Clark County Judge Bluth Steps Down for Mediation Role
District Judge Jacqueline Bluth will resign in January to work as a mediator, citing a desire for a better work-life balance.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Resident and legal professionals in Clark County will see a change in the District Court bench starting January 5, 2026. District Judge Jacqueline Bluth is leaving her position to become a mediator for Advanced Resolution Management. The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection will fill the vacancy, with applications due November 18, 2026. For lawyers and litigants, this means a new judge will soon handle homicide cases and other matters previously assigned to Bluth.
Bluth, 44, was appointed by Governor Steve Sisolak in 2019. She began her career in the Regional Justice Center at age 25 as an intern for District Judge Mark Denton. Before taking the bench, she served as a prosecutor. In a Thursday interview, she described the decision to leave as difficult but affirmed her commitment to justice. “I don’t feel like I’m leaving the pursuit of justice. I feel like I’m achieving it now through a different way,” she said.
The move follows a dinner meeting with the owner of Advanced Resolution Management, who explained his passion for mediation. Bluth noted that she considered the advice of Jackie Glass, a former judge and friend who died in August. Glass, who was also a mediator at the same firm, encouraged living one’s best life. Bluth said this prompted her to ask if she was doing the same. She described herself as a workaholic and stated that her family, particularly her children, had made substantial sacrifices for her career.
During a family meeting, her oldest son encouraged her to accept the mediation position to gain more time with her family. Bluth explained that litigation often carries heavy emotional weight that is not fully recognized. She has presided over settlement conferences in civil and criminal cases and observed that participants frequently seek to be heard. Mediation offers a direct, one-on-one format that provides finality, a quality she valued as it contrasts with the lengthy timelines of traditional court proceedings.
Bluth’s tenure included high-profile homicide cases. In 2024, she sentenced Jesus Ayala and Jzamir Keys to terms of 20 years to life and 18 years to life, respectively, for the 2023 killing of retired police chief Andreas Probst. The defendants were minors at the time of the crime. In another notable ruling, she resentenced Samuel Howard, who was 77 at the time, to life without parole for a 1980 murder. She detailed the trauma of his youth and his decades of reform but noted the need for the victim’s family to receive justice.
Bluth maintained a strong standing among legal professionals. In the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 2025 Judicial Performance Evaluation, she received a retention score of 88 percent. This high score indicated that a large majority of attorneys wanted her to remain on the bench. She is not filling the specific role of the late Jackie Glass, though she will work for the same company. Bluth plans to continue explaining her reasoning in detail during sentencing, ensuring that defendants and victim families understand the basis for her decisions.
The resignation is effective January 5, 2026. The vacancy will be filled through the standard commission process. Bluth will continue her work in mediation, focusing on helping parties resolve disputes outside the traditional courtroom. Her departure marks the end of a seven-year tenure on the District Court bench, where she was known for her detailed sentencing statements and approachable demeanor.
