Local therapist launches campaign for justice of the peace

Scott Oakley, a local therapist running for Pahrump Justice Court Department B justice of the peace, considers himself a “dark horse” in the judicial race.

“I’m not a politician and I don’t want to go that route,” Oakley told the Pahrump Valley Times. “I hold conduct and ethics very seriously. That’s what makes me different from every single candidate right now: my experience, my education, my understanding of mental health and substance use, especially in Pahrump.”

Oakley opened Oak Tree Counseling in Pahrump four years ago, where he works as a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified domestic violence supervisor. In addition to operating his own business, Oakley works with drug courts and the local detention center, providing services including mental health evaluations and substance abuse evaluations. Oakley was also appointed to the State of Nevada Board of Occupational Therapy as one of its five members.

“That’s what I do for a living: I listen to people and I have to make a fair judgment to help them find themselves and be able to understand what’s going on,” Oakley said. “The justice of the peace will have to render life-altering decisions to someone.”

While this is Oakley’s first time running for elected office, he explained that his career as a therapist, in addition to his work connected to the court system, makes him a qualified candidate for justice of the peace.

“They have to be impartial and ethical. They [JPs] have to stay calm and be professional in the court settings. They have to be a master at case management,” Oakley said about his transferable skills. “This is what I do for a living as a therapist.”

Oakley said he’s running on three core principles during his campaign for Department B’s bench: justice, accountability and service to the community.

“I have to be nonpartisan. I can’t be conservative or liberal; I just have to be neutral,” Oakley elaborated. “That is the most important thing that people need to understand about the justice of the peace, that I have to be impartial. I have to uphold independence and understand that there will be conflicts and understand people’s challenges.”

For more information about Scott Oakley’s bid for Department B justice of the peace, visit oakleyjop2026.com.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com