Hon. Douglas W. Herndon is a justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada. He was elected to the seat in 2020.
Herndon received a B.S. from Texas A&M University in 1986. He went on to earn a J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1990.
He began his judicial career in 2005, after receiving an appointment to serve as a judge for the Eighth Judicial District Court by former Governor Kenny Guinn. While on the District Court, he served as the chief presiding judge of the Criminal Division (2010 to 2017) and is credited with creating the Court’s Homicide Case Team, where he also served its chief judge (2017 to 2020). In addition, Herndon served on the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Executive Committee, its Security Task Force, and served as the District Court’s Head Election Issues judge. Herndon retained his seat until his election to the Supreme Court bench.
Prior to joining the bench, Herndon worked as a prosecutor with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for fourteen years. During the last nine years of his tenure there, he served as the chief deputy district attorney assigned to the Special Victims Unit. As such, Herndon specialized in prosecuting cases involving the physical and sexual abuse of women and children as well as child homicide.
He served on the Administration of Justice Commission, the Indigent Defense Commission, the Commission on Statewide Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Committee to Study Evidence-Based Pre-Trial Release.
He received the Light and Wisdom Diamond Award for Judicial Excellence in 2019 and the Community Service Award for his work with The Rape Center in 2010. In 2005, the Community Coalition for Victim’s Rights presented him with the Gary Collie Award, and in 2003, he was named Man of the Year by the Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada.
His work with The Rape Center spanned twenty-two years and included serving as an advocacy training course instructor.
Herndon was also active in writing, presenting, and judging mock trial programs for elementary, middle, and high school students in Clark County as well as for UNLV undergraduate and law students.
Away from the bench, he enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and running marathons. Herndon, who was born and raised in Texas, is married and has two children.