Honorable Michael A. Cherry, Former Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Chief Justice Cherry worked within the legislature for over 50 years. His career has crossed echelons of both state and federal government, as well as spanning the sensitive areas of family law and criminal appeals, which has earned him a stellar reputation as a steady and fair hand.  Chief Justice Cherry began his career as a Deputy Clark County Public Defender. He then became a partner at the law firm of Manos, Bailus, and Kelesis.

In 1981 he was appointed as Special Master of the MGM Grand Fire Litigation. Two years later he assumed the duties of the Special Master of the Las Vegas Hilton Fire Litigation. At both positions he served as a liaison between the plaintiffs' attorneys, defense attorneys, and court. The work he did as Special Master earned him special recognition, as he helped establish procedures which are now a part of mass disaster litigation. In 1997 he was appointed to the Clark County Special Public Defender’s Office to handle conflict and homicide cases. In 1998 Cherry was elected as a District Court Judge in Clark County. In 2006 he was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court. In 2012 he was reelected. His term expired in January 2019. He served as Chief Justice from 2012–2013 and again from 2017–2018. He maintains the status as a senior judge.

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