Published on: November 14, 2025, 03:56h.
Updated on: November 14, 2025, 03:56h.
Lawmakers in Nevada are pondering a revival of a court designed to handle minor offenses occurring on the Strip and its immediate surroundings.
Initiated two years ago by the Clark County Justice Court, the Resort Corridor Court aimed to tackle misdemeanors like petty theft, drug offenses, assault, and loitering. This specialized court could issue bans for up to a year to repeat offenders, and penalize those who violated these bans.
Casino operators on the Strip lauded the court for enhancing safety measures. However, the local ACLU chapter raised concerns, expressing worries about due process and the criminalization of public spaces.
Ultimately, the Resort Corridor Court was shut down in 2024 — merely 22 months after its inception in January 2023 — following a decision by the Justice Court judges who pointed to challenges with resource allocation and financial responsibility. (The program was burdening limited judicial resources with thousands of cases filtered through just two courtrooms.)
Current Developments
In light of an 11% decline in tourism from June 2024 to June 2025, Governor Joe Lombardo aims for Las Vegas to present a favorable image. A special legislative session convened on November 13 will deliberate on various proposals, including his “Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act,” which seeks to empower the Justice Court to reinstate the Resort Corridor Court and create order-out zones for habitual offenders.
The proposed legislation, AB4/SB 457, also suggests heightened penalties for specific offenses such as:
- Smash-and-grab thefts
- DUIs leading to fatalities
- Possession of child pornographic material
- Assault and battery on hospitality personnel
- Cyberstalking and repeat felony crimes
The court proposal has once again garnered support from casino proprietors and the local Culinary Union, who prioritize creating a safer environment for visitors and staff on the Strip, while facing opposition from groups like the ACLU of Nevada, which labels the effort as performative and unconstitutional, asserting it disproportionately targets homeless individuals and essentially privatizes public sidewalks.
As of 2024, Clark County’s census recorded nearly 8,000 unhoused individuals, with approximately 1,500 residing in storm drains beneath the Strip, raising additional concerns regarding fairness and enforcement.
According to reports, over 4,100 individuals were banned from the Strip by the initial Resort Corridor Court, although no public data regarding recidivism or case outcomes was released. The new proposal includes a mandate for annual reporting on issued bans, the nature of offenses, and completion statistics.
While no other major U.S. city with a tourist-centric area operates a dedicated court for tourism-related offenses, national parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone maintain federal courts for specific offenses occurring in those locales.