Editorial: Turmoil in the courthouse

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

District Judge Elizabeth Halverson has been accused of being incompetent and abusing her office, putting her in the middle of an embarrassing controversy that, if allowed to fester, could weaken the credibility of the judiciary.

As Sam Skolnik reported in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun, Halverson has been accused of falling asleep on the bench, talking with a jury outside the presence of attorneys on the case, berating attorneys in the courtroom, yelling at staff members and calling them names like "idiot" and "anti-Christ , " and making her staff rub her back and feet.

Since her election to the bench last fall, Halverson has been told she needed tutoring from seasoned judges and has been stripped of her criminal caseload. Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle locked her out of the courtroom after Halverson, violating courthouse rules, brought private bodyguards into her chambers without having them screened by security.

The state Supreme Court allowed Halverson back on the bench while it considers a lawsuit she filed claiming Hardcastle overstepped her bounds.

Halverson had previously worked for Hardcastle during a nine-year stint as a District Court law clerk. She and Hardcastle had clashed, highlighted by an ugly exchange during the 2004 campaign when Halverson ran against Hardcastle's husband, Family Court Gerald Hardcastle. Halverson lost but in the process filed a complaint against Kathy Hardcastle with the state Commission on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices, which chastised Hardcastle for participating in her husband's campaign.

That animosity between the two is all petty history compared with what is happening now. Halverson is a sitting judge, charged with ensuring justice is served in her courtroom, and there have been a number of people who have complained about her ability to do so.

This matter needs to be resolved quickly to protect the judiciary's credibility. The state Supreme Court should expedite its handling of the case to settle tensions at the courthouse and the Commission on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices should investigate the accusations against Halverson to determine whether she is fit for the bench.