the “victim” rides back to court.
The battle is heating up in Las Vegas. Nothing like watching Judges go ballistic on each other. Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle fired back a response to Judge Elizabeth Halverson’s petition for a stay of her barring from the Justice Center. Hardcastle is attempting to keep Hardcastle out of the Justice Center, after the State Supreme court reversed the lock out.
The 2-page order states that Halverson “must be permitted to enter the Regional Justice Center, so long as she complies with the protocol applicable” to other district judges. Hardcastle has until next Wednesday to file any challenge to the order before it becomes permanent.
The Judges did exactly what Hardcastle wanted, excepting the meeting Hardcastle demanded. Hardcastle’s response (petition in PDF) to the stay basically says that Halverson is delusional, a liar, and does not even know the law.
Ironic considering she is a Judge and hired Dominic Gentile, a local hired gun. [see below]
So basically hardcastle is calling Halverson a liar. Not a far stretch. She seems to have a history of poor interaction with staff. Such as:
Bailiff Johnnie Jordan who has filed a complaint against Halverson says:
Bailiff Johnnie Jordan says he had to… “have petitioner’s water pitcher filled with the correct ratio of ice/water and at the correct temperature, gives petitioner back massages, cleans petitioner’s chambers when it is littered with sunflower seeds, cookie crumbs and papers all over the floor.”
“…listen to petitioner’s mother ask her if he was her servant.”
“… Be threatened with ‘do you want to worship me from near or afar?’
Ouch. Ok that is just one person. Anyone else? Well yes there is someone else. Ileen Spoor her former assistant whom she fired while Spoor was on vacation.
Judge Halverson’s former assistant Ileen Spoor says she and the law clerk had to wait by the elevator to wait for Judge Halverson’s arrival.
“… And having to stand at attention like soldiers and escort petitioner to her chambers.”
Not so much a judge as a regal presence.
My favorite complaint by Halverson (original petition here – PDF) is that Hardcastle should not have been allowed to campaign on behalf of her then husband.
She also says that before she left for Judicial school (who knew they had a school!) she had the awesome burden of trying 4 (yes FOUR) Jury trials, and amazingly had two going at the same time. My God! She is super-Judge. Oh wait, in two of those cases she talked to jurors (big no-no) and forced prosecutors to offer a plea deal due to her incompetence in one of them.
Halverson claims that a professor at Judge school informed her of an article about Halverson in the LVRJ. Which article though?
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Molly Ball
Section: Politics
Page: 1B
Words: 878Judge’s yard judged a mess
By MOLLY BALL REVIEW-JOURNALDistrict Judge Elizabeth Halverson’s yard is cluttered. A decrepit golf cart squats in a corner, a sheet of plywood leaning against it under a bush with red berries.
As a result of the mess, the newly elected judge’s house has been declared a public nuisance by Clark County. If she does not clean it up, the county will do it for her and could assess up to $10,000 in fines.
or is it this one?
Date: March 19, 2007
Author: K.C. Howard
Section: City
Page: 1B
Words: 1265Rookie judge under criticism for mistakes
By K.C. HOWARD REVIEW-JOURNALNewly elected District Judge Elizabeth Halverson is coming under criticism in the legal community as being an inexperienced jurist prone to mistakes.
It’s common for new judges to make a few errors, but Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle said Halverson is making more than most.
“I’ve never seen this before. Never,” Hardcastle said.
Incidents cited by attorneys who think Halverson is in over her head include …
Yea, I am thinking that one.
So Halverson is back to work. The voters look stupid. Cases are going through the system and attorneys in Halverson’s courtroom are no doubt salivating at the fees she will deliver them for appeals.
Grow up Halverson. Resign or get it together. What you are doing now is irresponsible and disgusting.
** Links to case **
- Halverson V Hardcastle – the whole stinky mess
- Requirements for being a Judge in NV
** Dominic Gentile **
Previous Gentile clients include the Palomino Club (strip club) owners accused of Murder, and impeached former Nevada Controller Kathy Augustine, disgraced former LVMPD officer, county commissioner, and convicted felon Lance Malone of the G-Sting stripper cases (San Diego and Las Vegas), successfully defended the Paradise club against a ‘lap dance’ ordinance in 1996, and represented Judge Donald Mosley in his corruption case (he gave money to his girlfriend out of his campaign monies). Hmm strippers and corrupt Judges, match made in … well maybe not Heaven, but it sounds like the same intersection. Maybe Paradise and Tropicana or Fremont street? Who says Defense lawyers don’t have fun.
Previously on the Island
Tags: halverson, hardcastle, las+vegas, kathy+hardcastle, elizabeth+halverson, dominic+gentile, g-sting, g+sting, ticket+fixing, law
[...] Halverson VS Hardcastle [...]
what a fatass
Did you know that not only is Judge Halverson’s husband, according to the REVIEW-JOURNAL, an ex-felon who has done time in state prison, but that he was on parole when the lovely couple wed?
Story here: http://www.lvrj.com/news/7700407.html
Hubby’s apparent mug shot here: http://media.lvrj.com/images/1822680.jpg
I am afraid there is no “getting it together” for the judge; based on the approx. 200 pages of exhibits lodged in the Nevada Supreme Ct. it would be MY OPINION that the Judge will ultimately be removed from office by the appropriate body–probably months if not years from now, after the charges are investigated, a formal accusatory pleading filed, and the good judge has a hearing then exhausts all appeals.
There is multiple sworn witness corroboration for a multitude of alleged misconduct accusations, ranging from extreme staff abuse, lying to other judges, falling asleep in court almost daily, improper ex-parte contact with jurors and on and on.
Perhaps all of these multiple witnesses are lying and the Judge is telling the truth.
But 1) Some of the accusations the Judge does not completely deny (such as her bailiff rubbing her feet–she just claims it was his idea and she tried to discourage it, and calling her husband vulgar names in front of court staff–the Judge’s solution when called on it was to propose he simply would not come around chambers) AND 2) Usually the disciplinary authorities tend to believe multiple corroborated accounts over the Judge who denies all and puts it off to a conspiracy against her.
Speaking of conspiracy theories, Judge Halverson (according to her now fired clerk) believed the court reporter was feeding her courtroom audio tapes directly to the Chief Judge’s computer.
And when a Sergeant and the Court Administrator escorted the Judge’s former clerk into chambers to collect her personal property after the Judge fired her, the Judge called 911. In later news accounts, on camera, the Judge claimed that court staff was there to assault her.
In my humble OPINION, it’s over.
[...] Judge’s Husband has Long Rap Sheet – hat tip to Stephen [...]
UPDATE: May 31, 2007 03:53 PM PDT
JUDGE ELIZABETH HALVERSON TOLD TO CLEAN YARD
“Embattled Clark County district court judge Elizabeth Halverson is facing more trouble. But this time it’s not related to her conduct in the courthouse, it’s because of her yard.
“Judge Halverson has been given until Friday to clean up her yard as part of a nuisance abatement case with the county. The county says Halverson has a yard full of trash, a stagnant pool and overgrown shrubs and weeds.
“County spokespersons say this has nothing to do with her ongoing fight with court administrators over courthouse rules and control.
“Halverson’s at the heart of recent controversy at the Regional Justice Center. She was temporarily banned from the courthouse this month after hiring private security guards who may have bypassed courthouse metal detectors.
“Most of her staff has quit amid complaints of name-calling and other improper treatment. The Nevada Supreme Court is looking into the case. ”
Source: News 3 Las Vegas
http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6595327&nav=15MV
Prior related yard story here: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Jan-13-Sat-2007/news/11958767.html
(Jan. 13, 2007, “Judge’s yard judged a mess–County says ‘junk, trash and debris’ make Halverson’s house a nuisance”, Las Vegas Review-Journal)
I guess putting her husband under oath to determine if he was really cleaning up was not sufficient motivation for the ex-felon.
Can this story get any more comedic?