District attorney fires deputy romantically linked to judge

Roger on Wednesday would not discuss Lisa Willardson’s firing other than to say, “She’s no longer employed by the district attorney’s office.”

Willardson, a deputy in the Juvenile Division, was notified of her termination late Tuesday after a whirlwind day in which Roger and Jones took public shots at each other over the judge’s relationship with Willardson.

Willardson previously had been removed from handling child abuse and neglect cases before Jones after two of her fellow prosecutors exposed the budding relationship. Concerns were raised within the district attorney’s office that the relationship invited a professional conflict of interest for both Willardson and Jones.

In an email Wednesday, Willardson said she was “absolutely heartbroken and devastated” by her firing, and she hurled harsh words Roger’s way.

“The only ‘bully’ in this story is David Roger — which was exhibited by his retaliatory behavior yesterday,” Willardson said.

Roger publicly called Jones a “bully” on Tuesday for sending him a message threatening to ban prosecutors who handle child welfare cases from his courtroom unless Roger backed away from reassigning Willardson.

After Roger refused to back down, Jones issued an order barring the two whistle-blowing prosecutors, Deputy District Attorneys Michelle Edwards and Janne Hanrahan, from appearing before him, citing “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” on their part. The two had provided supervisors with a clandestine photo taken of Willardson and Jones appearing cozy with each other at a public function.

Roger responded to Jones by filing a motion in Family Court on Tuesday seeking the judge’s removal from a child welfare case because of “personal bias” he displayed against the deputies.

“It is clear that Judge Jones is being vindictive in attempting to ruin these prosecutors’ careers,” Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He’s a bully, and I’m not going to stand back and let him do this without having other entities review his conduct.”

Jones later retaliated, saying Roger filed the motion to deflect attention away from the “disturbing behavior” of his two deputies.

Edwards had noticed that Willardson and Jones appeared friendly with each other while sitting together at an office social gathering on Oct. 31. Believing Jones had put his hand on Willardson’s leg, Edwards snapped a photo of the couple under the table. In the photo, which was attached to Roger’s motion, the judge’s hand appears to be moving toward Willardson’s jeans-covered leg or moving away from it.

The photo confirmed Edwards’ suspicions and persuaded Juvenile Division supervisors to take steps to confront both Willardson and Jones about their relationship. That led to Willardson’s reassignment. Willardson, who is said to be well-off financially, had worked as a prosecutor in the division’s child welfare unit for nearly two years as a volunteer until she was put on the district attorney’s payroll about two months ago.

On Wednesday, Willardson said she worked up to 11 hours a day as a volunteer hoping to reduce the stress of the “hardworking, overburdened, unappreciated and often forgotten” deputies in the child welfare unit. She said she showed up every day to make sure the community’s “most vulnerable children were protected.”

Willardson said Roger’s court motion about her activities, with its supporting affidavits from her former supervisors, are “factually incorrect.”

“As officers of the court, they should be ashamed and sanctioned,” she said. “The only inappropriate behavior was by two deputy district attorneys when they took a photograph of an elected official’s crotch underneath a table in a restaurant.

“That type of egregious behavior, by two deputy district attorneys, should send chills up every elected official’s spine — including David’s.”

Willardson said she looked forward to the Clark County Commission’s selection next year of Roger’s successor. Roger is retiring in January after a decade at the helm of the district attorney’s office.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.