<meta name="google-site-verification" content="cIysTRjRVzTnQjmVuZAwjuSqUe0TUFkavppN8dORD0Q" /> Carli Kierny, Esq. | Equal Representation for All by Naiomi Pitre | Las Vegas | The Urban Voice An Online Directory of Businesses Owned and Operated by African-Americans

Equal Representation for All: Carli Kierny, Esq.


“I think it is especially important to recognize that there is a problem with racial injustice and confront it, especially in the criminal justice system.  Thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, I have learned a lot more about implicit bias and read more books on confronting white privilege.  That privilege is a built-in advantage afforded to white people, separate from their level of income or effort,” Carli Kierny explains.  “It exists in the justice system as higher rates of arrest for black people, higher rates of conviction, and longer criminal histories than their white counterparts.  I am committed to combating the effects of white privilege in the justice system.”

 

In her current position of Chief Deputy Public Defender for Clark County, Carli also has become a trained legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild.  She has attended several protests, rallies, and demonstrations in this capacity.  Her goal is to enable people to fully express their First Amendment rights without interference by documenting police actions and hopefully serving as a deterrent against violence.

 

Kierny is campaigning for a judicial seat in Department 2 of District Court in the November elections.  She has many plans for improving the current system once she is seated.  Her greatest passions are helping people with mental health issues and at-risk children in lower-income areas around the valley.  She would like to develop programs from the bench that combat the school to prison pipeline by setting up mentors and better opportunities.  She would also like to instill programs that encourage children in low-income areas to pursue careers in law.

 

“We need lawyers and judges who understand and relate to the struggles of everyone,” Carli stresses.  “The Clark County bench has historically had people of similar backgrounds on it.  It is especially important to have a diversity of backgrounds on the bench.  As a public defender, I am running because I know the struggles my clients face and can take this into account while developing programs that can actually have a positive effect, instead of programs that are intended to help, but in actuality set my clients back.”

 

This balanced perspective is one of the main reasons that Carli Kierny is the right person to vote into the seat in Department 2 of District Court.  She has developed this sensible attitude through both working with accused offenders as well as volunteering with victims.  Urging the community to show up and make their voices heard, Carli encourages everyone to not allow discouragement to silence them.

 

“I agree with the person who is upset by the current system and feels that it can be unjust.  Therefore, they must vote for the right judges to administer the correct justice that you think is appropriate.  There has been a lot of movement in the criminal justice arena in the past few decades, especially in how we treat drug offenders and the mentally ill.  The system is waking up to the idea that it over-incarcerates and under-treats defendants.  In fact, our legislature just passed a historic criminal justice reform bill, AB236.  This is just one example of what can happen to fix an unjust system when the right people are given political power,” Kierny informs.

 

The racial protests of 2020 began just before the primary elections, and they turned out a new crop of first-time voters who chose candidates that reflected their own views.  While the protests are a great vehicle for raising awareness and getting people involved, none of the proposed changes can be sustained without those same protestors voting.  Carli hopes to inspire people to exercise their rights to vote every time that they can.  Pay close attention to campaigns that increase representation on the bench that will ensure that everyone is treated fairly in court, regardless of their skin color, sex, religion, or sexual orientation. Choose Carli Kierny for District Court Department 2, the judge that this community deserves currently in history.  

 

To learn more about Carli Kierny, Esq. and to follow her campaign, please visit www.carli4judge.com.

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