SANCHEZ JAEN v. MCBRIDE (2024)

ORDER OF AFFIRMANCE

Following an automobile accident, respondent Maria McBride prevailed at arbitration on a complaint filed against appellant Macrino Sanchez-Jaen. After Sanchez-Jaen requested a trial de novo, but before trial was held, this court amended the Nevada Short Trial Rules to increase the amount a short trial judge could award in attorney fees from $3,000 to $15,000. See In re the Creation of a, Comm. To Study the Rules Governing Alternative Dispute Resolution and Nev. Short Trials, ADKT 0595 (Order Amending the Rules Governing Alternate Dispute Resolution and Nevada Short Trial Rules, Oct. 26, 2022); NSTR 27(b)(4). Following trial, the short trial judge awarded McBride $15,000 in attorney fees, and the district court entered judgment consistent with the short trial judge's award. Sanchez-Jaen appeals, arguing that the new $15,000 fee cap should not have been applied, but instead, the short trial judge should have been bound by the old rule capping attorney fees at $3,000.

We recently held, under similar facts, that the amendments to NSTR 27(b)(4) did not affect a party's substantive rights and, therefore, the short trial judge did not err by applying the new $15,000 attorney fee cap. See Griffith v. Rivera, 140 Nev., Adv. Op. 60, ––– P.3d –––– (2024). Here, there are no distinctions in the record which lead us to a different result. Accordingly, we

ORDER the judgment of the district court AFFIRMED.