After guiding North Las Vegas's CARE Court, Municipal Judge Chris Lee has stepped down from the bench, announcing his retirement as of last Thursday. Lee's tenure was marked by his stewardship of the Community Approach to Rehabilitation and Engagement (CARE) Court, revealed a city announcement.
Since its establishment by the North Las Vegas City Council in 2021, the CARE Court has seen some 175 participants successfully complete the program. Remarkably, about 60% of those graduates belong to racial or ethnic minority groups, which underscores the court’s commitment and its resonance within communities often left in the margins and in need of such rehabilitative support, their struggles compounded by systemic barriers tailored in the quiet architecture of our society and the CARE Court seeks to address factors that contribute to criminal behavior.
In a gesture of farewell and appreciation, Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown commended Lee for his efforts. "Judge Lee facilitated City Council’s vision to help offenders get their lives back on a positive track through the North Las Vegas CARE Court," she said in a statement lauding the judge's contribution to the justice system and wishing him a well-earned retirement, as per the city's announcement.
