Judge Chris Hazlett-Stevens

Judge Chris Hazlett-Stevens grew up in Glassell Park, CA in the East Los Angeles area.  There he developed a love and appreciation for the Latino culture, traditions and food.  He went on to pursue a career in music, successfully earning income as a classically trained freelance musician in Los Angeles while attending the University of Southern California.  Yet, he had a desire to do more by helping others.  He completed his undergraduate work in Administration of Justice and Spanish at Penn State in 1997 and returned to the LA area to begin his professional career.  Chris attended law school to pursue his legal career in the public sector.

Chris and his wife, Holly, moved to Reno in 2002 so Holly could continue her academic career as a new professor at UNR, where she has remained ever since.  While applying for law school, Chris investigated employment discrimination as a bilingual Compliance Investigator with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.  Chris then attended the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, where he graduated with distinction in 2006.

After passing the Nevada Bar, Chris began his legal career at a small law firm practicing family law, estate planning, and general civil litigation. He quickly found a position in public service at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Combing his passion for serving the public with his long-time interest in criminal law, Chris became a Criminal Prosecutor for the City of Reno.

Chris took a compassionate approach as a prosecutor, approaching his cases with the hope of making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.  He appreciated that many people were struggling with substance abuse and other mental health challenges, and that treating these underlying issues could have a profound and lasting impact on a person’s life and propensity for re-offending.  While at the City Attorney’s Office, Chris was honored to serve as the original prosecutor for Veterans Treatment Court, CAMO-RNO, assisting our nation’s veterans regain their dignity by focusing on the underlying mental health conditions that brought them to the criminal justice system.

In January of 2021, Chris was appointed to the bench by the Reno City Council. He quickly re-launched the Reno Municipal Community Court to provide vital services to Reno’s unsheltered population. As judge, he remains focused on incorporating treatment into sentencing, believing that a person’s best chance at ending the cycle of criminal behavior begins with treatment.  He realizes that targeting these issues at the misdemeanor level has the greatest potential for reducing crime in our community and preventing a person from committing even more serious felony crimes.