Foley seeks Pahrump justice of the peace seat, cites courtroom experience

Pahrump voters will decide on June 9 who takes Department B of the Pahrump Justice Court, a bench that handles traffic and parking citations, small civil disputes, evictions, misdemeanor cases and preliminary felony and gross misdemeanor matters. Michael Foley is making his case as a steady hand who already knows the courtroom from years inside it.

Foley has served as the pro tem judge for Department B since January 2025, and his bid rests on the idea that repetition matters in a limited-jurisdiction court where hearings move quickly and a judge must keep traffic moving without losing fairness. He said the longer stretch on the bench has made him a better judge because he understands the procedures, the expectations and the rhythm of the work. He described the process as familiar even when each case is different, saying that familiarity makes him more efficient and more comfortable in court.

His ties to the office go back farther than his current appointment. Foley moved to Pahrump in 1998 after selling two businesses in Massachusetts, and he was first appointed pro tem in 2007 by the Nye County commissioners at the request of the late Justice of the Peace Tina Brisebill. Foley said he learned a great deal by watching Brisebill’s courtroom style, and later trained at the National Judicial College in Reno in Special Court Jurisdiction instruction. Nevada law authorizes pro tem service in justice courts, and it also requires some justices of the peace who are not licensed attorneys to pass a Nevada Supreme Court examination within 18 months of taking office.

Foley has also framed the race as a test of impartiality. He said that when the black robe goes on, he has no friends and no enemies, and that his biggest fear is unjustly depriving somebody of their rights. That message is aimed at voters who rely on the court at 1520 E. Basin Road, Suite 104, where day-to-day decisions can shape access to justice for people facing traffic tickets, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims and misdemeanor cases.

The seat is not a ceremonial post. Nye County’s website lists Kirk Vitto in Department A and Michele Fiore in Department B, and the county has placed Department B on the June 9 primary ballot. Ballotpedia lists Foley among the candidates, and the Pahrump Valley Times reported he was set to debate Fiore on May 7 during Nye County Republican Club debate nights. With the department still at the center of local attention, the race will determine who manages one of the county’s most consequential everyday courts.