Name: Edwin L. Poyfair
Title: Judge
Court: Clark County Superior Court
County: Clark
Discipline: Censure
Method of Resolution: Stipulation
Discipline Date: 05/04/2012
Canons Violated:1.2, 2.2, 2.3(A), 2.3(B), 2.8(B)
Summary: From an agreed statement of facts, the Commission found that Clark County Superior Court Judge Edwin Poyfair violated Canon 1 (Rule 1.2) and Canon 2 (Rules 2.2, 2.3(A) and (B), and 2.8(B) of the Code of Judicial Conduct when he failed to order the return of a child to her biological mother, when that mother tried to revoke her consent to a voluntary adoption. The mother had learned that the proposed adoptive father had a history of molesting girls. Judge Poyfair stipulated that he failed to recognize the mother's legal right to revoke her consent, and that he failed to provide adequate information as to obtaining counsel to the child's biological parents despite recognizing they had an absolute right to same, and he injected the legally irrelevant issue of the father's immigration status in an intimidating fashion, and displayed an impatient, undignified and discourteous demeanor in that and in a separate matter involving a custody dispute. The Commission censured Judge Poyfair and, because he retired from office shortly after the acceptance of the stipulation, imposed no other conditions.
Case Documents Available:
Stipulation, Agreement and Order of Censure filed 5/4/2012.