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Oct. 24, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Judge Halverson's husband pleads guilty to beating her

By DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The husband of embattled District Judge Elizabeth Halverson Friday pleaded guilty to beating the suspended judge and will likely spend 3 to 10 years in prison.

Edward Halverson, 49, made an Alford plea to one count of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.


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    • The Alford plea means Edward Halverson acknowledged that prosecutors could prove their case against him. On Friday morning he told District Judge David Barker that he didn’t remember hitting his wife with a frying pan on Sept. 4 at the couple’s home near U.S. Highway 95 and Tropicana Avenue.

    “You’re honor, I don’t have any recollection of the events of that night until I was helping her,” he said.

    He and Elizabeth Halverson have been married for about 10 years.

    Edward Halverson, who has been in the county jail since his arrest in September, appeared in court wearing a navy blue jail uniform and had his hands and feet bound in shackles.

    “He knows he’s going to prison,” said Bita Khamsi, the deputy public defender representing Edward Halverson. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12.

    Authorities said Edward Halverson struck his wife with a frying pan several times. She was hospitalized for two weeks after the attack and needed more than 100 medical staples to close deep wounds in her head.

    News of the attack surprised neighbors at the time of the incident. They described the Halversons as an average couple. Edward Halverson was known as a devoted spouse who helped care for Elizabeth Halverson, who suffers from diabetes, congestive heart failure and the after-effects of cancer. She has difficulty walking and uses oxygen to assist her breathing.

    On the night of the incident, the couple was at home discussing future dinner plans. Elizabeth Halverson told a grand jury that Edward Halverson was supposed to cook dinner but hadn’t by about 10:30 p.m.

    She said he was acting strangely and she threatened to call police if he didn’t leave her alone. He then came into their bedroom and beat her with the frying pan, she told the grand jury.

    Edward Halverson has been arrested at least 10 times in three states, including on charges of possession of cocaine and burglary. He previously served almost four years in prison.

    Neither Elizabeth Halverson nor her attorneys could be reached for comment on Friday.

    She has been suspended from the bench since July 2007 but has continued to draw her $130,000 salary.

    She lost her bid for re-election and is facing a Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission complaint that she mistreated staff, treated a former bailiff like a personal slave, slept on the bench and couldn’t adequately conduct trials.

    Her attorney conceded in documents that the judge made some errors but never harassed staff or treated her bailiff like a slave.

    Elizabeth Halverson is awaiting a decision from the commission, which could bar her from ever sitting as a judge again.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.

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    a.p. wrote on October 30, 2008 09:15 PM: Average poster on this topic:
    18-30 year-old male
    never been laid(ok, that one time.yuk!)
    I.Q. 85
    mental equivilent=12 years old.


    Interested One wrote on October 29, 2008 11:26 AM: i know what my halloween costume is!!


    MGH wrote on October 25, 2008 04:33 PM: What an attorney...He knows he is going to prison. Either she knows somethink we don't or it just goes to show the system has already made this guy a number in prison. What a joke your system of justice is in the the state of Nevada...You do still live in the old days when it comes to justice huh.


    Pete wrote on October 24, 2008 07:40 PM: Moo Moo.....Who's gonna milk me now that my hubby is gone ?? Need someone to drive the forklift to hoist me on and off the toilet (oversize washtub) when I have to go......Well maybe I will just race through a casino and knock some people over on my motorized couch while I gnaw on a side of beef...


    T.P.R. wrote on October 24, 2008 07:30 PM: SHE'S A MARXIST OBAMA SUPPORTER.

    HE WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO BEAT SOME SENSE INTO HER!


    Inside Brookhaven wrote on October 24, 2008 06:21 PM: Does this mean she's available?


    John Dow wrote on October 24, 2008 05:41 PM: That Ed is really lucky.Our judicial system needs to be revamped.How do you let someone get away with practically trying to kill someone.3 to 10 should be 30 to 100.No one deserves to be treated the way Judge Halverson was.I hope Ed gets what he deserves and more.


    Jerry Wayne wrote on October 24, 2008 03:48 PM: sounds like a sham to me


    Sheista wrote on October 24, 2008 03:14 PM: John Q Public, that is some funny stuff, shame on you!


    John Q Public wrote on October 24, 2008 02:35 PM: The woman so fat, she plays pool with the planets. Abusing Ed and all her court staff.... Karma got her this time. I'm sure Ed will get minimum security and work furlough, and she will get fatter and fatter. I bet AMR had to bring their fat person truck out that has ramps and winches the gurney up the ramps and in the ambulance.


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