Halverson denies judicial panel’s allegations

CARSON CITY -- Attorneys for suspended Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Halverson on Tuesday denied allegations made in a 14-count complaint filed against her by the Judicial Discipline Commission.

Commission special prosecutor Dorothy Nash Holmes filed the complaint Jan. 7, alleging bizarre behavior including mistreating staff members, sleeping during trials and having illegal communication with jurors.

In addition to the denial of the allegations, Halverson's response says the complaint does not identify a state law or judicial canon that was violated for use to discipline her.

The conduct identified in the complaint "was not willful misconduct, does not involve willful or persistent failure to perform the duties of office, or habitual intemperance," the response says.

Now that she has responded, the commission can set a date to hear the matter, unless it grants a stay requested by her. Halverson, who could be removed from the bench permanently, has been suspended with pay since July. She has filed for re-election.

Halverson has asked for a stay of the proceedings while the Supreme Court considers a separate but related petition seeking to have the disciplinary proceedings dismissed.

The court has accepted the petition and directed the Judicial Discipline Commission to respond. In the petition, Halverson said the proceedings should be dismissed because the commission has taken too long to proceed on the matter, violating her constitutional rights of due process.

The order directing an answer says Halverson has set forth "issues of arguable merit" in seeking to have all pending charges against her dropped because of delays in pursuing the formal charges.