Las Vegas NowFederal Judge Rules on Judge Halverson Case

Federal Judge Rules on Judge Halverson Case

The battle for the bench continues today for Judge Elizabeth Halverson. A federal judge decided to allow her suspension hearing to continue. The commission could remove her from the bench and keep her from ever getting re-elected.

Judge Halverson filed for a temporary restraining order to stop the suspension hearings, saying her civil rights were violated. The judge said no.

She's up for re-election in next week's primaries and if the Judicial Discipline Commission removes her, she'll never be allowed to run again.

"I'm still a sitting judge. I'm just suspended," she said.

The commission suspended her in July of last year for judicial misconduct. Halverson's former employees accused her of abusing her power, calling them names and making them do humiliating and menial tasks.

She says the media has done irreparable damage to her reputation and could keep her from getting re-elected.

"I am a judge, whether that's what she wants me to be and I'm still a sitting judge and until such time as I'm removed or through, all the publicity they've generated in an attempt to destroy my ability to be re-elected, I'm still a judge," said Halverson.

No formal misconduct charges were filed against her until this January after she took her complaint to the Nevada Supreme Court.

She argued the suspension hearing was a quasi-criminal proceeding, but the Judicial Discipline Commission says it's not. The federal judge agreed.

The suspension hearing is supposed to wrap up on Friday but the commission isn't supposed to make their decision until next Wednesday. That's one day after the primaries, but her name will be on the ballot regardless.

She hasn't been officially removed from office, and she filed one lawsuit after another to fight the suspension.

The federal judge's decision today allows the suspension hearing to continue. That hearing is currently underway. and we'll bring you today's testimony in later editions of Eyewitness News.