Elizabeth Halverson
Elizabeth Halverson was a judge for Nevada's 8th Judicial District Court. She was elected to this position in November of 2006.[1] She was suspended in the fall of 2007 by the Court's Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle based upon allegations of professional misconduct. She lost a bid for re-election in August of 2008. In September of that year, she was indefinitely suspended by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline after a two-week long hearing. In January 2011, the Nevada Supreme Court permanently barred Halverson from ever serving as a judge again.[2] She died on March 1, 2014 at the age of 56.[3]
Education
Halverson received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis in 1977 and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1980.[4]
Career
Halverson was admitted to the Nevada Bar in 1992. She worked in private practice, for a labor union and for the federal government. In 1995, she became a law clerk for the 8th Judicial District, a position she held for nine years. She started her own firm, Halverson Law Firm, in 2004.[4]
Misconduct allegations
Suspension
Halverson was suspended by Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle on May 10, 2011, after Halverson brought her own two bodyguards into the courthouse and allowed them to bypass security. Hardcastle wrote in her administrative order, "Judge Halverson's actions in utilizing unauthorized and unknown bodyguards constitute a breach of courthouse security, which creates a potential danger to the judges, the public and the occupants of the Regional Justice Center."[1]
Hardcastle and Halverson have a history, too. Hardcastle fired Halverson from a law clerk position in 2004 and then Halverson ran against Hardcastle's husband for a Family Court judgeship. Halverson lost that race, but won her District Court seat in 2006.[1] Halverson's friend, Bobbi Tackett, argued, "The people who voted for her should scream. They (court officials) couldn't beat her in the election so they're beating her in the public opinion."[1]
A plethora of other accusations sprouted against Halverson when she was suspended. Her former judicial executive, Ileen Spoor, whom Halverson had fired, stated that Halverson was paranoid and "was extremely demanding of the bailiff and very degrading to all of us."[1] Some accused her of falling asleep during a hearing.[5]
Halverson's former bailiff, Johnnie Jordan, gave an emotional testimony during a disciplinary hearing in August 2008. He said that Halverson made him massage her feet and neck, spy on other judges and court staff, and put her shoes on for her. Jordan also testified that Halverson asked him to shoot her husband. He didn't, however, report the statement to the authorities, though he said that he thought she was serious.[6]
Halverson asked a federal court to stop the disciplinary proceedings in August of 2008, based on the claim that the commission was violating her constitutional right to a fair trial by withholding key information necessary for her defense. Judge Robert C. Jones rejected that claim.[5]
The Nevada Judicial Commission, in late 2008, ruled that Halverson should be permanently removed from the bench due to multiple counts of improper behavior. The Nevada Supreme Court upheld the commission's decision. The court stated,
| “ | This lack of credibility and an apparent unwillingness to admit mistakes, combined with sufficient evidence of willful misconducts lead us to conclude that Judge Halverson cannot serve as a judge.[2][7] | ” |
Defamation lawsuit
In December of 2009, she was found guilty of defaming her former judicial assistant Ileen Spoor, and was ordered to pay her $50,000.[8]
See also
External links
- Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, "In the matter of the Hon. Elizabeth Halverson," November 17, 2008
- ABA Journal, "You’re NOT the Boss of Me," August 1, 2007
- Los Angeles Times, "Las Vegas judge courts trouble with her actions," March 31, 2008
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Las Vegas Review Journal, "Judge Halverson banned from courthouse," May 11, 2007
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Las Vegas Sun, "Judge Halverson permanently removed after losing Supreme Court appeal," January 31, 2011
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Former Las Vegas judge Halverson dies at age 56," March 14, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Elizabeth Halverson campaign website: Biography dead link
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Las Vegas Review Journal, "Judicial hearing proceeds," August 7, 2008
- ↑ Las Vegas Review Journal, "Judge faces accuser," August 5, 2008
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun "Former Judge Elizabeth Halverson forced to pay $50,000 in damages," December 8, 2009
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada
State courts:
Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada
State resources:
Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada
