Las Vegas NowI-Team: 2 Former Employees of Judge Halverson Speak Out

I-Team: 2 Former Employees of Judge Halverson Speak Out

Two former employees of District Court Judge Elizabeth Halverson are speaking out. Judge Halverson was suspended from her duties last week by the state's Judicial Discipline Commission. Two of her former assistants are now saying the judge is being unfairly targeted.

Both of these employees were let go by court administrators last week when Judge Halverson was temporarily removed from the bench. Sally Owen was Judge Halverson's law clerk. Linda John was Judge Halverson's executive assistant. All judges get to hire whomever they choose in these two positions.

Both women say they feel unjustly terminated and believe they should have been re-assigned elsewhere in the courthouse. But they are both more concerned with the discipline process surrounding Judge Halverson herself -- which they feel has been unfair and one-sided since the very beginning.

"I have seen nothing absolutely nothing fair in the whole situation," said Owen. "The judicial commission did not investigate the situation. I was at the hearing -- I didn't get to go in and testify even though I had been subpoenaed."

"No, I don't think any of us have been treated fair through the whole thing," said John. "I did testify in front of the judicial committee and to be absolutely honest, I could have sat there stark-a** naked and recited the Gettysburg Address for as much attention as they paid to our testimony."

A court spokesman says both Owen and John were at-will employees. Administrators say John was still working for a temp agency and had not yet been officially hired. Owen was a court employee -- but administrators say her services were no longer needed once the judge was barred from the bench.

Both John and Owen can be re-hired if Judge Halverson is reinstated to the bench either by the Nevada Supreme Court or the Judicial Discipline commission.

Email your comments to Investigative Reporter Mark Sayre.