Joseph O. McDaniel

Joseph O. McDaniel earned his law degree in 1952 and moved to Elko, Nevada, where he passed the bar examination and opened a private practice. In 1953 he became a deputy district attorney under Grant Sawyer, gaining early experience across both civil and criminal matters. When Sawyer was elected Nevada's governor in 1959, McDaniel succeeded him as district attorney, an office he held for eight years before returning to private practice with the firm Vaughn, Hull, McDaniel and Marfisi.

In 1971 McDaniel won his first election as district judge, succeeding the outgoing Judge George F. Wright, and went on to serve 20 years on the Elko District Court bench. He ran unopposed in three elections and presided over a wide range of civil and criminal cases as Elko's population grew, becoming known for the courtesy and respect he extended to all who entered his courtroom.

McDaniel's service to the Nevada bench and bar was widely recognized. He was named Jurist of the Year in 1985 by the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association and served a term as president of the Nevada District Judges Association. He died April 18, 2006, in Reno at the age of 82.