Senate panel approves Nevada appeals court measure

(AP) - A Senate panel is taking quick action to try to establish an intermediate appeals court in Nevada.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved SJR14. The proposed constitutional amendment would set up an intermediate appeals court to ease the growing caseload in the Nevada Supreme Court.

Nevada's high court saw 2,500 cases filed in 2012. Cases per justice totaled 357, the highest in the nation in states without an appellate court.

Justice James Hardesty told committee members that rules would be set up on the types of cases the intermediate court would hear. In most cases, it would be the last appeal available to litigants unless the Supreme Court decided otherwise.

SRJ14 was approved by the 2011 Legislature. If passed this year, it will go to voters in 2014.