Law clerk running against boss’s husband put on leave

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Friday, May 21, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

Chief District Judge Kathy Hardcastle placed a veteran law clerk on paid administrative leave three days after the woman filed to run against Hardcastle's husband for Family Court judge.

After nine years as a law clerk for the Eight Judicial District Court, Elizabeth Halverson, 47, was greeted by a bailiff on Monday morning as she arrived to work and was told she was no longer allowed in Hardcastle's court offices.

Halverson filed on May 14 to run against Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle.

District Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said Halverson should be back to work next week. The paid administrative leave was done to allow Court Administrator Chuck Short, Hardcastle and the county counsel to review any possible conflicts.

"They all need to look at this situation because if she's (Halverson) running against her supervisor's husband, you have to wonder if she could still be supervised."

Halverson could not be reached for comment this morning.

While Hardcastle has confirmed she made the decision to place Halverson on leave, she had already made it clear upon being elected chief judge in April that it was time to open up Halverson's position for other applicants, Sommermeyer said.

"We've had a lot of different chief judges and each one has had a new policy (on law clerks)," Sommermeyer said. "Hardcastle said when elected that she likes to keep her law clerks for a year, and that change usually happens in August."

Judicial law clerks generally research legal opinions, write summaries of judge's rulings and the legal evidence that led to their decisions, called bench rulings. They also attend court proceedings.

Because they fill at-will positions, law clerks are hired and fired by the judges.

Under Nevada law, it is illegal for any business to make a rule or regulation that prevents an employee from engaging in political activity.

Gerald Hardcastle said Halverson probably decided to run against him for the wrong reasons.

"I think it's pretty obvious that she (Halverson) might be looking to file a lawsuit over this" job situation, Gerald Hardcastle said. "The thing is Kathy (Hardcastle) already told her (Halverson) in April that she was going to open up the position for other people. Kathy (Hardcastle) made this decision long before Halverson filed."