Disciplinary case filed against former Fernley judge

CARSON CITY - The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline has filed a formal case against a former Fernley Municipal Court judge, accusing him violating judicial canons when he pulled over a woman and presented himself as a police officer.

Judge Daniel Bauer resigned in February after Lyon County prosecutors charged him with two misdemeanors stemming from the September 2011 incident. The criminal charges were then dropped.

But Bauer, a retired Nevada Highway Patrol trooper, now faces a hearing before the judicial discipline panel.

Bauer is accused of using a badge issued to NHP retirees, stating he was a police officer, and detaining a woman at a convenience store.

If the commission finds the allegations are true, Bauer could face a range of possible sanctions, up to being barred from holding judicial office.