Formal Charges Filed Against Controversial Vegas Judge
Formal ethics charges have been filed against Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson, who was suspended on an interim basis this fall based on allegations that she mistreated staff and slept during court hearings.
The 14-count complaint (PDF) contends Halverson fell asleep on the bench three times, had improper conversations with deliberating jurors, made comments to the media that could have affected a pending case, and created a hostile work environment for court employees, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
The complaint also contains new allegations that Halverson tried unsuccessfully to hack into the county computer system to access the e-mail of other employees, according to LasVegasNow.com.
The complaint says Halverson created a hostile work environment for her bailiff by requiring him to heat her meals, keep her water pitcher filled with ice, pick up objects she had deliberately thrown on the floor, and massage her feet and shoulders.
The filing comes just days after Halverson’s lawyers filed a petition with the Nevada Supreme Court seeking to lift her interim suspension.
A hat tip to Blogonaut, which posted the news of formal charges yesterday afternoon and the judge’s suspension request on Saturday.
