind things to say about Waite.
“Lanny always stood up for what’s right,” Powell said. “We will miss you being part of our group. In court we refer to you as Your Honor, but it has been my honor and privilege to serve you.”

In an interview with the Progress, Waite described his retirement as bittersweet.
“I will miss working with the court staff and trying to make a difference in the community,” he said. “On the other hand it will be a relief not to have the constant concern and pressure while sitting in judgment. It’s nice to give that to someone else.”

Waite said the thing that brought him the most pleasure while in his role as Justice of the Peace was seeing people who had been helped along the way.
“I had to be tough, and when they came back years later and it had made a difference in their lives; you don’t know how many lives you have touched for good or bad,” he said.

He talked about the consequence of living in a rural community where he knew a majority of the people that came before him in court.
“It made it harder for me to make judgment but easier for me to know what to do to make a difference in their lives,” Waite said.

Waite’s retirement represents the end of an era in the community. In 1986 the town held an election for their first official Justice of the Peace for the Moapa Valley Township.

Waite has held that position for the six elections that have followed. That has made him, and one other judge, the longest serving Justice of the Peace in Nevada at retirement.

As Waite passes the baton on to Judge Gregor Mills, he will be enjoying retirement doing the things he loves but hasn’t quit the judge role completely. He applied for a position as Senior Judge and was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as a Senior Judge for Justice and Municipal Courts throughout the state. He may fill in for other judges around Nevada that may be on vacation or sick.